One hundred years ago, the Madison Parks and Pleasure Drive Association and O.C. Simonds, landscape architect, created the vision for Tenney Park and the Yahara River Parkway. Today, the Urban Open Space Foundation (UOSF), a nonprofit land trust, is working with Madison Parks Division and a citizen working group to restore this landscape heritage. The citizen working group includes voices for fishing, canoeing and kayaking, wildlife habitat, plant ecology, landscape architecture, bicycling, environmental education, water quality, and especially, for nature's value in our life and the life of our community.

Why are restoration and management of these natural landscapes needed? In Tenney Park and the Yahara River Parkway, O.C. Simonds created landscapes where natural processes, rather than appearing controlled, seem free from human influence. He succeeded so well that park users may believe that natural processes are managing the parks making human input unnecessary. Yet, to leave the landscape without restoration and stewardship means that the inevitable wear on the Parks' design and on the health of its ecosystems intensifies and spreads, continually eroding its educational and recreational purposes.

In June, 1998, with a grant from the Madison Community Foundation, UOSF, Madison Parks Division, the citizen working group and consulting plant ecologist and wetland hydrologist began putting pencils to paper to develop concept plans for a riverbank marsh along the Yahara River Parkway and a wildlife habitat enhancement planting. Both projects will be just west of the E. Johnson bridge. With the help of citizens of Madison, there will be a wetland area along the banks of the Yahara River this spring and an enriched wildlife corridor. We need volunteers for planting, monitoring and stewardship - individuals, families, clubs, groups, teachers and students.

The wildlife habitat planting will take place on Saturday, April 17 from 9-12 and 1-4 with Saturday, April 24 as the rain date. The riverbank marsh planting will be Saturday, May 1 from 9-1 with Saturday May 8 as the rain date.

To learn about wetland and wildlife, to take an active role in these projects, to find out more, please call Geri Weinstein at the Urban Open Space Foundation, 255-9877.


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