Gulden knows of one bromegrass field that contains nesting Henslow s sparrows, a rare bird species. Virtually all of the WMA is managed using prescribed burns. The periodic, intentionally set fires rejuvenate grasslands, which have been planted with native species such as Indian grass. He has been working on it since 1962. It was located along a former channel of the Zumbro River and contained a large marsh surrounded by a mixture of farmland, bottomland forest, and sand dune prairie.
People driving by didn t give the area a second glance.
But Gulden knew the land provided habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds, and other wildlife. So Gulden began the tedious work of acquiring and restoring the biologically rich wildlife habitat. For nearly four decades, he has been plugging away at the project. Today the area, now called McCarthy Lake WMA, encompasses 2,800 acres. Most of the key parcels in the WMA are now under state ownership, Gulden says.