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Master Gardeners to host speaker on state ecosystems
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MONROE - The Green County Master Gardeners will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Green County Justice Center multi-purpose rooms.

Meetings usually include speakers or tours for learning and are open to the public. This month's meeting will feature Carl V. Korfmacher, owner of Midwest Prairies LLC, speaking on "Southern Wisconsin's Ecosystems: New Perspectives on the Past and Ideas for the Future."

The first white settlers of Wisconsin encountered a bountiful and highly productive landscape occupied by few people. They naturally assumed that it had always been this way and that most of the natural phenomena they encountered was untouched by human hands. This interpretation led ensuing generations to make decisions about how to manage, or not manage, natural lands in Wisconsin.

Throughout the region today, natural lands exist in a highly disturbed state that is far from "natural." At the same time, many of these lands suffer for lack of management because of cultural assumptions about letting nature take care of itself. The presentation will cover historical aspects of land management in Wisconsin over the past 10,000 years and discuss some emerging concepts and techniques that can be used in today's world of highly disturbed ecosystems to improve ecological health.

Midwest Prairies is a natural resources company based in Edgerton that specializes in restoring and conserving the natural systems of southern Wisconsin. Kormacher has a master's degree in landscape architecture from Kansas State University and sits on the board of visitors of University of Wisconsin-Madison's Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. He has worked with natural resources for most of his career including international work in Chile, Romania and Canada.

The Green County Wisconsin Master Gardeners Association formed in 2004 to provide Master Gardeners with opportunities for professional development and community service. In the past year, members of the association volunteered 190 hours of community education and 1,840 hours in community service projects in Green County. Master Gardener volunteers also assist the UW-Extension Office in responding to horticulture questions.

The Green County Master Gardeners Association meets on the fourth Thursday of the month from February through October. Association officers for 2017 are Marilyn Sandin-Ross, president; Rae Wellnitz, vice president; Kristi Leonard, secretary; and Lynn Lokken as treasurer. Anyone interested in horticulture and gardening may join the association; members do not need to be a Master Gardener to join.

For more information on the UW-Extension Master Gardener program, contact Mark Mayer, agriculture agent, at 608-328-9440.