Birds and other wildlife will find more refuge with the addition of 96 acres to Madison Audubon Society's Faville Grove Sanctuary north of Lake Mills.
The recently purchased land at Faville Grove Sanctuary includes an isolated wetland with open water and floating bog, as well as oak woods, savanna and cropland.
Over the next several years, Madison Audubon volunteers, staff and interns will control invasive species in the woodlands and wetland and will restore the cropland to a diverse array of prairie plants. The restoration work will improve and expand habitat for native grassland birds, waterfowl, animals and insects, and bring back a varied and sublimely beautiful landscape for human enjoyment.
With the acquisition, Faville Grove Sanctuary now encompases 673 acres. In addition, Madison Audubon manages more than 400 acres for wildlife habitat at Faville Grove in cooperation with neighboring landowners, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The university first became involved at Faville Grove in the mid-1930s, when Professor Aldo Leopold began long-term studies involving local farmers in wildlife management. Leopold spearheaded the acquisition for the university arboretum of a 60-acre tract of unplowed prairie in the floodplain of the Crawfish River. That tract, known as Faville Prairie, became the world's first publicly protected prairie preserve.
Madison Audubon Society is a local chapter of the National Audubon Society and is Wisconsin's most active Audubon chapter, with over 3,000 members throughout eight south-central counties. The organization has a central office in Madison and two sanctuaries, Goose Pond in Columbia County, and Faville Grove in Jefferson County, which total over 1,500 acres. The organization not only restores and manages its own properties, but is actively engaged in collaborating with other organizations and private landowners to restore properties in Wisconsin. Madison Audubon also provides youth and community education and field trip opportunities year-round for thousands of local citizens each year.
