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This summer, members of Tall Pines Conservancy organized its First Annual Dining Series to benefit the Conservancy’s efforts. The series included four events, each having its own unique theme – Clambake on the Lake, Barbeque & Bluegrass, Irish Summer Evening and Summer Fare at the Meadow.

Friends and family gathered for an intimate and memorable evening while providing TPC the support it needs to further its mission of preserving open spaces in Northwestern Waukesha County. Our goal in starting this dinner series is to go forward each year with more unique opportunities for gatherings, reaching a wider audience and attracting more friends of TPC.

Each host covered all expenses as their donation to Tall Pines and together, the dining series raised over $29,000. Thank you to everyone for caring about our mission. Together we can, and do make a difference.

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Tall Pines is pleased to report that at the end of July it continued to advance the Kieckhefer Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program by purchasing additional development rights relating to the second stage of the project. The first stage of the project was completed at the end of 2005, when Tall Pines purchased the development rights covering 43 of the Kieckhefer family’s 65 acres south of Highway K and east of Highway 83. As a result of that purchase, there is a permanent conservation easement on this environmental corridor which contains woods and farmland. The second stage involved the purchase of a restrictive easement covering the remaining 22 acres of grass and farmland, limiting potential development on this area to no more than 13 houses. In July, TPC exercised the first of its continuing options to purchase down additional development rights over the years until no development is permitted in this area. As a result of TPC’s action to buy the additional development rights in July, development is now limited to no more than 12 houses on the 22-acre parcel. To keep its options to purchase development rights alive, TPC must purchase the development rights to at least one house each year. TPC must exercise its next option by the end of June 2008.

The Kieckhefer transaction is important for a number of reasons. It permanently restricts development and preserves important environmental and open space qualities in a strategic location. It therefore tends to preserve conservation options in the large open space areas that are close to the Kieckhefer property. The transaction also serves as a model for surrounding communities to use in finding creative ways to preserve the area’s rural character.

We thank our donors who have made this project possible. To date, the project has required an investment of approximately $700,000. Tall Pines will continue to ask for your support for this long-term, as we have $200,000 in debt to retire on the first stage of the project, with an additional investment of approximately $100,000 for each of the next nine years in order to fully restrict development on the second stage of the project.

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The next phase in Tall Pines growth is underway as we begin the search for our first Executive Director. It is the Board’s belief that Tall Pines needs a paid full-time position in order to more effectively accomplish its mission and maintain momentum on special projects. The position was budgeted for in 2007 and will be funded through operations, general donations and fundraising.

Our vision is for the Executive Director to lead us in accomplishing our mission. This will include having a greater impact within the community, gaining credibility through accreditation as a land trust trough the new Land Trust Alliance national program, creating procedures to ensure organizational readiness, when conservation opportunities arise, growing our membership/donor base and strengthening our relationships with landowners.

The position will be fulltime and responsibilities will include organizational management, fundraising, development, coordinating special events and working with volunteers. We are seeking the right candidate who will possess strong managerial and leadership qualities.

So far, we have created a position announcement and job description. We have advertised for nearly a month, locally, regionally and nationally. We have already received a large number of resumes and letters of interest and are currently in the interview process with the most qualified candidates. We are confident that though this process we will be able to accomplish our goal.

We look forward to moving Tall Pines from a volunteer board-managed organization to a board guided, staff driven community-involved land trust with greater impact. Thank for supporting Tall Pines.

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Cynthia and Jeff Harris hosted Clambake on the Lake on June 23rd at their home on Pine Lake. Guests began the evening by enjoying cocktails on the front porch overlooking the lake, and several joined Jean Lindemann on her pontoon boat for a historical tour. Everyone had to work for their meal when Jeff and Cynthia piled the ingredients of the clambake on a long table, and Dixon Benz instructed the partygoers on how to load pots with clams, mussels, kielbasa, potatoes, and lobster. Dixon was also good at instructing Fritz and Anne Seidel on the art of adding wine to the pots as liquid for steaming. The pots were fired up, and about thirty minutes later the crowd watched in amazement as the pots were emptied of the nicely done ingredients and set at the table. Properly bibbed guests then dug into the bowls of shellfish, vegetables and meat, while enjoying lively conversation about the benefits of saving open space. The meal was nicely capped with pear, blueberry, raspberry and apple crisps. Cynthia and Jeff thank their guests for a truly enjoyable evening, and for their contributions to and interest in the mission of Tall Pines.

Barbeque & Bluegrass, hosted by Caran and Joel Quadracci, started out as a beautiful and sunny morning. What turned into a perfect day for an E-Boat regatta, made for a less than perfect day for setting up tables and flower centerpieces. As polka dot table cloths landed in the trees and potted plants in case iron planters were tossed into the lake, and tables were set and re-set at least 5 times as a result, heavy storm clouds loomed in the distance.

The setting was not the perfect one envisioned for the hosts’ eagerly awaited opportunity to entertain Tall Pines conservancy supporters on the lawn lacking shelter from the heavy North Western winds off the lake. Five o’clock struck, and as the banquet table up-ended against the play house, and tiki torches blew into the neighbors’ lawn, hosts and caterers frantically searched for a sheltered option to the setting. The band arrived, set up on the boat house deck, and the wind whistling through the microphone drowned out the banjo. Hosts, caterers, and members and supportive family members convened, decided that our Tall Pines supporters were all a hearty lot. So more rocks were tied to the table cloths, tiki torches were burrowed 2 feet into the ground, more sand was added to the centerpieces, wine glasses were glued to the tables, and the band adjusted the feedback on the microphone.

Six o’clock, the first guest arrived, the clouds parted, the wind dwindled to a whisper, and high-spirited bluegrass music drifted through the air. Seven thirty. Before guests were treated to the gluttonous barbeque spread, the hosts welcomed Bill Biersach to speak for a few moments about Tall Pines and our mission. As usual, he was eloquent, informative, and very engaging. I am highly recommending he start on the speaker circuit on behalf of TPC. Eight o’clock. A barbeque spread fit for a Southern Belle and her Rebel Soldier was energetically greeted with lines for seconds, as ribs, grilled chicken, black bean salad and jalapeno cornbread took center stage for the moment. They were soon upstaged by the Mississippi Mud pie (some of which the hosts hoarded in their freezer to enjoy over the next few weeks). After dinner, surrounded by the soft lights of tiki torches, Liz Furse got the dancing going, as Pike’s Creek kicked into full swing.

Not to overlook the amazing colors on the horizon, as if painted just for our enjoyment that evening, reflected upon the now calm lake. I was sad to see it end. The night had rewarded us with just a slight breeze and a spectacular sunset which we were all in prime position to enjoy. There were many friendly faces (the Siepmanns, Elsers, Brumders, Biersachs, Spences, Betty Quadracci, Rickmeiers, Rolf, Furses) and some new faces (The Hatches, Helzes, Rick & Lili Fredman, Styzas, Schmidts, Greenan), just to name a few, all with an interest in learning more about what Tall Pines Conservancy is doing, all of whom are responsible for making this party such a great success. THANK YOU.

My special thanks to Denise Oehmcke, Gary Chitwood and Pikes’ Creek for helping me pull it off. It was a truly memorable night.

The Irish summer Evening on “Pine Lough” was held on August 4th and was a huge success. The evening was hosted by Anne and Fritz Seidel at their house on Pine Lake in Nashotah, WI. The food was traditional Irish fare and the weather also turned out to be very Irish as well. Despite the drizzly weather, the guests dined on reuben tartlets, shepherds pie, roasted garlic rosemary potatoes and a farmers salad, among other things. The dinner was followed by delicious Bailey’s cheesecakes made by Francis Crane and strawberry rhubarb crisp by Molly Seidel. Ian Gould, the Irish singer, played Irish favorites all evening while the guests ate, drank, laughed and had a good time. The evening’s event raised just over $17,000.00 through the generosity of the diners as well as a handful of after dinner “Challenge” pledges. A huge thanks to all the guests for attending and supporting this event. A big thank you also to members Liz and Bill Furse and Molly and Jeff Simon for volunteering throughout the evening with the food and bartending.

Katie & Charlie Brumder hosted Summer Fare at The Meadows sharing with guests an enjoyable outdoor dining experience. With a lovely evening of clear skies and perfect temperatures, we dined under the stars on Pine Lake following a vigorous hike over tower Hill on the Brumder property. EJ Brumder led the rout with a wonderful history of the Brumder property, the tower and lake living in the late 19th century.

Dinner was followed by a great discussion on saving farmland in Waukesha County. John Gehl was a superb educator on the realities of saving farmland.

If you would like to participate in our 2nd annual Dining Series held next summer, please contact TPC at 262-369-0500 or email info@tallpinesconservancy.org. We welcome new dining hosts and more creative themes for these successful events!

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Autumn arrived today with a dash of color and a touch of class. Softening frost laid a silver carpet across the low meadow where I met this autumn’s dawn. Brave blue bottle gentians gleamed like lights to mark the path.

Asters, palest blue and deepest purple, mingled in crowds of goldenrod and bur marigold.

Summers’ passing was marked by faded gayfeather and bursting mildewed pods and the lingering scent of mint. Autumn was heralded by geese calling from a horizon tufted with hurrying clouds.

I followed to the woods edge, where flocks of robins and fluttering of warblers danced on dogwood branches, where nightshade berries hung were draped like ruby necklaces: where dusky hemispheres of fruit hung from carrion flower vines.

Yellow, mottled leaves waved from the hickories, where a bounty of nuts are attended by a celebration of squirrels.

Along a little country road there was a redundance of wild grapes, and winey hues drenched the sumacs and cherry trees. Here and there, autumn’s torch had already touched the maples and left a glow in the red oaks.

Apples and bittersweets ornamented the gnarled remnants of a long-abandoned farm orchard. A row of pumpkins, big and golden as rising harvest moons, beamed from a roadside stand.

Bluebirds, always loathe to leave come autumn, lingered in the sun, singing of a summer come and gone.

And then, when the last of the morning mists were gone, the air was crisp and clear. From Latham Peak, south of Delafield, one could see the cathedral spires of holy Hill etched against the Northern sky, some 15 miles away.

Autumn, that was a dazzling premier performance. This reviewer wishes you a long run, with many curtain calls. Encore, well done. Encore.

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