Blog Articles

Willard “Will” Kiefer Jr, Lake Nebagamon – passed away on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at home.  Will had a long career as a forester with the WI DNR.   He was an active and enthusiastic Northwest Chapter member.  For several years he served as the chapter chair and kept the chapter going when no one else stepped forward.  He provided advice on field day and speaker topics along with assisting those who suffered from natural disasters…

The WWOA Board of Directors held a special Board meeting on January 12, 2022 to respond to the proposed WI DNR Forest Tax Law Handbook changes. WWOA’s response to the proposed changes can be read HERE.

Donna Lee Deppeler, Monroe – passed away unexpectedly at home on Wednesday, December 22, 2021. Donna and her husband, Jim, reverse-downsized by moving to the farm in Monroe in 2019 – a move which puzzled their children but delighted the two of them. She is survived by her husband and WWOA Black Hawk Chapter chair, James F.

Allen Jeffrey “Jeff” Martin, PhD, Middleton – passed away on  Monday, December 13, 2021. Jeff spent his life working in and for our forests, first with the US Forest Service as a research forester and then as a forestry professor/extension for UW-Madison.

Harold E. Manhart, MD, Montrose, CO and Barneveld, WI – passed away on December 5, 2021. In 1966 he purchased a dairy farm in western Wisconsin with plans to turn it into a productive conservation tree farm specializing in American Walnut. Over the ensuing 55 years his effort has been rewarded with multiple recognitions, including Conservation Farm of the Year on two occasions.

Janet L.

John P.

WWOA members met for the Annual Business Meeting on Saturday, September 18, 2021 in Hudson.  More than 180 members gathered for the meeting.  While WWOA in person activities were suspended until May 1, 2021 due to COVID-19, President Randy Cooper noted how nice it was to be together at the Annual Meeting after not holding a meeting in 2020.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is celebrating Bat Week Oct. 24-31 by offering a $25 rebate on new purchases of the Endangered Resources license plate now through Dec. 31, 2021. Sales from the Endangered Resources license plate help protect Wisconsin’s rare species in need such as the state’s native cave bat population.

Donnel “Don” Gabower, Janesville – passed away on March 24, 2020.  Don was an active WWOA member, attending many annual meetings and chapter activities, who planted thousands of trees around the Janesville area.  He donated land for the Gabower-Reilly Wetlands located west of Beloit which is now managed by the Green-Rock Audubon Society.  Memorials may be made to Rock Prairie Presbyterian Church, 8605 E County Rd A, Janesville, WI 53546.