Monday was a fun day at Goose Pond, one of the first days of seed collecting. The target species was wild lupine. Volunteers collected at Goose Pond and the Erstad Prairie, Madison Audubon’s land adjacent to the Schoenberg Waterfowl Production Area, north and east of Goose Pond.
Wild lupine, photo by USFWS Midwest
My wandering mind first wondered about the name of this plant, which is also the adjective meaning wolf-like. What, if any, is the connection between wolves and this assortment of plants? The omniscient internet informs me that at some point some folks thought the plant robbed the soil of nutrients and named it with the wolf's ravenous appetite in mind. Not sure what founded that observation and belief. Lupine is a member of the pea family and as such fixes nitrogen in the soil. Its deep root system also combats erosion. If eaten in large quantities some lupine seed can be fatal to livestock so perhaps some farmer saw the plant taking a toll on his cows as wolves might.
Wild lupine flower close up. Photo by Joshua Mayer
Many lupines exist across the US and Europe. In its native habitats, lupine is always a happy part of the landscape. Because of the beauty of many of the lupine species, they have been moved across the world and sometimes become a harmful invasive species.
Karner blue butterfly, federally endangered species. Photo by Aaron Carlson
Our native is fabulous. Besides the virtues I've just enumerated, our lupine is the exclusive host plant of the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly. Madison Audubon has not documented the presence of the Karner Blue at Erstad but they are establishing themselves at Schoenberg so we feel they'll settle at Erstad, sooner, we hope, than later.
The plant is lovely and important. It also has big seed pods, a bit like small soy bean pods, and at our two collecting sites extremely abundant. Lots of pods ready to be picked. My back and knees just wish the plants were about 8 inches taller. The weather was perfect: sun, light breeze, temps in the high 60s-low 70s. The short grass Erstad prairie was easy to walk and lots of plants are blooming. Spiderwort was putting on quite the show and will furnish the next seed collecting opportunity shortly.
The Erstad contingent collected 2 large tubs of seeds in just a couple of hours and knowing the team at Goose Pond I bet they met or exceeded that total.
Seed collecting is one of the most fun and worthwhile Madison Audubon volunteer activities. The folks at our sanctuaries scout the best places to collect so your work is always productive. Filling those tubs provides a feeling of accomplishment. You'll learn about the plant you're collecting and the other plants and animals in whatever part of the sanctuary you're in. Monday, Graham, our Goose Pond Manager, called a timeout so we could enjoy and learn some more about the grassland birds at Erstad. We would love your help too—sign up on our volunteer page to receive notices of seed collecting opportunities at Goose Pond and/or Faville. This Friday Goose Pond is offering another fun and worthwhile activity, the Annual Butterfly Census—check this information out.
All this talk of lupine has jogged my memory. Several years ago, a wolf was struck by a car and killed near Goose Pond. We have had a wolf at our door. Maybe one day we'll have lupine, the Karner Blue, and Canis lupus hanging out in Madison Audubon lands.
Take care,
Topf Wells, Madison Audubon advocacy committee chair
Cover photo by Joshua Mayer
This Friday (July 1) we'll be conducting the 9th annual summer butterfly count at Goose Pond. This is part of the larger North American Mud Lake Butterfly Count which has occurred for the last 31 years under the direction of Karl and Dorothy Legler.
Schedule:
- 9:00am - Meet at the Kampen Road Residence (W7503 Kampen Road, Arlington)
- 9:00am - 9:30am - Butterfly ID
- 9:30am - noon - Count butterflies in small teams
- noon - 1:00pm - Lunch
- 1:00pm - 3:30pm - Count butterflies in small teams
This will be a great opportunity to explore the prairies, socialize with other wildlife enthusiasts, and of course to learn about butterflies. The only gear you'll need is long pants, sturdy shoes, and sun protection. A camera, binoculars, and butterfly ID book are other beneficial items. Bring lunch if you plan to stay during that time.
Please RSVP to Graham (gsteinhauer@madisonaudubon.org) on which session you plan to attend or both. No experience is necessary and we'll go over ID in the morning, but it would be beneficial to review the butterflies before Friday. Here is a list of what we'll likely find:
ADMIRALS
Viceroy
ANGLEWINGS
Eastern Comma
Question Mark
BLUES
Lathyrus venosus
Summer Azure
Bronze copper
Common Buckeye
CRESCENTS
Northern Crescent
Pearl Crescent
FRITILLARIES
Great Spangled Fritillary
LADIES
American Lady
Painted Lady
Red Admiral
MONARCH
SATYRS
Common Wood-Nymph
SKIPPERS, FOLDED-WING
Delaware Skipper
European Skipper
Least Skipper
Skipper spp.
SULPHURS
Clouded Sulphur
Orange Sulphur
SWALLOWTAILS
Black Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Giant Swallowtail
TORTOISESHELLS
Mourning Cloak
WHITES
Cabbage White
Thank you!
Graham
