2021 Watershed Heroes Impact Awards

Congratulations to our 2021 Watershed Hero Impact Awardees. We appreciate all of our 2021 nominations. The Watershed Hero nomination committee had many worthy candidates to select from.

Watershed Hero nominations are open to any group, program, organization, business, or individual located and working on the protection, restoration, and sustainability of the water resources of the Fox-Wolf River Basin in Northeast Wisconsin. The Watershed Heroes Impact Award recognizes individuals and organizations who have lived or worked within the Fox-Wolf watershed communities and who have excelled in any one of the following areas:

Providing leadership in working towards sustainable development of our economies and resources.
Inspiring the work of others, including our youth, to foster the health of the Fox-Wolf watershed’s communities, economies, and cultures.
Extraordinary focus on improving agriculture land use decisions to restore and protect our watershed.
Utilizing innovative strategies or outstanding effort to achieve significant results in furthering sustainable development within the watershed.
Demonstrating a lasting commitment to the health and management of our watershed resources.

Congratulations to our
2021 Watershed Heroes!

Bruce & Tammy Weyenberg

Bruce and Tammy Weyenberg are waterfront property owners whose front yard abuts the Wolf River in New London. They take their roles as watershed stewards to a new level as they routinely head out on trash cleanup trips on the river using kayaks, canoes, or their pontoon boat as vessels for their cleanup adventures. Working together, they have removed large quantities of garbage and debris from the river that holds a special place in their hearts. Their efforts are inspiring and there are no signs of them slowing down. They are looking forward to warmer weather to get back out there.

Schultz Legacy Farm, Inc.

Conservation agriculture aims to protect soil from erosion and degradation, improve soil quality and biodiversity, and increase water infiltration through practices such as no-till, cover crops, crop rotation, and low disturbance manure application. These efforts to improve soil health also reduce surface water runoff which helps to protect the water quality of our lakes and rivers. Dave and Dustin Schultz, a father and son team, were nominated for their dedication and leadership in conservation agriculture. They have been managing their 1,700-acre farm near Van Dyne in Fond du Lac County in no-till for over 20 years. Dave and Dustin also participate in nutrient management planning and, more recently, have incorporated cover crops as part of their operation. Their long term goal for cover crops is to have fields that are green and covered year round. Their innovative nature and desire for implementing practices that result in positive change for soil health caught the attention of Fond du Lac County Land and Water Conservation Department. County staff recognized the Schultz Legacy Farm as being a perfect candidate for the new Upper Fox Wolf Demonstration Farm Network in 2019. The Network consists of 10 farms, including the Schultz Farm, that show farmers and the general public that the right combination of traditional conservation practices and other innovate technologies can produce viable and sustainable economic and environmental benefits. The Schultz’s plant corn, soybeans, winter wheat, rye for seed, and have incorporated some silage for neighboring farmers into their rotation. In 2019, Dave and Dusty purchased an inter-seeder and are interested in utilizing a roller crimper for cover crop management in the future.

Lake Puckaway Protection & Rehabilitation District

The Lake Puckaway Protection and Rehabilitation District works to improve Lake Puckaway’s water quality; they are focused on improving their system so there will be improvements to all areas downstream. These improvements in water quality benefit all waters north and east of the lake. The Lake Puckaway P&R District continues to work with partners to apply for and receive grants to improve their water quality. Their district commissioners actively work on the projects around their lake and continue to push their district members to make improve the lake.

Dave Zelinger

Dave Zelinger has a lot of pride in his community. You can tell just by how involved he is as a volunteer for many organizations in the Shawano area. For several years, Dave has dedicated himself to the betterment of the resources shared by his neighbors. Dave is on the board of directors for Shawano Area Waterways Management (SAWM), an organization that protects and preserves Shawano Lake and the Wolf River through conservation projects, involvement in educational campaigns, and engagement with state agencies. Dave has served as a leader in advocating for the waterways by participating in water quality monitoring, Clean Boats Clean Waters, and by constructing a shoreline restoration project on his lakeside property. In addition, Dave is a board member for the Waterways Association of Menominee and Shawano Counties (WAMSCO), a group of lake associations and districts that collaborate to tackle common issues faced by local lakes. Dave provides feedback and support for the Connecting Our Waters program, a partnership of WAMSCO and Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, by serving on the program’s steering committee. He is recognized for his willingness to participate in projects including the Shawano Lake Shoreline Survey, and providing comments on updates to local resource management plans. Dave is also a member of Shawano Area Ducks Unlimited, a recent graduate of the Lake Leaders Institute, and serves on the Wisconsin Lakes board of directors. We acknowledge Dave Zelinger for his multiple contributions to the quality of water resources in the Fox-Wolf basin with the Watershed Hero award.

Heckrodt Wetland Reserve

We are pleased to present a 2021 Watershed Hero Award to the Heckrodt Wetland Reserve! Located in Menasha, the Reserve protects 91-acres of forested wetland, marsh, open water, prairie, open fields, and upland forest. Situated in an increasing urbanization area of the Fox-Wolf Watershed, the Reserve provides refuge and habitat to numerous species including fish, mammals, migrating songbirds, and waterfowl. Heckrodt thrives in its ability to protect needed ecosystems while simultaneously providing a place of recreation and learning for the residents on the northern shores of the Winnebago System. With over three miles of trails including elevated boardwalks, the over 60,000 annual Reserve visitors are able to explore this wetland oasis and learn the importance of wetland ecosystems. In 2020, the Reserve completed the new World Above Your Feet Children’s Canopy Walk and Play Area. This new area teaches children about the canopy ecosystem through a combination of learning and play. Heckrodt also acquired an additional 15.37 acres of wetland to create a Wetland Wildlife Corridor. Acquiring additional parcels of wetland helps secure acreage critical to the long-term health of the Wetland Reserve and waterways of Northeast Wisconsin. For all of their contributions to environmental protection and education, we are thrilled to name the Heckrodt Wetland Reserve as a 2021 Watershed Hero!

Dan “Rudy” Rudebeck (in Memory)
Fox-Wolf Watershed Champion Lifetime Award

Dan, an outspoken advocate for habitat in the Winnebago System, passed away on October 1st, 2020 at the age of 74. He grew up on the shores of Lake Winnebago which is where, at an early age, he discovered his love for fishing, waterfowl hunting, and habitat. Dan volunteered countless hours over decades fighting tirelessly for the preservation of the Winnebago Lakes and Wolf River. He spent many years as an active member of the Lake Poygan Sportsman’s Club, was well known for his outdoor articles in the Winneconne News, and recognized for his booming voice during Army Corps water level meetings. Dan’s ideas and stories are reflected throughout the system in habitat projects, water level management, wetland restoration, and more. The knowledge and insight he passed on through his ideas and stories are part of his legacy that will continue to influence habitat conservation in the Winnebago System for decades to come. This award is to recognize Dan’s life-long contributions and dedication to the Winnebago System. Though Dan is gone, his work and commitment to improving the Upper Pool Lakes and Wolf River will not be forgotten. Matt Harp, a dear friend of Dan’s, described how many of us will remember Rudy when he said, “Rudy may be gone, yet he is everywhere we look. His roaring voice is heard in a crisp, dawn November shotgun blast and in the roar of the Fox River plowing through the Menasha dam; his face in a vibrant cane bed, his deep thoughts in the constant flow of the Wolf. Rest easy Rudy. You’ve earned it. You showed us the way. We’ll take it from here”.