Preserving Our Sense of Place

Lake view from the end of the Burroughs Trail

By Bonnie Matuseski, President

For thirteen years I have been an enthusiastic volunteer for the Madeline Island Wilderness Preserve and was recently honored to be elected President. I am humbled by the vision and dedication of the founding members who started buying land in 1987, as they formed one of the first local land trusts in the state of Wisconsin. With the dedication of volunteer boards and generous donations of members ever since, the MIWP has grown to 2900 acres, permanently protecting our Madeline Island for many generations to come.

What is it that makes Madeline Island special to you and your family? The culture of this island is born in the natural beauty of its land and water and the connections we make with the natural world. “Island time” allows us to gather with family and friends to watch the glow of a sunset or enjoy a canopied hike in our forests. Sense of place is defined as a condition of meaning and attachment. I think preserving our sense of place is the driving force behind the MIWP, a mission not just for today but for the long-term future of our Madeline Island Community. We care for what we love.

MIWP is an active and thriving organization. Our dedicated board meets regularly to guide our educational programing, forest management, invasive species work, trail improvements and land acquisition opportunities. This summer we will offer six evening lectures at the museum, two guided mushroom-foraging hikes, and two guided hikes on the North End. We will continue our partnership with the Madeline Island Book Club, meeting this summer to explore Thoreau’s Walden Pond. Please see our website: www.miwp.org to learn about all our programs, which are free and open to the public.

The trail committee has been working hard and planning trail improvements for you to enjoy. You can find new trail maps on our website and download printable versions. Once on the trails, you will be guided with new trail signs and mile markers and find easy access to off-road parking at the new Sowl Trailhead and Schoolhouse Road entrances. In 2023, duckboards will be built and installed on wet areas of the Nucy Meech Trail to improve your hiking there. We regularly partner with our sister organization, Madeline Island Trails, to maintain and groom our trails, and we greatly appreciate their help — as I did this winter when I skied and snowshoed the well-attended trails.

While we have not purchased new land recently, we diligently watch for opportunities to acquire environmentally significant property that is contiguous to our present holdings.

Our multi-year program to contain and mitigate the harmful effect of invasive species continues. We contract with the Bay Area Environmental Consulting to tackle buckthorn, barberry, and Eurasian honeysuckle, and they in turn contract with private landowners to eradicate these invasive plants at no cost to the owner. We have seen substantial success with this program and encourage you to help us contain invasive species by accepting BAEC’s offer to treat your property.

I have been asked, “Why should I be a member?”, and it is easy for me to answer: I want to be part of the future of Madeline Island. I want to see this quiet, forested Island preserved for my grandchildren to enjoy, to find awe in our spring wildflowers, or see the milky way dance across the sky. These connections between people and the natural world are powerful, restorative, and give meaning to our lives.

Thank you for your membership and helping us preserve the natural heritage of Madeline Island. Please join us in our work. Look for opportunities to explore our trails, volunteer your time, or renew membership on our website. I hope to see you enjoying a lecture at the Museum or hiking a trail this year!

Bonnie Matuseski, Board President