A former director of the UW Arboretum, Greg has been working for several years to help the Benedictine nuns at Holy Wisdom to return some of their land to a natural state. This is an important part of their commitment to nurturing God’s natural creation. Their land in the Town of Westport north of Lake Mendota was originally a rich mix of open grassland, savannah, and a small amount of virgin prairie.
They started a school in Madison and moved the school out to the current location in the mid-1950s. It became a residential high school for girls. The ecumenical movement of the sixties touched the nuns living there and over time they became the first ecumenical ministry in the New World, withdrawing from the Catholic Church.
From the mid-1990s, they worked to restore the land. Over the years, with a great deal of volunteer help and work on their own, they’ve restored some 126 acres of prairie, sowing more than a hundred types of plant seed. In the last two years, they’ve been working on restoring the oak savannah. All this effort is labor-intensive. And it relies on regular burning to clear non-natives and prevent local trees moving in.
They promote outings to the landscape, with an extensive network of hiking trails, and outings to natural areas on their land. There’s a Friends of Wisdom Prairie support organization helping with the outreach to the community.
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Greg Armstrong at the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton meeting.
Our club has been participating in Rotary Youth Exchange for a long time. I'm not sure exactly how long we have been involved. I joined the club on 2-14-14. Shortly after that, at my first district conference, I told Toni Pabon that I would help her out temporarily while she looked for someone else to take her place as YEC. Needless to say, I fell in love with Youth Exchange and have been doing it ever since.
Posted by David Clemens, District Friendship Exchange Chairman. on Jul 19, 2018
The Rotary Friendship Exchange program gives Rotarians (including spouse or significant other) the opportunity to host and visit Rotarians around the world. In addition to experiencing other cultures and making lasting friendships, an exchange provides a strong foundation for carrying out other international activities and service projects.
The primary goal of a Friendship Exchange is to build greater international understanding and goodwill. In addition, exchange participants can learn how their vocations are practiced in other parts of the world, observe new customs and cultures, and promote an appreciation of cultural diversity worldwide.
NEW for 2019!!! Two Rotary Friendship Exchanges Planned for 2019: India & Australia 1) An exchange between our Rotary District 6250 and District 2981 in India.
Our Rotary District 6250 Friendship Exchange Committee has arranged an exchange with Rotary District 2981 in India. This district is on the southeast coast of India and includes the city of Pondicherry. We will travel to their District 2981 from Jan. 5 – 20, 2019. We expect to travel with no more than 10 people. Our Rotary District 6250 will host an inbound group from this district in May of 2019 for approximately 14 days. Anticipated expenses per person for participants:
Roundtrip airfare to India
In-country air, rail or bus travel
Meals when not at host homes
Travel insurance
Personal costs, such as gifts and souvenirs
Admission charges to museums or events
Hosts on each end of the exchange program support the visitors withroom, board and some entertainment/activities and local transportation while in host city. Detailed in country itineraries will be determined closer to the travel dates. Contact one of our chairpersons, either Dave Clemens at drdave@dellsdental.net or Mark Moody at moodymb@charter.net, if you are interested in hosting or traveling.
Please let me know of any events or special situations in our fellow Rotarians' lives where a card, flowers, or a plant would be appropriate for their situation.
District 6250 is committed to creating and maintaining the safest possible environment for all participants in Rotary activities. It is the duty of all Rotarians; spouses, or partners of Rotarians; and any other volunteers to safeguard to the best of their ability the welfare of and to prevent the physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of children and youth with whom they come into contact. Entire Youth Protection Policy
If you are volunteering with youth (one-on-one)? Mentoring, Youth Exchange, RYLA, Academic Decathlon, High School Business Plans, Etc... You must have an annual background check completed. This only applies if you are working with youth one-on-one. If you are in a group more than 2 people, you don't need a background check. CLICK HERE for details.
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