Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway (FLOW) will hold their annual meeting and paddle on Saturday, August 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Wintergreen Nature Preserve, located next to Taliesin near Highway 23 and County Road C. Following the meeting, there will be a paddle down the Wisconsin River, launching at 2 p.m. A potluck lunch will be served.

To reach Wintergreen, take Highway 23 south out of Spring Green, turn right (west) onto County C, and then drive approximately three-quarters of a mile and you will see the Wintergreen sign (stone marker) and iron gates on your right, turn right and follow the road uphill to the event center at the top of the hill.

Wintergreen Preserve is a 245-acre landmark overlooking the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway in Spring Green. The property is now permanently protected thanks to extraordinary community generosity and conservation partnership. With support from individual donors and public partners, Driftless Area Land Conservancy was able to conserve this iconic property, including a 15,000-square-foot Frank Lloyd Wright–inspired event center perched above one of the longest free-flowing river stretches in the Midwest.

Located beside Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin and within the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, recognized globally for its ecological value, Wintergreen holds rare ecological, cultural, and community significance. Protection of the property was made possible through a powerful public-private partnership, including the State of Wisconsin’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Ducks Unlimited.

Event agenda

On the agenda for the meeting is:

• Riverway Champion Awards
• Dave Gjestson and Dr. Patrick Jung will speak about plans to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Blackhawk War and the Battle of Wisconsin Heights in July of 2032
• Update from Driftless Area Land Conservancy about the Wintergreen Nature Preserve project.