Will Dilg Chapter Update: Hands in the Water, Roots in the Ground
By Anne Conway
Dale Hadler and Angelina Rueda, Will Dilg Chapter members, listening attentively to Kristen Dieterman’s presentation on Minnesota water governance, data access, and pathways to protection & restoration.
As the river valley softens from brown into green, our chapter has been gathering wherever the season invites us — in stewardship, learning, and community. From conversations about water quality and hands deep in habitat restoration, to cooking sap beneath the floodplain forest canopy, hosting youth programs, and monitoring the small streams that feed the Mississippi, the past few months have reminded us that care for land and water is also care for one another. Like spring itself, this work grows through shared effort, rooted relationships, and time spent together outdoors.
Recent chapter gatherings carried those reflections deeper, with thought- ful presentations on water quality and river health from Neal Mundahl and Austin Yantes from WSU Biology Department, Kristen Dieterman of the MPCA and Shawn Giblin of the WI DNR. Together, they offered insight into the pressures facing aquatic ecosystems. Alongside these conversations, volunteers have continued expanding stream monitoring efforts, wading into local creeks to collect data while strengthening a shared ethic of stewardship.
This spring also brought meaningful restoration and youth engagement opportunities. Volunteers planted 120 native trees at Prairie Island Nature Trail to help restore habitat following buckthorn removal. Youth programming has continued to grow through outdoor learning, habitat restoration, and hands-on exploration of local ecology.
Looking ahead, we are excited for a summer filled with community along the river — Campfire Concert Series, bird and pollinator monitoring, Swamp Oak Wanderers, Prairie Island Adventure Club, and Youth Green Crew programming. We also look forward to the upcoming national IWLA convention in Minnesota, where important conversations about public lands and Minnesotans protecting the Boundary Waters will take center stage.
Members of the Will Dilg Chapter SOS crew, Youth Green Crew, WSU Biology Department and Restoravore gather baseline data of Cobblestone Creek in Pleasant Valley in anticipation of Trout Unlimited restoration project.
