Welcome


The 9,150-acre State Wildlife Area was named for a series of gently rolling sandy ridges crisscrossing the property. Sandhill Wildlife Area lies within the bed of ancient Glacial Lake Wisconsin- an expansive region of flat, marshy land interspersed with forests covering parts of seven counties in central Wisconsin. The property features low, sandy uplands of oak, aspen and jack pine forests, large marshes, and many flowages. A small herd of American bison, white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, Canada geese, ducks, loons, bald eagles, sandhill cranes, shorebirds, songbirds, hawks, owls and furbearers find a great home here at Sandhill. You will find the land is a remote, quiet wildlife oasis amidst a bustling world dominated by people.
Sandhill Wildlife Management Area is managed by a team of Wisconsin DNR wildlife biologists, technicians, a wildlife researcher, a forester and a wildlife educator. The DNR staff manages not only the Sandhill property, but also the Wood County Wildlife Area, Meadow Valley Wildlife Area and Cranberry Creek Natural Area in neighboring Juneau and Monroe counties. All combined, our small DNR crew manages over 90,000 acres for wildlife and people who enjoy wildlife.

FOS December 14, 2013 Board meeting

The December 14, 2013 board meeting of the Friends of Sandhill was called to order by Vice President
Dick Dubiel at 10:10(?). Those attending the meeting included Neal Paisley, Dick Dubiel, Vicki Palen,
Nancy Peterson, Clara Kubisiak, Sri Kasturirangan, Mike Wipfli and guests Valarie and David Rheinschmidt.

Minutes of the March meeting and subsequent activities were highlighted by Vicki. They were approved. The treasurer’s report was read and approved. The balance in the treasury as of March 14, 2013 is $2,354.55 after the $54 is paid to Vicki to reimburse her for using her credit card to pay for our charitable organization license renewal.

OLD BUSINESS
Kiosk:
Those present visited the site of the new Trumpeter Trail/Sandhill information kiosk with Reed Romans, the builder, who explained his plans for the roof and walls of the kiosk and materials that could be used. Depending on the cost of the materials, the facing of the back of the walls and any exposed wall on the front will be a grooved plywood which would resemble vertical boards. The inside will probably have three glass/plexiglass/? doors protecting cork-covered bulletin boards for posting notices and other information. We will probably still have some sort of sign-in desk and an improved holder for our handouts and trail guides. The roof will have an overhang plus a rustic-looking front roof support so there should be good protection for people using the kiosk and for the pamphlets and registration book.
When the meeting was reconvened inside, it was decided that Friends of Sandhill will pay for the concrete slab for the kiosk at a cost of $1740.00. The remainder will be paid out of the Sandhill Gift Fund. John Kubisiak will apply for an Incourage Community Foundation grant. A total cost for the building (not including the doors and storage devices) is estimated at $3,212.

Driving Tour and guide changes:
The Trumpeter Trail driving tour information sheet and map need to be brought up to date. Questions
were asked regarding new signs and type of signs. Neal would like to have signs showing the goals of good
management of the area for the public to read. A meeting of the Sandhill staff will be held on January 6, 2014 to discuss ideas. At the next FOS Board meeting we could probably get into specifics of the stops for the guide.
Vicki mentioned some ideas that she and Norma had regarding the new guide. She also said that she was planning that FOS would undertake to edit the new trail guide but that some information would probably have to be written by Sandhill Staff (e.g. forestry info). Mention was made of the possibility of having some permanent or semi-permanent signs at some of the logging areas since that would allow more information than would fit in the tour guide. The parking area by the north side of Quail Point, just before the dike, was mentioned specifically since there is a new logged area and an older one on opposite sides of the road.
After discussion about highlighting berry picking as an event at Sandhill, it was decided that, while this is an allowed activity, we probably don't want to promote this since it might attract people who came to Sandhill for no other reason than to stock their larders.
Open House:

Fall 2012


Dear Outdoor Enthusiast:

The Friends of Sandhill, Inc. group was founded as a 501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation in 2002. All of our activities and money raised are used to benefit Sandhill Educational/Demonstration Area and its visitors. We are an organization of interested persons from all backgrounds dedicated to furthering the interpretive, educational, and visitor service programs of Sandhill.

Benefits to Members
  • Camaraderie with other outdoor enthusiasts
  • Participate in a variety of outdoor projects to benefit wildlife
  • 10% off FOS Merchandise
  • Friends of Sandhill Newsletter
  • Overnight use of dormitory facilities for special events.
Goals
  • Sponsor and support interpretive and environmental education activities, seminars, lectures, and other activities that contribute to the interpretive and educational programs at Sandhill.
  • Provide for the distribution or sale of appropriate nature related materials such as books, shirts, or pamphlets.
  • Use any net profits at Sandhill Wildlife Area for the furtherance of its interpretive programs, facilities, resources, and trails.
If you would like to join the Friends of Sandhill, Inc., ask for a membership application today! (See the end of this newsletter.)