ni na waksik ho'ina here na
"Water is Life" in Ho-Chunk is a wonderful phrase to ponder on World Water Day.
How do you interact with water? Take a moment to breathe deep, close your eyes, and just recall a few of the ways you rely on or enjoy water in your daily life. It's a meaningful but somewhat impossible exercise, really - our very bodies are 60% water. Whether we are drinking coffee or orange juice, running lines out to our livestock, making sure our greenhouse babies have enough to grow or our kids have enough to play in - we rely on water for every aspect of life.
But the health and availability of water is by no means a guarantee, though we here in Wisconsin rarely perceive its scarcity because of the abundance of our lakes, streams, rivers and groundwater. Yet all of our activities on the surface of the soil - farming, ranching, development, manufacturing, driving, recreation and even prairie restoration - have an impact on our water, for better or for worse.
We at Wisconsin Women in Conservation are committed to helping today's women landowners and land managers have the best possible information, education, and support to make good choices that have restorative impacts on the precious waters of our state.
This spring we have some exciting opportunities coming up to help you understand and implement best practices on the land you steward. We hope you'll join us and build connections with others in your community who want to do the same.
Twice a year, WiWiC hosts a Conservation Educator Network Meet Up on Zoom. While these are planned with educators in mind, all people of all genders who are working with women to advance conservation are welcome to join in! Our upcoming Spring meet-up will introduce participants to the work and stories of Wisconsin State Geologist Sue Swanson, director of the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, and Wisconsin's USDA Climate Smart Specialist Kristin Foeringer.
You may be wondering how geology and water intersect, and you should attend the Zoom to find out how! But you should also click here to explore the many services provided by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey to help growers understand the impacts of land use on water. Bring your questions and Sue will do her best to answer them, as she is a specialist in hydrogeology. Listen in to this great 2023 interview with Sue on Wisconsin Public Radio - click here.
A recent product of the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey. The agency, let by State Geologist Sue Swanson, provides objective scientific information about the geology, mineral resources and water resources of Wisconsin.
It’s Spring: the birds are singing, the sun is shining and the flowers are springing to life. As these flowers emerge from the ground and begin to open, the bees and the butterflies are swooping in, pollinating along the way. It is refreshing seeing all the spring activities taking place, but have you ever stopped to think about what is happening beneath the surface of the soil to allow this to happen? Starting in April, we'll start back up with our WiWiC Learning Circles across the state. This spring we're focusing on Soil Health - bringing in experts and demonstrations, including Rainfall Simulators, to help us understand how healthy soil and healthy water are intertwined. Together, we can insure that our animals, our wildlife and our children for generations to come have clean water in abundance!
