When Alan Slavick and Shirley Northern first arrived in Crawford County, they pitched a tent on a parcel of rugged Driftless land that held all the promise of a future homestead: south-facing hills, fresh springs, a meandering creek, and the remnants of foundations waiting to be rebuilt. What began as 20 acres grew into a 64-acre labor of love — a sanctuary shaped over decades by Al’s hard work and deep connection to the land. Today, that land is permanently protected from development through a conservation easement with Mississippi Valley Conservancy — a tribute to Al’s legacy and Shirley’s determination to carry it forward.
The couple’s journey began humbly, with nothing but raw land and vision. Al built the structures they needed, restored prairie, cleared invasive brush, and carefully stewarded the natural communities that flourished under their care. After his death in 2020, Shirley, now 77, remained committed to honoring the homestead and the landscape they had nurtured together.
“Every time something new blooms I think of Al and wish that he could be here to see it,” Shirley said recently, as cream baptisia and shooting stars lit up the prairie. Among her favorite reminders are the Michigan lilies Al planted — a species that takes five years to bloom. Only a few had flowered before his passing, but today more than 30 stand in bloom.
The property is ecologically significant, including 0.6 miles of Nederlo Creek, a Class I and II trout stream, which is part of the Tainter Creek watershed flowing into the Kickapoo River. It borders the Crawford County Conservation District property that includes a retention dam. A portion of the property is covered by a DNR hunting and fishing easement which also covers neighboring property. Together, this creates a protected corridor of over 200 contiguous acres. The land also contains prime agricultural soils currently used for haying and rotational grazing.
“The Slavick property is a diverse array of natural communities that has been carefully stewarded for decades,” said Chris Kirkpatrick, conservation manager for Mississippi Valley Conservancy. “It includes impressive acreage of oak woodland, including an area of open understory — a sight once common in the Driftless Area, but now increasingly rare due to a lack of natural fire.” The state-endangered purple milkweed is now thriving on this property, thanks to years of habitat restoration — including brush and invasive species removal, prescribed burns, and careful thinning of trees in its native oak openings and woodlands.
Each conservation easement the Conservancy completes is tailored to the land and landowner. In this case, the easement designates space for continued residential use and farming, but permanently prohibits subdivision, development, or mining. Shirley continues Al’s legacy by weeding invasive plants, and this spring worked with neighbors to burn the prairie, oak opening, and oak woodland, ensuring that the ecological integrity of the property endures for generations.
Community has always been part of the story. Neighbors helped with a barn raising — capped with a square dance and a barn full of hay. More recently, Shirley welcomed students from the Driftless Folk School and Thoreau College for a workshop on working with oxen. “They thought the land was beautiful,” Shirley said, “so it’s not just me.”
Thanks to Shirley’s vision and dedication, the land remains private but is now a permanent refuge for wildlife and wildflowers, and a living memorial to her husband’s care. “The protection is a tribute to Al,” she said. “This way, more people will enjoy and appreciate it.”
To learn more about how you can protect your land with a conservation agreement, you can read more here or visit with Executive Director Carol Abrahamzon at 608-784-3606 ext. 4, or [email protected].