The Tuleta Hill Prairie Conservancy property is a wonderful example of what residents can accomplish to protect Green Lake. Before the prairie was established in 2008, this property, which is roughly 250’ from the south shore of Green Lake, was used intensively for agricultural production. In March 2005, a record-breaking rainstorm caused sediments from the parcel to flow through adjacent residential properties and onto the ice covering the lake. Soon after, the landowner decided to sell to a potential developer looking to create a high-density residential subdivision. Rather than have the rural landscape changed so significantly, about 20 neighbors on Tuleta Hill Road began a movement to preserve at least a portion of the property. The Green Lake Neighbors, a group led by volunteer attorney Robert Burke, a Tuleta Hill resident & contributor to this history of the parcel, strongly opposed the project. Eventually, the developer abandoned the project. The Neighbors Group, along with a grant from the MacArther Foundation, donated $172,500 to the Green Lake Conservancy (GLC) toward the purchase of the property. In late 2007, the property was deeded to the Green Lake Sanitary District with the understanding that it would remain as prairie and be managed for public use through annual funding provided by both the GLSD and the GLC. The property was seeded into a deep-rooted native prairie to hold soil in place and act as a perpetual buffer for the lands still in agricultural production upslope. There are over 7 acres upon which to enjoy mowed walking trails winding through prairie flowers and grasses that host an array of pollinators, birds, and other critters.