Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC) will be hosting a gathering of women landowners in southern Wisconsin. The “Southern Fall Regional Summit: Cultivating Resilience Through Stewarding Our Soil” will take place on Friday, September 15, at Green Haven Gardens in Brooklyn, from 9:30am to 3:00pm.
The event will celebrate the stories of women caring for Wisconsin’s landscape as well as explore resources to apply more conservation practices. Topics also include research learnings from three years of WiWiC programming. Additionaly, tips for creating welcoming spaces for women will be covered and also discussion about increasing diversity and inclusion in conservation outreach.
Programming includes Bonnie McKiernan, a member of the Menominee Nation Tribe of Wisconsin, leading attendees through a tea making session. McKiernan’s “All Seasons Tea” honors the change of season and is made with peppermint, mullein and bergamot. Host Heather Lynch will give a tour of Green Haven Gardens. This is a diversified garden and home she runs with her husband, Dylan Lynch. Also presenting is Tonya Gratz, Soil Conservationist for the Green County Land and Water Conservation Department. She will do a rainfall simulator demonstration. Attendees can see the differences in how soil health and water holding capacity are changed by different production practices.
This gathering also brings together women who have participated in WiWiC’s Land Conservation Plan process. The Conservation Plans help landowners better understand and care for their land for the long term.
“I’m excited to share on the tour all I learned in going through the WiWiC Land Conservation Plan process. Doing a land walk with Tonya Gratz gave me more perspective on how we can steward our land,” says Heather Lynch. “We are our own best resource and I’m looking forward to sharing my journey here at Green Haven Gardens.”
All Wisconsin women with an interest in conservation are welcome to attend. Space is limited and the cost is $15. Additionally, all attendees receive a free copy of the Farmstead Chef cookbook. This book is co-authored by WiWiC Team member, Lisa Kivirist, and her husband, John Ivanko. They will also receive the Renewing the Countryside Wisconsin book which has positive stories of rural revitalization. Register at www.WiWiC.org under Events.
