In fall 2024 Friends of Starkweather Creek volunteers surveyed twenty waterbodies in Dane Co to measure levels of PFAS chemicals. We wanted to find out if PFAS were still flowing into Starkweather Creek and the downstream Yahara Lakes from longstanding fire-fighting foam used at the Dane Co Airport. We also sampled several other waters around Dane County for comparison.
Read all about it on our PFAS Page
Watch the video of our November 19, 2024 Annual Meeting. Highlights include:
Speaker JANICE STARKWEATHER shared her family’s history with the creek back to the 1920’s!
Our active year of native plant restoration work, monthly FUN events and the creeks’ health, including new salt and PFAS monitoring.
Business included a Treasure’s Report, Board member elections, and voting on bylaw changes concerning definition of membership, removing the 2-year officer limit and disbursing our assets should we dissolve the organization.
Thanks to Chris Wales for recording our annual meeting!
Dear Friends,
Pictured above is the first Starkweather Creek work day of 2020. Brave volunteers cleared pathways and remove invasive brush in the beautiful woods along Starkweather’s west branch by the Carpenter-Ridgeway neighborhood in January and February.
Since those days, we’ve had to adjust the ways we operate as a group to allow for social distancing. Our board meetings are occurring over the phone, and we are relying on email and social media to communicate about the creek. ome groups you could follow: Friends of Starkweather Creek, Friends of Hartmeyer Natural Area, Save Voit Farm, Friends of Acewood Conservation Park.
We think that time outdoors is more important than ever. While we will have to reschedule our outdoors events in the coming weeks, we invite you to take a self-guided walk along the Starkweather Creek bike path.
Even better, since our usual spring clean up is postponed, consider picking up a bag of trash near Starkweather Creek on your own or as a family in honor of the upcoming 50th Anniversary of Earth Day.
I invite all interested in the Starkweather Creek watershed to our monthly board meeting Tues. 1/21 at 7pm at Goodman CC on Waubesa (Street of the Swan). Recent controversies re PFAS pollution and F-35’s have put Starkweather in statewide spotlights.
I welcome your presence & essence to help heal & honor people & place… synergizing head & heart, inner & outer, self & other, ego & soul, physical & metaphysical.
Carl Landsness
Starkweather native, invasive, prodigal son and Friends of Starkweather Co-Chair
PS I will be available for an hour before and after to answer questions…
or dream new possibilities and paradigms
Draft agenda
ORGANIZATIONAL (Business/Administration)
COMMUNITY-CREEK CONNECTIONS (Outreach/Education)
LAND USE & STREAM CORRIDOR (Stewardship)
As we heal the watershed, the watershed heals us
As we heal ourselves, we heal the watershed
Carl Landsness (Starkweather native, invasive and Friends of Starkweather Creek co-chair) will facilitate a “shortest day” solstice walk (Sat. 10am at Goodman CC) to explore the pregnantly potent possibilities for new birth that this day represents…including from the dark articles in the WSJ and Cap Times recently re PFAS in Starkweather:
DNR: High levels of PFAS found in Starkweather Creek, Wisconsin RiverChris Hubbuch | Wisconsin State JournalLevels of two compounds — PFOA and PFOS — were measured at concentrations more than 30 times the safe level se…
Unknown fear: Madison residents are increasingly alarmed by PFAS levels …Steven Elbow | The Capital TimesLance Green has been collecting water samples from Starkweather Creek for years. As a volunteer for the state De…
Carl will invite sharing of reactions to these articles (or related rumors and feelings)…
and explore rebirth possibilities or perspectives…
to co-create something better than had this not occurred…
i.e. hidden gifts and grace disguised as pain and problems.
This will emerge while walking to stunningly uplifting places (from Goodman CC) on and near the creek (e.g. Olbrich Gardens and FSC canoe launch…
120A04D7 B2E2 473E A550 22DBFE267D69Olbrich magic 1
October winter wonderland 1Two days after warm weather canoe launch
to revere the beauty…
and dream of new birth, beauty and FUN…including a possible paddle Saturday afternoon (if weather, water and whims call)…
12:12 launch 1 of 4 At Starkweather mouth for 4:14 full moonrise
12:12 launch 3 of 412:12 launch 4 of 4
Carl finds such incredible beauty and magic an intriguing contrast to fear-focused images of Starkweather that many read in the media articles.
STARK weather? Or stimulating beauty?
Focus on fear? Or faith and FUN (i.e. Friends of Urban Nature fun)?
Meet: Goodman Community Center 10 a.m.
More info: Madison Parks Bird & Nature Outings
Annual membership meeting
Thur. Nov. 7
6:30 to 8:30pm
Goodman CC Brassworks Bldg
214 Waubesa
“Healing & Honoring People & Place”
Light snacks and cider
We had a great annual meeting on October 23rd at the new Goodman Center Brassworks Building. For those who missed it, here is our 2018 Annual Meeting Presentation slideshow of activities.
Goodman Community Center, Brassworks Building, 214 Waubesa Street, October 23, 7:00 p.m.
For up to date information visit our Facebook page
Friends of Starkweather Creek
Board Meeting
12/19/17
Meeting notes
Parks Report – Deborah is completing the report to Parks. Last piece that is needed is a survey of the group to see if anyone used the canoes for personal use. No one except Carl and he emailed Deborah already.
Solstice Celebration – Event starts at 4:00 with drummers. Parking at Olbrich Gardens is allowed. Fire will be lit at 4:30. Lance and Doug will be there early.
Miles Varna Contact – wants to volunteer to do some GIS mapping. Contacted us through facebook. Lance will follow up with him.
Revolution Cycle Meeting – Art event last Friday night. FSC received $50 in donations at the event. Good partner group. Opportunity to partner on extending the bike path to Sun Prairie. Need more representation at their meetings. madisonbikes.org is leading the charge. Jeff at Revolution is the contact. Dave will set up a meet up.
2018 Madison FUN Calendar and Events – Paul passed out a 2018 draft events list. Good year last year with lots of events.
2018 Events are at http://tinyurl.com/2018-Bird-And-Nature-Outings
Starkweather Outings (Draft)
January 20 – Deborah Crabtree – sledding and hot chocolate
February 17 –
March 17 – Jeff Steele: Spring Phenology Signs
April 21 –
May 19 – Jeff Steele: Woodland Ephemerals
June 16 – Tom Murn: Nature Lives in the City
July 21 – Lance Green: Monitoring the Creek & Critter Viewings
August 18 – Biking the creek
September 15 – Carl Landsness: Canoeing Starkweather
October 20 – Tom Murn: Autumn Traces of Nature
November 17 –
December 15 –
Treasurer Report:
$1,000 Annual meeting
$ 50 Revolution Cycles
$ 160 Mailing
$ 60 renewals
$1,270 Total
2018 Meeting Dates: keep the third Tuesday. Lance will book the Goodman Center.
Darbo-Worthington Proposed Canoe Access – $35,000 is available build canoe/kayak access for the neighborhood. Marsha Rummel requested a letter from our group to the Mayor to say how good this would be for the neighborhood. Lance will write a letter in support of a canoe launch. Carl will think about setting up a meeting with the neighborhood.
Garver Construction – access to the creek during construction. Last nature outing was forced out into the wetlands. Carl will reach out to the project manager for Baum and take a walk to see where the access is blocked. Lance will put it on the agenda for the meeting with the city.
Spring Planting Project – Feb 1st application deadline to get native plants for our plantings. Pictures need to be taken. More plants are needed where the fall planting happened in 2017. Early January subgroup should get together to decide on sites. Jeff, Dave, Deborah, and Carl want to be on the subgroup. Jeff is on the Eken Park Neighborhood Association and will approach that group to see if we can do a joint planting.
Meeting adjourned at 8:27
Here’s a link to our FSC Annual Meeting 2017 slideshow
