Sept. 26, 2025
CRAWFORD COUNTY, Wis. – A widow has honored her late husband’s legacy by permanently protecting 63 acres of land they cultivated together for decades in Crawford County.
Shirley Northern placed a conservation easement on the property with the Mississippi Valley Conservancy, ensuring the land she and her husband, Alan Slavick, turned from a rugged parcel into a homestead sanctuary will be preserved from future development. The agreement prohibits subdivision, development, or mining while allowing for continued residential use and farming.
The couple’s story on the land began with a tent on an initial 20-acre parcel that grew over the years to 64 acres. Al built their home, restored native prairie, and managed the landscape. Following his death in 2020, Shirley, now 77, committed to safeguarding their shared vision.
“Every time something new blooms I think of Al and wish that he could be here to see it,” Shirley said.
Shirley noted that among her favorite reminders of her husband are the Michigan lilies he planted, a species that takes five years to bloom. While only a few had flowered before his passing, more than 30 are in bloom today.
The property is ecologically important, containing state-endangered purple milkweed, oak woodlands, and nearly a mile of Nederlo Creek, a Class I and II trout stream. This easement helps create a protected corridor of more than 200 contiguous acres by connecting with adjacent conserved lands.
Chris Kirkpatrick, the conservation manager for Mississippi Valley Conservancy, described the property as a diverse collection of natural communities that has been carefully managed for decades.
“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,” Kirkpatrick said.
Shirley continues her husband’s stewardship by removing invasive plants and conducting prescribed burns with the help of neighbors, a practice essential for maintaining the health of the prairie and oak ecosystems.
Community involvement has been a constant theme, from a barn raising years ago to a recent workshop for students from the Driftless Folk School and Thoreau College.
“They thought the land was beautiful,” Shirley said, “so it’s not just me”.
Thanks to Shirley’s dedication, the land will remain a private refuge for wildlife and a living tribute to her husband’s work.
“The protection is a tribute to Al,” she said. “This way, more people will enjoy and appreciate it”.
The Mississippi Valley Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust founded in 1997 that works with private landowners on voluntary conservation projects. The organization has permanently protected over 26,000 acres across nine counties in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, including Vernon, Crawford, and La Crosse counties. Its mission is to conserve native habitats and farmlands for the health and well-being of the region.
Landowners interested in learning more about conservation agreements can visit the Mississippi Valley Conservancy’s website.
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