Bicyclists and pedestrians are not the only beneficiaries of the new SW Path, which opens on Saturday morning July 28 with an informal bike parade from terminus to terminus. Butterflies, birds and native plants will have a new home along the four-mile corridor. A massive landscaping project is striving to beautify the path and increase wildlife by restoring native plants, shrubs and trees to the area.

"Native landscaping restores the type of plants that once occupied our state, many of which are now endangered or threatened," says Laura Brown, native gardener and one of the founding members of Friends of the SW Path. "People often travel miles away from home to a place in the country, somewhere that looks wild. Why not make that same environment where you live so you can enjoy it all of the time? That is the feeling we are trying to create here, an escape in the middle of the city."

The path is currently lined with hearty weeds and scrubby trees. Transforming this eyesore into a vision of natural beauty is the mission of Friends of the SW Path. The group is a coalition of neighbors who live along the path and other committed path users who are working to transform the path into a natural paradise.

"There is nothing like walking through an area with prairie plants on a hot summer day. With the grasses blowing in the wind and the insects chirping, you feel like you are the only person there," says Jane Kuzma, owner of Bur Oak Designs, a landscape architecture firm.

Creating a natural resource in the middle of the city is the goal of the Friends of the SW Path. They hope to make the path more enjoyable for the bicyclists and pedestrians who use it as well as the neighbors who live along this new transportation corridor. Just as important, they hope to draw in an interesting array of birds, insects and other wildlife. This living laboratory will provide learning experiences for children and adults alike, with a wide array of native plants to identify and wildlife to observe in their natural habitat.

"Native plantings will improve the soil and reduce runoff," says Kuzma. "The roots of prairie plants are quite deep. This works to aerate the soil, which allows rainwater to be absorbed, greatly reducing runoff. In addition, prairie plants prefer to not be fertilized." The runoff from fertilizer and pesticides in traditional landscaping has been linked to reduced water quality in our lakes and streams. Plantings will provide natural border for neighbors along path

Residents have viewed the state-owned land along the rail corridor as an extension of their own backyard. The completion of the path means less privacy for residents living along the corridor, with bicyclists and pedestrians traveling through an area that was once very quiet. This makes the planned natural borders even more important. In fact, some neighbors have already started using native plants on this strip of land in advance of the Friends of the SW Path efforts.

Rob Schoenbrunn, a resident of the Westmorland Neighborhood who lives next to the path, has had a large native garden in his yard for six years. Recently some of his neighbors have let him plant and scatter seeds for native plantings in the area between their property and the path. "The new path will bring a lot of traffic through our backyard," explains Schoenbrunn. "Native plantings are going to help offset this, it is going to be really pretty." Volunteers are needed to help make this dream a reality.

"There is something exciting about starting something so tiny and seeing it fill in and bloom," says Jean Bawden owner of Earthspirit Farm. "What a sense of satisfaction in knowing you helped create this landscape that you and so many others will enjoy in the future." The Friends of the SW Path would someday like to see native plants along the entire four-mile corridor. That takes planning, dedication and lots of hard work throughout the multi-year effort. Volunteers will be needed every step of the way from preparing the soil to planting, watering and weeding.

"A lot of people think native plants take care of themselves," says Bawden. "While this is true after a while, the first three years are critical. Weeds can choke out the new plants and create a problem situation."

Already, neighbors and path enthusiasts are stepping up to do their part. Several native gardeners, like Brown and Sue Reindollar another founder of the group, have agreed to donate plants and seeds from their own yards. Volunteering on a project like this is a great way for non-gardeners to learn, working alongside experienced gardeners.

"We are working to create a multi-seasonal landscape. In the spring, visitors will see May Apples and Virginia Bluebells; in the summer, large numbers of Black-eyed Susans and Yellow Coneflowers; in the fall, Goldenrod and purple, white and blue Asters," describes Brown. "There will be something new to look forward to all-year long."

Interested in volunteering? Contact Friends of the SW Path Sue Reindollar (233-9383 or ssreindo@facstaff.wisc.edu) or Laura Brown (274-9367 or ljbrown@chorus.net) to be added to the list of volunteers.

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Last Modified: 03-Feb-08 05:53 PM

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