Bird & Nature Blog
A clutch of the latest stories from Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
For each of the last two years, Carolyn has worked with the DNR, Dane County Land and Water Resources Department, the Southern Wisconsin Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and Lincoln Elementary to provide a field trip for Josie's fourth grade class on the Sugar River. The site is the County's Basco Sugar River Wildlife Unit #1, on STH 69, just south of Paoli and across the road from Basco.
Madison Audubon photo
One of the venerable traditions in Wisconsin's conservation activity is the spring hearing conducted in each of Wisconsin's 72 counties by the DNR and the Conservation Congress. Its agenda includes in-person discussions and votes on changes to DNR's fishing, hunting, and trapping regulations and environmental policy and the election of county delegates to the Conservation Congress.
But COVID-19 has brought a huge change to the hearing. In the announcement you see here, the DNR has suspended the in-person portion of the hearings. They will be conducted entirely online. The announcement instructs how each of us can participate.
Photo courtesy of Forest Historical Society, FCC
Three birds, similar stories. We are in a climate crisis, and a bird emergency. Higher temperatures, more storms, changes in food supply, and more make the future for many of the world’s — and our state’s — birds look pretty grim. These three examples shed some light on the problem, and most importantly, the real, impactful things we all can do to help.
Bobolinks, scarlet tanagers, and Wisconsin’s woodpeckers need you.
Photo by Rick Kelly
Goose Pond is a prairie pothole, one of the most threatened types of wetlands in the world and a mecca for wildlife. They’re biodiversity hotspots.
They’re also in danger of destruction in Wisconsin. These shallow ponds with fluctuating water levels fall under the "non-federal" or “isolated" wetlands category. Current proposed legislation seeks to eliminate any permitting or oversight by agencies like the WDNR and would allow developers to destroy and build over these wildlife havens.
Photo by Arlene Koziol
A view of Lake Superior from Madeline Island, Wisconsin
As Wisconsinites, the Great Lakes hold a special place in our lives. We're fortunate to live in a state which borders two of them, with a third within a few hours' drive. As a result, we are attuned to the importance, power, and fragility of the system. And the value of the Lakes for birds - resident and migratory both - is indescribable!
Like many times in the past, the Great Lakes system is again at risk, this time from severe budget cuts to one of the leading initiatives that fosters protection and restoration of the lakes. The federal administration has proposed to cut the Environmental Protection Agency 's funding by 40% and within those cuts, a 97% cut to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Learn more about the situation and what you can do by clicking here.
