The Power of a Pond

Henry David Thoreau wrote Walden during his two-year stay in a tiny shack on the shores of the pond. It became a best-seller when his literary friends promoted it after his untimely death. As Thoreau gained a worldwide following for his environmental philosophy, the pond itself became a celebrity.

Now people are loving the pond to death. It receives 700,000 visitors a year, who come to worship Thoreau’s legacy, or just to swim in one of the few freshwater ponds near Boston.

Sustainability at the UW in Madison

When I attended the recent New Urbanism conference at Monona Terrace on June 4, the UW had a display there, boasting about its sustainability. 

That was a new one for me... so I decided to look into it.

Glacier under Mt. Walker survives into June

Mt. Walker hides a remnant of ice, under a mantle of garbage.



Question: Where can you still find winter ice in Madison?

Answer: Under scenic Mt. Walker, on the west end of Campus.

Work on Secret Pond reconstrution begins

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Eroded channel of Manitou Creek, a bit upstream of Secret Pond. More photos



Update 6/21:  According to Steve Glass, the project has begun with a misstep.  The project's Chapter 30 permit requires that the heavy equipment coming to the project be clean of soil, to avoid introducing invasive species.  The first bulldozer to arrive was dirty.

Below is a letter sent to residents by Gary A. Brown, Director, Campus Planning and Landscape Architecture:

2011 summer solstice bonfire--a perfect evening



See all the photos here.

It was a perfect balmy summer evening--dew on the air, fireflies coming out. As I approached the park, wood smoke wafted my way.

From the edge of the park on Glenway St., a freshly mulched path plunged into the darkness. There were a few candles along the path, and in the distance, a bonfire flickered. Chords of a guitar hung faintly in the air.

Although it was 10:00 pm, only 10 people remained at the bonfire. A tornado warning had put a dent in attendance.

In Scandinavia, the idea is to have a bonfire to celebrate the midnight sun--then sing, drink, and talk into the small hours of morning. I guess there weren't enough Scandinavians present (despite the memory of Jens Jensen).

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This year's event was organized by Peter Nause and other members of the DMNA Parks Committee.

Comments on City plans to control Japanese knotweed

The following comments were sent by Steve Glass, Restoration Ecologist at the UW Arboretum.  He will soon post additional comments on his blog, WingraSprings.

Not sustainable--the construction industry in Madison

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Recently, the American Lung Association named Madison as one of the most polluted cities in the nation from particle pollution--dust and smoke.

There's construction all over downtown Madison.  Dust is being tracked onto streets every day, and is being blown out of construction sites on windy days.

Covering sources of dust

Findorff site before covering, & after. Click to enlarge.

City requests proposals for control of invasive plants

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On June 3, the City Engineering Division requested proposals from landscapers for control of invasive plants.  An informational meeting will be held at the work locations on June 17, to answer contractor's questions, and bids are due on June 28. The project is being managed by Glenn Clark.  Details.

It's getting harder to find sites for new city wells

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During a recent exploration of unseen Madison spots, I had a chance to find out how hard it is to protect groundwater and find new well sites.

As Madison grows, we need more wells. As more areas become contaminated, wells have to be abandoned, and there are fewer places where you can put a new well.

Exploring an old landfill--now home to Terra

Early last spring, when I found myself on the east side of town, I decided to explore the woods by the state offices at the end of Agriculture Rd.

There was a nice path, but I quickly came to a huge dump.  Part of it was capped (imperfectly), and part was still receiving construction debris and snow removed from parking lots.

Salvaged concrete blocks were piled into mountains. 

Groundwater at Odana exceeds standards for salt



The Cogeneration plant on the west side of the UW campus is allowed to withdraw large amounts of water from Lake Mendota, based on a complicated swap agreement with DNR.

That agreement called for an infiltration field at the Odana Hills Golf Course, where up to 60 million gallons a year of stormwater are pumped into the soil.  Background.

One of the problems with this agreement is that the water being pumped into the soil is rather salty, due to overuse of road salt in the area. Several test wells in the area show levels of salt over the Enforcement Standard.  In other words, the groundwater is starting to become polluted with salt.