Bird & Nature Blog

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Action Alert: Wisconsin's wildlife need YOUR voice today!

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A bad and dangerous bill will come before the Wisconsin State Assembly on Tuesday, February 13. We cannot let this bill pass as it endangers the lives of bears, bobcats, foxes, raccoons, cranes, deer, and other wildlife.

AB-512/SB-545 will repeal all the regulations that currently prohibit hunting dogs from pursuing wild animals in northern Wisconsin in late spring and early summer. This will wreak havoc with many wildlife species but we are especially concerned with the effects on nesting and young birds.

Photo by Carolyn Byers

Free common milkweed seed for restoration-ready land in Wisconsin

Free common milkweed seed (Asclepias syriaca) is available from the Wisconsin Monarch Collaborative and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (formerly Madison Audubon) for restoration-ready land in Wisconsin. The seed is tested for purity and germination, so it will be distributed as pure live seed.  

Photo by Arlene Koziol

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Time to advocate for some important land and water

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This prairie is owned by Iowa County and is open to the public for a wide variety of outdoor public recreation. Iowa County has opened a planning process for the property, probably caused by the closure of the county nursing home, the centerpiece of the property.

Please never, ever assume that a planning process for public lands will go well.  Lots of well intentioned folks will have many other ideas for the property with the possibility of  more extensive agriculture or, Heavens to Betsy, sale of some or all of the land.

Photo by Arlene Koziol

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It's Official: Madison's Bird-safe Glass Ordinance is in the Clear

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Bird conservation groups are celebrating the survival of Madison, Wisconsin’s bird-friendly building ordinance after years of legal challenges from developers. Following the ruling, the City will continue to require bird-friendly building designs that prevent window collisions. American Bird Conservancy (ABC), Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (formerly Madison Audubon), and Wisconsin Society for Ornithology are encouraging municipalities to move ahead with their own efforts to assure building designs protect wild birds from colliding with windows.

Photo by Larry Master, www.masterimages.org

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Growing interest in gardening for birds at 2024 Wisconsin Garden Expo

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Wisconsin bird lovers can learn how to attract and feed our feathered friends and keep them safe around their home at the PBS Wisconsin Garden and Landscape Expo Feb. 9-11 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.

Avian experts from across the state will offer tips on everything from gardening for hummingbirds and songbirds, to attracting Eastern Bluebirds and Purple Martins with nest boxes and martin houses, respectively, to easy home solutions to prevent birds from colliding with windows.