Projects
Get Involved and Have Fun! Join Us! (All formal group meetings or activities are on hold until May 2021 under all Dane County Parks guidelines.)
Volunteering is a great way to get some "outdoor" exercise, develop new friendships, learn new skills, ensure students are connected to "the land," preserve our agricultural heritage, and help the community develop a new unique park.
Community Garden Project (2021)
Anderson Park Friends, Inc. (APF) is partnering with Dane County Parks (DCP) and Rooted to create a “large-size” garden opportunity for interested individuals, churches, nonprofits, and/or businesses. Interested organizations can apply now to be considered for one of the plots. Certain limitations will apply during 2022. Click here for more information!. Tentative deadline is March 15, 2022.
Oregon Area Food Pantry Garden (2021)
Most of us have a dose of “cabin fever”. Too much snow and indoor activities. Paging through seed catalogues can help alleviate this “closed-in” feeling. What do APF volunteers do? We read those same catalogues.
Our APF garden leadership team has been doing just that-reading seed catalogues. We are organizing our strategies for the 2021 Food Pantry Garden. This includes ordering and purchasing seeds as well as starting seedlings at the Oregon High School greenhouse.
Goals for this year include increasing the pounds of fresh produce and increasing the variety of produce for local pantries. Last year APF volunteers raised 1,200 pounds. The goal this year is over 2,000 pounds. In 2020 we raised 9 types of vegetables. This year will grow over 14 varieties with a 2-growing season strategy. Beets to Zucchini are on our mind.
Click here for the Food Pantry Garden fact sheet.
The garden will support the pantries in Oregon, Belleville, and Verona.
Donations are needed to meet our goal of $2,000. Go to the APF Member & Donation page. Select the other category and indicate a donation with your credit card.
We want to recognize Jung’s Garden Center for their donation to the pantry garden. It is appreciated and very timely. Other donations are still needed.
Join us by going to https://www.andersonparkfriends.org/volunteer.
Volunteer opportunities within projects include:
- Planning and restoring the Arthur Sholts Memorial Woods
- Creating and maintaining a 5-acre prairie: planting native plants and harvesting prairie seeds
- Creating and maintaining a 40-acre dog park and prairie. (Opened in November 2021). Dog Park Map for more information.
- Creating and maintaining a food pantry garden
- Creating and maintaining trails-hiking, equestrian riding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing
- Planning and developing market garden farm plots (organic and sustainable) and an agricultural center (2020)
- Planning and coordinating education programs for K-12, community college, and university students
- Building signs, kiosks, and a park shelter
- Creating bird habitat and a bluebird trail
Volunteers are covered by insurance after registering via a "signed" volunteer waiver form. People under the age of 18 need the consent of a parent. Please print and fill out either the individual waiver form or the group waiver form and bring it to our next event. Also, please review a summary of the waiver guidelines.
Other activities include quarterly newsletter, web site maintenance, fundraising, community outreach, event planning (i.e. Global Youth Service Day, Arbor Day, Earth Day, etc.) and more! All event held in accordance with Dane County Parks guidelines.
Check out our calendar for a listing of events.
Become an APF Volunteer
Small-Group Events
The schedules of the small group (3-7 people) activities are separate from our second Saturday of the month events. The individual volunteer group members set schedules. They plan days and times to meet according to their own schedules and are usually held on Monday – Saturday.
Join Us! The opportunities available to you include:
Forests: APF is restoring over 60 acres of forests by removing invasive species and planting understory bushes and trees. Contact: Jay Bonnell at: [email protected].
Invasive Species (non-woody): APF is continuing our restoration effort by removing non-woody invasive species like Japanese hedge parsley, Ragweed, and Garlic Mustard. Contact: Sue Faust at: [email protected].
Native Plants & Prairies: APF’s organic approach supports two rain gardens and four native plant gardens. More gardens will be added in 2022. Contact: Sue Eagle at: [email protected] or Sue Faust at: [email protected].
Fall 2022 Prairie Seed Collection: Our prairie seed collection activities start in late August and go through October 2022. All seeds collected go to the Dane County Seed Cooperative. The seeds for the new prairies in 2023 will come from the cooperative. Contact: Roe Parker at [email protected] .
Food Pantry Garden: APF’s Anderson Farm Center supports a large food pantry garden and 22 community gardens (1/4 acre each) for Hmong families. The pantry garden grows a wide assortment of vegetables and fruits. Seasonal activities are from April to November. Contact: Barbara Hill at: [email protected].
Citizen Research: APF maintains a bluebird trail and a trail camera for the WI Department of Natural Resources. Volunteers plan projects, collect data, take photographs. Contact: Sue Eagle at: [email protected].
Community Outreach: Volunteer authors write short articles directing newsletter readers to state and national resources on topics like birds, bees, wildlife, and butterflies. Photographers are needed to record APF projects, volunteer accomplishments, and the beauty of the park. Photos are used in newsletters, Facebook posts, and press releases to local media. Contact: Roe Parker at [email protected].