Kettle Pond Conservation Park

Acres: 8

The retreat of the glacier 10,000 years ago left many 'kettle holes' in the Madison area. A pond surrounded by woods provides a habitat for a variety of wildlife in this small park.

Features 0.4 miles of trails.

Recently, staff retrieved 13 bags of garlic mustard neatly piled by the trailhead and pulled by anonymous volunteers. To further support these efforts, staff have designated two "garlic mustard compost sites" along the trail, where passersby can drop plants that they have pulled. While bagging the plants and sending them to the landfill is ideal, the second-best is concentrating all the seeds produced to one or two spots, allowing native plants to thrive throughout the rest of the park.

Land Management

Neighborhood volunteers are helping with an ongoing oak savanna restoration project. Exotic trees and shrubs are being cut to allow for sufficient light levels to foster oak regeneration and wildflower growth. Native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers are being planted. Increased plant diversity promotes a diverse community of wildlife species.