Waukesha County buckthorn removal, heartbreak healing habitat

Waukesha County buckthorn removal, heartbreak healing

In Waukesha County, there's a place in the woods where former flames are extinguished alongside a growing threat.

EAGLE, Wis. - In Waukesha County, there's a place in the woods where former flames are extinguished alongside a growing threat.

Heartbreak heals habitat

What they're saying:

Helen Holtz is thinking about Valentine’s Day, but she’s not in the woods looking for love.

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"We’re already cutting buckthorn, so why not make a fundraiser out of it?" said Holtz.

Holtz is the land management director for the Waukesha County Land Conservancy. She came up with an idea that’s grown into a life of its own on social media: the "Is your ex a thorn in your side?" campaign.

Waukesha County Land Conservancy campaign aims to remove invasive buckthorn

"If you have an ex or an old coworker or current boss that’s just a thorn in your side, we can name an invasive plant called buckthorn after your ex," he said.

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A $5 donation gets you closure with a former companion and removes buckthorn from the land. Treating the stump and burning the branches helps preserve an ecosystem.

"We have a large oak that’s now sort of being invaded by buckthorn," said ecologist Aaron Feggestad.

Feggestad said a critically endangered habitat has been overrun by thousands of prickly pests.

"Is Your Ex a Thorn In Your Side?" Fundraiser

There's a unique fundraiser that's playing out in Waukesha County this Valentine's Day weekend. FOX6's Bret Lemoine joined Hayley Spitler on Wisconsin Live Desk to explain what it's all about.

"These sun-loving plants that are in the prairies and oak openings, they are really starved of the energy they need to grow," he said. "Eventually, you end up with a bare soil surface."

Land in Eagle is filled with signed stumps that now represent the kind of invasive species that clutches your heart.

"By working to not only protect the acreage but take care of it is a huge priority for this region," said Alison Romero, Waukesha County Land Conservancy executive director.

How to participate

What you can do:

The conservancy said the fundraiser has already generated more than $400. Because it became so popular on social media, they’re looking to make it an annual event.

The fundraiser runs through Valentine's Day, Feb. 14; donations are being accepted online.