Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s Goose Pond Sanctuary always has a ton going on. Bird conservation, habitat restoration, research, and outreach are always in season here. Learn more about Goose Pond in the latest update.
Photo by Arlene Koziol
A New Year
Goose Pond Sanctuary Update, November 2024
The Last Hurrah
A few dedicated seed collectors gathered at Goose Pond for the final volunteer effort of the season. We were looking for New England asters (NEAs) and white baptisia. Both are important for pollinators with New England asters being one of my favorites. A late bloomer, it and showy goldenrod are the flowers that give our migrating monarchs the nutritional boost they need before flying south.
Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS
Value
Seed collecting is one of the most important management activities on Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s lands, and volunteers always play an essential role, making sure that we have enough variety and amount of seeds to re-create and bolster our prairies, wetlands, and savannas. Many people are passionate about birds, bumblebees, badgers or other lovable creatures, and it's important to remember that they simply do not exist without the strong scaffold of diverse plant communities which support them.
Photo by Graham Steinhauer/SoWBA
