My family and I recently moved here, and we are so glad we did. The Red-winged Blackbirds and monarch butterflies remind me of Oregon and California, where I am from, but seeing a Bobolink is on my summer wish list.

In my first few months, I’ve met so many wonderful people in our Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance community—members, volunteers, birding experts, and newer birders (like me!). Your stories have shown me why this organization makes such an impact.

I want to share one story with you from Kathy Luedtke, a longtime volunteer and Conservation Leader:

When Kathy was a young Wisconsin kid, Bobolinks were everywhere—even a little pesky. These ground-nesting birds would swoop down and startle kids playing in the fields. Over time, she noticed fewer Bobolinks. She thought she might never see them again. In her words, “Bobolinks seemed to be found only in my dreams.”
But last June, Kathy visited our newest sanctuary property, Hillside Prairie Sanctuary, in Dane County. That’s when she saw nesting Bobolinks for the first time in over 60 years. She cried at the sight.

Stories like Kathy’s remind us that these birds—and the native habitats they rely on—are part of who we are. They connect us to our shared history and underscore why protecting them matters. And they need you!

Will you ensure that current and future generations will be able to enjoy birds, like Bobolinks, in southern Wisconsin?

Grassland birds have lost over 99.5% of their historic prairie habitat in Wisconsin. This number highlights how urgent habitat protection is—and why your support matters now.

Thanks to supporters like you, our staff and more than 1,000 volunteers are actively restoring, monitoring, and caring for nearly 3,000 acres of land in southern Wisconsin, including Hillside Prairie Sanctuary.

Because of your support, native plants like whorled milkweed, prairie blazing star, and New England aster will flourish again, helping sustain the biodiversity that makes Wisconsin such a beautiful place to live.

*Whorled milkweed at Hillside Prairie Sanctuary (Emma Raasch/SoWBA).*

Your support—one-time or monthly—helps:

Protect and restore critical habitats like prairies and oak savannas
Inspire the next generation through education and hands-on experiences
Advocate for programs and policies that protect birds and wildlife

Would you be able to give a gift for birds that is meaningful to you today?
Any gift you send makes an incredible impact by helping to protect and restore native habitat, educating children of all backgrounds to care about wildlife, and so much more, right here in southern Wisconsin.

Although I have not yet seen a Bobolink—thanks to you and people like Kathy, I still have a chance. Thank you for all that you do for birds and wildlife. Your volunteer hours, donations, and advocacy help ensure safe homes for these birds in southern Wisconsin, forever.

Written by Kady Davis, director of development
Please feel free to contact me directly at (608) 255-2473 ext. 5 or kdavis@swibirds.org.
I would love to hear more about why you care about Wisconsin’s amazing birds.