Grasshopper Hill Preserve success!

[Glacial Lakes Conservancy]

Dear members and friends,

Great News!

Because of supporters like you, we have great news. After many years
of work, special donors, a grant, and some fantastic volunteers,
Glacial Lakes Conservancy is pleased to announce that it has
successfully acquired and established the 25-acre Grasshopper Hill
Preserve!

This Town of Rhine property represents our first project in Sheboygan
County to own and manage. Our first in the region is the Wm. F.
Christel Woods and Wetlands Preserve, a gift of land from the Holsens
in the Village of Valders

Since 2006, GLC has been working to create a 25-acre nature preserve
from a glacial remnant. In the spring of 2011, family members of the
Fischer Farmstead agreed to work with GLC because of their shared
vision and the late LaVern Meeusen’s wish to protect the farm’s steep-
sided, wooded hill from future development.

This vision was shared by others, which is how GLC could get to this
wonderful outcome!

The property will be managed for its wildlife habitat and steeply-
sloped kame and kettle topography in order to preserve and protect the
natural ecological values by preventing the establishment of invasive
species, allowing natural processes to continue, limiting use to that
which is compatible with natural area designation, and restoring
disturbed areas. Volunteers interested in assisting GLC in the
management of its preserves should contact our office.

Thank you to all who donated and volunteered for this great project.
And thank you for the letters of support from the Village of Elkhart
Lake, the Town of Rhine, and the Elkhart Lake Improvement Association,
which assisted us in gaining a $60,000 Sheboygan County Stewardship
Grant.

Conservation like this just doesn't happen overnight. It takes a
tremendous effort and a community's support of the local land trust
for all the work we do in our region.

We deeply appreciate your on-going support so that we can conserve
land through private lands conservation or with land trust ownership,
like the new Grasshopper Hill Preserve. Donations to GLC are most
welcome -- by mail or online!

Sincerely,
Vickie Hall
Executive Director

p.s. Please Save the Date! The GLC Annual Event Dinner Fundraiser
will be on Sunday, December 4th at 5:00 pm at Margaux Bistro in
Sheboygan.