Nature Preserve

Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve is a 200 acre Nature preserve in southwestern Wisconsin, about 13 miles west of Mt. Horeb. It is located in a scenic and unique unglaciated area known as the driftless bioregion.

Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve includes forests, prairies, wetlands, springs, and sandstone rock outcroppings.  Through the land runs a branch of the West Blue Mounds Creek.  The preserve has many types of plants, songbirds, and other wildlife.

The purpose of Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve is to preserve and support ecological diversity in its ecosystems and to be a place where humans can deepen their understanding and relationships with the scientific and spiritual dimensions of Nature.

Founded in 1983 and zoned as sacred land in 1988, Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve is privately owned and operated by Circle Sanctuary and serves as headquarters for Circle Sanctuary's multifaceted eco-spirituality networking activities and other work.

Although not open on a drop-in basis, Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve is open to visitors at a variety of festivals and other events held there throughout the year like the annual Earth Day Celebration.

Staff and volunteers, including environmental scientists, have engaged in a variety of Nature preservation and education activities at Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve:

PRAIRIES: Preservation and maintenance of a remnant Oak Savannah Prairie.

BIRDS: Songbird preservation, including participation in Eastern Bluebird restoration. Wild birds research, including bird counts and field studies.

FORESTS: Forest preservation and management.  Participation in statewide and national efforts to protect forests from gypsy moth devastation.

WETLANDS: Wetland ecosystem preservation and restoration.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: Sponsoring guided Nature walks, workshops, and other learning opportunities, including an annual public Earth Day, that features Nature preservation, Nature education, and Nature communion activities.

In addition, Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve staff and volunteers have engaged in a variety of environmental networking and public education endeavors, near and far, including:

• Networking with others engaged in Prairie restoration and preservation.
• Providing expertise in the development of the local township's recycling plan.
• Contributing ecological preservation knowledge and perspectives in town meetings and citizen group discussions on land use planning.
• Contributing to academic literature, research, and learning experiences in the fields of psychology, religious studies, and environmental sciences, including presentations at professional conferences in North America and Europe; guest appearances in classrooms at various colleges and universities; and providing consultation expertise for students and professors at a variety of institutions around the world.
• Engaging in public ecospirituality education and information dissemination through interviews with local, statewide, regional, national, and global mass media, including television, radio, newspapers, magazines, film, and the internet.
• Speaking at and participation in local, regional, national, and global conferences and other endeavors designed to increase dialogue and cooperation among diverse peoples and organizations for a healthier planet.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve
PO Box 9, Barneveld, WI 53507, USA
Telephone: (608) 924-2216
Fax: (608) 924-5961
Email: circle@circlesanctuary.org