A Landscape with a Long Story

Thanks to the support of Wisconsin land surveyors, we celebrate the March 10, 2026, groundbreaking of the future site of 10 interpretive panels that will tell the sweeping story of Sun Prairie’s Patrick Marsh — from glacier to wetland, from early Indigenous history to the first European settlers, to its 1990s comeback as a vibrant, biodiverse ecosystem. The full Story of Patrick Marsh installation will open to the public on June 1, 2026.

At 340 acres, Patrick Marsh is Sun Prairie’s largest park. It stands as a living classroom, a wildlife refuge, and a community treasure restored through decades of collaboration among local leaders, volunteers, schools, and conservation partners.

The Story of Patrick Marsh project is inspired by Bill Wambach, a land surveyor and Wisconsin Department of Transportation engineer whose dedication to conservation helped shape the marsh’s modern identity. During the reconstruction of Highway 151 in the early 1990s, Wambach played a key role in developing Patrick Marsh as Wisconsin’s first wetland mitigation bank, demonstrating how transportation infrastructure and environmental stewardship can align through thoughtful planning and precise land management.

Surveyors Who Shaped the Region

Surveying history is woven directly into this landscape. The interpretive panels highlight the foundational work of Lucius Lyon, who established Wisconsin’s Point of Beginning in 1831. In 1833, John Mullet and John Brink documented the Patrick Marsh area during the federal Public Land Survey, establishing the township boundaries that would become Bristol Township. One year later, Orson Lyon and his crew returned to subdivide the township into sections — creating the framework that guided settlement, land ownership, and resource management for generations.

A Viewing Platform That Brings Surveying to Life 

“Thanks to the support of the Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors, The Story of Patrick Marsh also features a viewing platform that will educate visitors about how surveyors use a meander corner as a land reference,” says longtime Wisconsin land surveyor Dan Birrenkott, co-chair of the Story of Patrick Marsh Committee. 

Sponsored by the Wisconsin land surveying community in memory of Frank Thousand, the platform will give visitors a rare opportunity to see how meander corners function in boundary interpretation — a connection between surveying practice and the landscape itself.

Acknowledging the Surveying Community

The Story of Patrick Marsh would not be possible without the generosity and leadership of Wisconsin’s land surveying community. This project has been strengthened by contributions from the Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors, the Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors Foundation, the Madison Area Surveyors Council, and the WSLS Northeast Chapter, along with support from individual surveyors and firms statewide.

Their collective commitment has helped fund the interpretive panels, the educational viewing platform, and the long-term vision for enhancing public understanding of Wisconsin’s surveying heritage. “To date, we have raised approximately $75,000 – about half of the funds needed to complete this project,” says Birrenkott. 

Through their contributions, Wisconsin surveyors are not only honoring the legacy of those who first mapped this landscape — they are investing in its future. To learn more about, contact how to contribute to this project, contact Birrenkott at (608) 712-1331.

“We are very proud of this project,” says Birrenkott. He invites the land surveying community to visit Patrick Marsh this summer with friends and families. “It’s a beautiful place to share the history of land surveying in Wisconsin and the story of your chosen profession.”

Author Note

This article is written by Joyce Hastings, a member of The Story of Patrick Marsh Committee. Through her brother Dan Birrenkott’s storytelling and passion for this project, she has gained a greater appreciation for the role professional land surveyors play in our everyday lives – past and present.