The Buckthorn Man has finally landed his first cash paying client!  I’ve been giving it away for the last 16 years, volunteering everywhere I worked out of pure love for the land.  But since I launched this new website last November, I have been offering my buckthorn cutting services for hire.  My new bosses are none other than Lindsay Knudsvig, Constance Kilkenny and her son, Joe Winn.

August 19, 2012, Tracy Hames, Sophia, Constance Kilkenny, Lindsay Knudsvig, Paul Mozina and Pati Holman

Joe Winn and Lindsay Knudsvig on a lunch break at The Springs

Lindsay and Connie have been working on “the farm” for many years now and since Joe joined the effort, the action has really heated up.  Joe applied for a grant for the Kilkenny Family Project from the Wisconsin forest landowner grant program (WFLGP) and it looks like the funding will become available in August.  The farm is a 70 acre spread near Delavan, Wisconsin that features Turtle Creek, aka Swan Creek winding right through the middle of it.

The restoration efforts began near the homestead, which you can see in the lower left of the picture above (and also below), and they have progressed over the last 4-5 years along the old horse trail between the south edge of the farm field and the railroad line.   This past fall they turned the corner north to work along the tree line between the farm field and Swan Creek.

Home Sweet Home

The view of the southwest corner of the property

I’m trying to create something different with this website: make it a place were people can share and focus their volunteer efforts and also support me financially — so that I can continue to give it away.   I invite you to check out my About page for a description of all the features on this site.  The latest addition is the Kilkenny Family Project page, which we will use to document the history of their restoration effort.

On February 11, Lindsay, Joe and I loaded up the trailer and headed down the horse trail for the tree line on the east side of the farm field.  Drifting snow and previously cut buckthorn eventually blocked our path and we decided to unload the gear and get to work right there.

My favorite part about working at the Kilkenny Family Project is relaxing afterwards with a cold beer near the fire in their cozy kitchen and savoring a plate of Lindsay’s special recipe beans and rice!

Hmmm, looks like might as well stop here.

Plenty of buckthorn to cut and some mighty nice oaks.

We made a couple of brush piles and lit them up

There was plenty of buckthorn nearby to add to the flames.

We opened a huge swath between the farm field and the channel at the base of the railroad bed.

It has been a real pleasure to share my passion for the land with other like-minded volunteers.  On February 6, I was joined by Andy Buchta, Lindsay Knudsvig, Chris Mann, Steve Brasch, and Ben and Karen Johnson at the Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail.  We continued clearing the left side of the trail between signposts #1 and #2 and achieved amazing results!

We are clearing out a strip of buckthorn along the left side of the trail.

Continuing where we left off last time

Same views but a little broader perspective

Lindsay gets the first pile lit

Ben and Karen Johnson helping Chris Mann

Ben and Karen

Steve Brasch and Chris Mann

Lindsay, Karen and Ben

After action report

I never imagined we get as far as that huge cottonwood in left center

There is a nice stand of hickory trees here

On February 12, I joined the Southern Kettle Moraine SNA volunteers at the White Water Oak Opening, which is part of the Clifford Messinger Dry Prairie & Savanna Preserve State Natural Area.  We cut, poisoned, piled and burned our arch enemy — buckthorn — while working on a knoll and deep drainage at the base of a steep moraine near Hwy P (you can see it on the topo map below).

I grabbed this video of the UW Whitewater Ecology Club volunteers heating things up.

Jared Urban, with the DNR’s Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation, has been building momentum for the State Natural Areas volunteer program for 4 years now. He will be closing the deal any day now on a trailer loaded with brand new equipment for the Southern Kettle Moraine SNA volunteers.  Way to go Jared!

Did I say steep hillsides?

UW Whitewater Ecology Club

Jared explaining the plan for the day

It was darn cold but pretty soon the guys were working in just their long shirts

There are some mighty nice oaks down there, we’ll get to them next time.

This is the knoll I mentioned right near Hwy P

DNR Conservation Biologist, Sam Smyrk, cut buckthorn up on that steep slope

Looking up at the knoll

looking down the drainage

Scott Farrell worked with me until almost 4:00pm and he said I needed to climb to the top of the ridge and check it out.

Thanks for the advice Scott!

Zach Kastern spent the day at prescribed fire school and he joined me by the fire later…

Well, I’ve been busy and having a lot of fun. I hope you will come out and join us when you can, and make a donation to The Buckthorn Man if you want to show your support for what I’m doing.

See you at The Springs!