2025 Winner
Gregg and Sylvia Attleson
Gregg and Sylvia Attleson have lived many lives, but one thread has always tied them together: a deep commitment to caring for the land. From their early years in Gays Mills, Wisconsin, to their time serving abroad, and now in their home in La Crosse, they have consistently nurtured the spaces around them — creating gardens, growing food, and making room for pollinators wherever they go.
Their story stretches far beyond one place. Early on, the Attlesons joined the Peace Corps and spent years living in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Mexico. In each of these environments, they learned to adapt, to grow, and to create habitats in climates that sometimes challenged them. Even in the more arid places, they found ways to bring in pollinators and establish spaces where life could thrive. These experiences shaped their outlook and gave them a wealth of knowledge about plants, land stewardship, and community.
When they eventually settled back in Wisconsin, they started a hobby farm, with a focus on asparagus and other crops. Farming wasn’t just a livelihood for them — it was another way to connect with the cycles of the land, and they carried those lessons with them when they moved to La Crosse in 2020.
Today, their home reflects that lifetime of experience. Instead of grass, their yard is alive with native plants, buzzing insects, and birds stopping by to enjoy the habitat they’ve created. They know each plant by name — and even more, they know what lies beneath the surface. As Gregg walks through the yard, he points out plants and their root systems, knowing exactly how deep in the ground they reach. He picks leaves from different plants and notes their different tastes and uses. Sylvia and him pick choke berries from their bushes in the front yard, freeze them, and use them in jams. Together, they’ve created a living example of how a yard can be beautiful, tasty, and ecologically valuable.
There are also deeply personal touches throughout. A grapevine they brought with them from their former property continues to grow here, a living reminder of their long history of farming and gardening. Herbs, edible plants, and spaces to taste and share make their garden not just a habitat, but also a gathering place.
For Gregg and Sylvia, their La Crosse garden isn’t separate from the rest of their story — it’s the continuation of decades of stewardship. It reflects their travels, their farming background, and their enduring love for the pollinators and “bug friends” that follow them from place to place.
Their yard shows how all the elements — plants, insects, birds, and water — can work together as a system, one that supports both the environment and the people who tend it. Water, plants, and living things are inseparable — each depends on the other to thrive. When rain soaks into deep roots, it nourishes not only the soil, but also the bees, birds, and people who rely on it. Every drop is part of a larger cycle, reminding us that caring for the land is caring for life itself.
La Crosse Area Waters’ annual Soak it Up Award honors citizens who have completed a landscaping project that reduces stormwater runoff. Projects improve water management in our communities, the condition of local waterways, and the livability of neighborhoods. Nominees lead by example, inspiring other community members to take on similar projects. Nominate a project for the next SOAK IT UP award today!