Thanks to ALL OF YOU who helped to make the acquisition of Camp Grow a huge success. We would like to report that the transformation is well on its way. A requirement of the Knowles-Nelson (State of Wis.) grant is that all ~26 buildings must be removed as well as invasive non-native plants. Work commenced last fall with the removal of several buildings from the property. At the same time, our many dedicated buckthorn volunteers began cutting and stacking buckthorn creating new vistas of Spring Lake. Everyone who saw the areas before and after this cutting were amazed. A job well done by the volunteers!
Early this spring, Greenwyck resident Dave Nelson volunteered his time and equipment to grind 4 acres of dense buckthorn at Tichora. It was a very personal project for Dave. He grew up living in the ABA (GL Conf. Center) while his father was the Director of the ABA. It was there Dave became a cub scout and his love for the boy scouts sprouted. Ironically the land of Tichora was first a boy scout camp. The boy scout camp was later sold to the Chicago Area Baptist Churches and to become Camp Grow. Dave’s father served on the board of directors for Camp Grow. Now Dave is on the executive board for a Chicago area, Three Fires, boy scout council. Dave’s life has a rich history similar to the land of Tichora. It’s wonderful to see the personal relationships our area residents have with our Conservancy properties. Thank you again, Dave, for your work.
The buildings are mostly all going to be moved or torn down and repurposed. MANY local groups are/have salvaged the good items and lumber from the buildings including local schools, the GL Conference Center, Pilgrim Camp, and Habitat for Humanity. We are indebted to Dave for all his work. He saved us a lot of sweat and donuts! A big thank you to the many great volunteers who went beyond the Saturday morning cutting sessions and worked on their own time to pull and cut buckthorn. Thanks to all who have given time to these efforts!