HORICON, Wis. – More than 100 Ducks Unlimited supporters, conservation partners, and community members gathered Aug. 15 at Horicon Marsh Wildlife Area to celebrate the dedication of Maaske Crossing, a 78-acre property protected and restored through a partnership focused on conserving this important Wisconsin landscape.
Ducks Unlimited (DU) acquired the property using funding from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), Wisconsin’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, private foundations, DU donors, Friends of Horicon Marsh, and the Pheasants Forever Dodge County Chapter. DU is now in the process of transferring the property to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for permanent inclusion in the Horicon Marsh Wildlife Area.
The former cropland has already begun its transformation. This year, the property was restored to a mix of prairie and wetland habitat using funding from Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp and Pheasant Stamp programs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, private funding, and the Pheasants Forever Dodge County Chapter.
The restoration expands habitat within the larger Horicon Marsh landscape while permanently protecting another piece of the area for wildlife and future generations.
A permanent dedication marker at the site recognizes the Maaske family’s role in the project, along with the donors and partners who helped make the acquisition and restoration possible. During the dedication, former landowner Dennis Maaske spoke about the importance of seeing the property restored and protected.
“This acquisition and restoration represent the ideal delivery of DU’s conservation model,” said Brian Glenzinski, DU Director of Conservation Programs for the Great Lakes Initiative. “It is the perfect habitat in the perfect place for priority waterfowl and leverages private, state, and federal dollars to achieve the biggest bang for the buck.”
The Aug. 15 celebration also recognized the DU major sponsors whose support helped secure funding for the project. The permanent Maaske Crossing monument overlooking the property honors those contributions and the partnership behind the restoration.
Once the transfer is complete, the property will become part of the Wisconsin DNR’s Horicon Marsh Wildlife Area, ensuring the restored wetlands and prairie remain protected as part of one of Wisconsin’s best-known wetland landscapes.
The Maaske Crossing project reflects the collaborative approach that has long driven conservation at Horicon Marsh: bringing together landowners, DU supporters, state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, and funding programs to protect and restore habitat at a landscape scale.
Media Contact:
Jay Hathaway
Communications Coordinator, Great Lakes Atlantic Region
(734) 251-9150
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has restored or protected more than 20 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science, DU’s projects benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people in all 50 states. Learn more at www.ducks.org.
