Congratulations! to me!! I am so pleased to be able to say I have received an Invader Crusader Award in the category of Volunteer Individual from the Wisconsin Invasive Species Council. The ceremony was held at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin on June 5, 2019.
Caught completely by surprise, when I first got the phone message from WDNR Invasive Species Team Leader Tara Bergeson, I thought she had called the wrong person. But on reflection, after reviewing all the materials and listening to my introduction by Drew Feldkirchner representing the Council, I do believe the award fits with my work, my dedication and my passion.
Here’s what the Council had to say about my award:
Donna VanBuecken has worked with invasive species for nearly 40 years, beginning as an at-large member of the Wild Ones and then as a founding member of the Fox Valley Area Chapter, where she has served on the Board of Directors for over 20 years. She also served as the national Wild Ones first Executive Director for 17 years.
As a founding member of the Invasive Plants Association of Wisconsin, Donna served on the Board for five years and as Membership Chair.
Donna’s work focuses on native habitat restoration while recognizing the necessity of controlling invasive plants as a vital first step. Besides her work with Wild Ones Ones, she also does outreach to local communities and hunting and wildlife groups, and internationally to countless individuals through her social media blog Accent on Natural Landscaping.
Thank You Everyone!
Through this post, I’d like to thank not only The Wisconsin Invasive Species Council for recognizing my work with this award, but also the countless volunteers who fight to protect our environment from non-native invasive plant species and the countless native plant enthusiasts who fight to provide a better environment for all life on this Earth. Without your devotion to our planet, my work, my dedication and my passion would be fighting a loosing battle. Thank you all so very much!
Shown below are all the 2019 Invader Crusader Award recipients. For full details see Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Franciscan nuns honored for invasive species work.
Congratulations Donna!
Thanks, Julie.
Congratulations.
By the way, I talked to the priest at St Sophias on Indianola. He is an expert on church architecture. He was there at this place in Wisconsin about twenty years ago. Church people had first dibs. He turned the property down. He got the Church on Indianola instead. Some nun had run it for years. She had died. I showed him the picture of Lost Creek Farm and he said that was the barn. He said it was many acres, that he was advised to sell some of the acreage off. I am sure the bees have been there a long time.
Thanks, Cindy. Interesting background on the Lost Creek Farm in Pepin, Wisconsin.
Congrats Donna! Your plaque is beautiful!
Thanks, Joan. Yes, it reminds me of the picture frames Rich Winter made from Buckthorn for the WILD Center. Although we were working so hard to get rid of that non-native invasive tree, “it would have been a shame to waste such beautiful wood.”
Congratulations, Donna! You deserve that award in spades!! – Toni
Thanks, Toni.
Donna,
Congratulations on your well deserved award. You have inspired many people and for that you deserve many thanks!
Oh, thank you so much, Lucy. I have enjoyed and am still enjoying my work!
Donna,
You have so much knowledge to share that we hope you keep on giving & inspiring for a long time.
Thanks, Lucy. I’ll do my best!