The Beginning of EcoCenter (WILD Center)

To get the project going, we started raising money for the EcoCenter. In 2007, we purchased the building, along with 3 acres, for $250,000. In 2008, we purchased the rest of the 16-acre site. We leased 4 acres to GW Partners, LLC, which they used to store clean materials used in cleaning up PCBs in the Fox River. This additional income allowed Wild Ones to own the entire WILD Center property debt-free. We spent a total of $850,000.

The Remodel

Then we began the remodeling. The architect was Joe Powelka (Past President of Wild Ones), and he estimated that the remodeling would cost $100,000. With lots of hard work and with lots of generous donations, it wasn’t long until we had saved up the full $100,000. The Wild Ones Fox Valley Area Chapter and one member in Illinois each matched donations for $20,000.

The Move

At last we began moving into the Wild Ones headquarters – but first we had to make the facility handicap-accessible before we could be open to the public. In anticipation of having all that done by that summer, we held our annual meeting at the EcoCenter and the Fox Valley Technical College on August 22-24, 2008.

We were fortunate that several people and businesses offered carpentry services and materials at no cost. Special thanks to RR Donnelley for donating office furniture and equipment.

The New Name

The committees and the members decided the facility would be named the WILD Center (Wild Ones Institute of Learning and Discovery Center). That was appropriate because the site includes a building (currently residential in appearance), roughly 3/4 of an acre of open land to be developed into demonstration gardens, 3 acres of riparian hardwood and floodplain forest, and the 12-3/4 acres of open field and floodplain forest.

The Landscaping Design

Landscape architect Curt Solberg, Wild Ones Fox Valley Area Chapter, and ecologist James Havel, Wild Ones Green Bay Chapter, provided a basic sketch and a restoration plan, but we still needed to work out the theme, plant choice, location, and signage. We also sent invitations to landscape designers who were known to Wild Ones and the members. Once the designs were collected, designer Terry Marvel, Wild Ones PAL, took over. The restoration landscape plan, along with the guidelines and possible plant list  and resources list for future plantings are attached.

The Parking Area

As previously mentioned, GW Partners had signed a lease with Wild Ones Natural Landscapers, Ltd. to use the 4 acres of upland for the next two years. They used this area to store the sand they were using in conjunction with the capping function related to the PCB clean up of the Fox River water system. No PCBs were stored on our property.

Per the terms of the lease, GW Partners had constructed a driveway that Wild Ones kept as the WILD Center driveway/parking area upon completion of the project. Later, they worked with Wild Ones to restore the site as an oak savanna.

It took Wild Ones three years to get to this point.

The Home page image for this blog post shows the overall landscape design.

Note: The WILD Center is located at 2285 Butte des Morts Beach Road in Fox Crossings, Wisconsin.