Amidst the Daily Tasks

If we’re being honest about our work, some days and some efforts can feel like fire drills: the release of a new budget from the Governor’s Office, a derailed train car spilling hazardous materials, or lakes and streams literally drying up before our eyes. While there is never a shortage of immediate issues in need of attention, the work of environmental stewardship and conservation is, by its very nature, about taking the long view.

Our 10th annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival (in Madison on March 29, with an inaugural companion event set for April 20 in Green Bay) showcases a number of films that celebrate the persistence and the payoff of bigger picture projects. One of this year’s films, The Super Salmon, reminded us of a major recent undertaking that exemplifies the long view: the fish passage project to help lake sturgeon pass through dams on the Menominee River to get back to their native spawning and nursery grounds.