Summer? Nah, Seed Collecting!
On the morning of Juneteenth, several volunteers joined Graham and Emma, the absolutely world class staff at Goose Pond Sanctuary, at one of the satellite properties of SoWBA near Goose Pond* to collect lupine seed.
This seed requires quick and timely picking because it ripens and drops in just a few days. Here today, gone tomorrow. It's also one of our most important seeds to collect on and near Goose Pond. It's the only host plant of the federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly. With enough seed we shall create more habitat for the butterfly. We're already succeeding with the flowers and butterflies and now have Karner Blues on some of the SoWBA properties.
Karner blue butterfly on wild lupine. Photo by Dawn Marsh/USFWS
Explanation of * and the vague mention of the collection location. We have to be careful not to identify specific locations where federally endangered species live. But, if you want to see such hallowed ground, volunteer for lupine seed collecting!
Wild lupine seedpods. Photo by Joshua Mayer
We beat the heat, just barely. A breeze helped and kept the bugs away but prairies are sunny and hot. Lupine also grows low to the ground so bending and stooping are called for. You can also kneel and crawl but I might need a crane (as in construction, not the sandhills on the property) to arise. Graham and Emma always scout for an abundance of the targeted plants so we had 2 huge barrels filled after two hours of picking.
We had several volunteers who had the day off because of the Juneteenth holiday, which they celebrated with some public service. Working with other volunteers is always fun. We had an interesting discussion of road trip food—Kwik Trip ranks pretty high. One volunteer is a City of Madison planner who has been working on the West Side Plan—BRT, density, re-zoning, oh my! I think she enjoyed the peace and quiet of the prairie. And a work day never passes without interesting sights. A small beetle that feeds on wild roses and members of that family was a charmer. We also found a turtle nest that a ground squirrel turned into lunch. Ground squirrels have to eat but you have to feel for the turtle, which had traveled hundreds of yards from the ponds to dig the nest.
Volunteers, lupine, and Karner Blue butterflies remind me of John Shillinglaw. John is a great supporter of and volunteer in conservation and a former Board Member of SoWBA. He has restored and improved different habitats across southern Wisconsin. He is the Father of Karner Blue Butterfly conservation in Wisconsin. Starting with his own land in the Sand Counties of Wisconsin, John restored habitat for the butterflies with an emphasis on wild lupine and healthy prairies. His work is a key reason the butterflies are more secure in Wisconsin year by year.
Wild lupine at Goose Pond Sanctuary. Photo by Brenna Marsicek / SoWBA
Although peak time for seed collecting is weeks away, opportunities will occur in quick succession. Spiderwort might be next. A wider variety of flowers are blooming. A prairie is a lovely place to be in the summer, especially in the morning. Keep an eye open to volunteer at any of our sanctuaries.
And stay cool until this heat breaks.
Topf Wells, advocacy committee
