Each summer, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance employs motivated and enthusiastic interns who learn important ecological restoration techniques. This year, Andi Hokanson, Hailey Wedewer, and Andy Smith worked full time at Goose Pond Sanctuary; Helena Bello, an intern from the Natural Resource Foundation of Wisconsin’s Diversity in Conservation program, also worked with the Goose Pond team for a week. Our interns worked diligently to remove wild parsnip, spotted knapweed, honeysuckle, and many other invasive species despite weather that can be hot, wet, or buggy. They also collected seed from dozens of plant species, conducted Karner blue butterfly surveys, and helped lead volunteers.

Oftentimes it’s the little things that make working in the heat, swatting bugs, or wringing out soaking wet socks, worthwhile. Whether it’s a close encounter with your favorite bird, finding a rare species, or learning a new plant, there’s always something to brighten your day while working in nature. We asked our three full-time interns what observations or experiences stuck out to them from their summer on the prairie.

As I made my daily treks through the prairies of Goose Pond Sanctuary, I had my eye out for many species—invasive plants being my main target. Though, between the thickets of parsnip and sweet clover, a grazing bumblebee will always capture my attention. My interest in these pollinators was sparked last summer, when I worked as a field technician for a nature center in Michigan. After a day of battling invasives, we would always conclude with a bee survey. I loved following the bumblebees from flower to flower, observing the species they liked the most. Being large and colorful, bumblebees are relatively easy to study and identify. I’ve carried this fascination to my internship at Goose Pond. Here, I have observed many species, including the common eastern, two-spotted, and brown-belted bumblebee. One day, I came across a very special specimen: the rusty patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis). This species is identifiable by the segments of its abdomen: the first two are yellow, with a conspicuous orange patch on the second. Endangered at the federal level, the rusty patched bumblebee is of great concern here in southern Wisconsin. Thanks to carefully managed habitats, such as the SoWBA sanctuaries, this species gains refuge with plentiful wildflowers and nesting sites. Sightings of such species remind me why I love restoration work: not only can I observe these special and rare creatures, but I can provide a haven for recovering populations to flourish in.

—Andi Hokanson

Coming into this internship at Goose Pond, I already knew that I was a bird lover. I had seen hundreds of species throughout my career and figured that there was not much left that I had to learn about the birds of southern Wisconsin. Boy was I wrong. Nearly each day brought a new surprise about birds that I had no idea about. Whether it be the intricacies of flycatcher identification; the often three-noted cry of one of my now personal favorite birds, the Dickcissel; or even the flight pattern of the Northern Harrier, I was always learning and growing as a birder. One of my favorite pieces of information that I have picked up—or I should say my coworker Emma picked up—is about the nest of the Sedge Wren. One day while working in the prairie, Emma stumbled upon an abandoned nest, picked it up, and took the opportunity to teach us interns about it. A Sedge Wren’s nest is not the ordinary basket-type nest that you might envision when you think of a bird’s nest; rather, it is a tightly woven ball of stringy grasses with a little hole on the side for entry. The construction techniques of the natural world never cease to amaze me, and this method of nest construction is yet another prime example of how fascinating the architecture of the wild can be.

—Andy SMith

While walking through the prairie at Otsego Marsh I heard a WHOOSH above my head, and before I could process what happened, I heard it again. That time I could feel something graze my head, a mother swallow protecting her babies in a nearby nest. I was monitoring the bird boxes to document species and how many fledglings are inside. This exciting task seems fairly simple, that is until you encounter the wrath of an angry mother bird. As I walked from box to box I was dodging Tree Swallows hoping I would not get a tiny foot stuck in my hair. Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) have shiny blue feathers when seen in the right lighting and can be found feasting on beetles, flies, and other insects in the prairie. Another day while working in Sue Ames Prairie I saw what looked like fifty swallows swooping the same way they did to me. However, this time they were swooping straight into the prairie. Birds circled around, constantly flying down to grab insects to feast on. Some of these birds were likely the same fledglings monitored just a few weeks earlier.

—Hailey Wedewer

Thanks so much to Andi, Hailey, Andy, and Helena for their hard work this summer. You can bet that they’ll get a positive response when we’re called for a reference check!

Written by Graham Steinhauer, Goose Pond Sanctuary land steward, with contributions from summer 2024 interns Andi Hokanson, Andy Smith, and Hailey Wedewer.
Cover image by Emma Raasch/SoWBA. Interns Andi, Andy, and Hailey wear protective yellow gear during a prescribed fire training.