Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy

About Us

The Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy's mission is to restore, protect and promote the Pheasant Branch Conservancy and its watershed for now and future generations.

We are striving to become increasingly effective at restoring, protecting and promoting the Conservancy as an ecological whole.

The Pheasant Branch Conservancy is a regional treasure, a natural haven in the midst of a growing urban area. As a mosaic of marshlands, springs, prairies, meadows, lowland forest and wooded hills, it offers peace and respite to the individual, as well as educational opportunities for all ages.

There are many things we value in our work:

To support an urban land ethic, in keeping with Aldo Leopold’s advocacy of a land ethic, “which enlarges the boundaries of community to include soils, waters, plants and animals.”
To support the distinction between parks, landscaped and recreational, separate from conservancies, managed to achieve natural conditions but providing reasonable public access for passive uses.
To restore the natural ecosystems of the Conservancy by removing invasive species, gathering and planting native seed, conducting prairie burns, and monitoring the health of all flora and fauna in the Conservancy.
To protect and improve the water quality and environmental health of the Pheasant Branch Watershed in partnerships with others.
To provide environmental education, using the Conservancy as a unique local laboratory.
To apply solid science, data and measured results.
To support the quality of life in Dane County and its economic future.