Wisconsin DNR DNR News - April 8, 2008
This Week's Articles
* Wisconsin and the world celebrate Earth Day
* American marten research shows rare mammal benefits from heavy snowfall
* Wisconsin leads nation in fledging of bluebird chicks
* Rural homeowners need to be aware of bears, other animals in spring
* Six win awards for stream monitoring efforts
Wisconsin and the world celebrate Earth Day
MADISON – From a climate change workshop in Port Harcourt, Nigeria to a recycling beanbag toss for children visiting the Governor’s Executive Residence in Wisconsin, Earth Day observations cover the globe and encompass a range of activities and events. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 but many communities are planning daily events during Earth Week, April 19-27.
“Gaylord Nelson said the ultimate test of man’s conscience is his willingness to sacrifice something today for generations tomorrow, whose words of thanks will not be heard,” said Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank. “Earth Day is the annual marker to celebrate what we’ve done for the environment and our wildlife, and to chart the important work ahead.”
Although the first Earth Day event took place in 1970, Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day, has written that the road to Earth Day 2008 actually began in 1962.
Frustrated by political inertia on the environmental degradation taking place in America, Senator Nelson met with President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Bobby Kennedy to encourage the president to “give visibility to the issue by going on a national conservation tour.” Although the president’s 11-state conservation tour in September 1963 did not have the desired political effect, Senator Nelson refused to give up.
It was during a conservation speaking tour that the Earth Day concept would crystallize for Nelson. In 1969, U.S. college campuses were roiled by protests over the war in Vietnam. Anti-war demonstrations would take the form of “teach - ins.” For Nelson, the “teach- ins” would serve as the model for launching a grassroots demonstration to raise consciousness over the state of the environment. Senator Nelson wrote, “…if we could tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, we could generate a demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda.”
Decades later, the importance of Earth Day is impossible to overstate, Frank says, because the challenges to our environment continue. Frank encourages Wisconsinites to, “Get involved. Learn what you can do for the world you live in. Work to leave it in better shape than you found it.”
While the following is not meant to be a comprehensive listing of statewide events, here are some of the ways people around Wisconsin can get involved during Earth Week:
* Second Annual Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference; Sustaining Wisconsin’s Environment & Economy: Responding to Climate Change, April 16. Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, Madison. The conference is open to the public but pre-registration has already sold out. The $25 registration fee covers material, continental breakfast, lunch and refreshments; (608) 263-3063 or [www.nelson.wisc.edu/outreach/climate_change] (exit DNR).
* Capital Springs State Park, April 19, 8 a.m. –noon: Come out and help plant 150 white pines for Arbor Day, 3101 Lake Farm Road, Madison, (608) 224-3606.
* Habitat for Humanity ReStore, April 19, 10 a.m.: Workshops on how to make the Earth and your house a greener place, 3000 E. College Ave., Appleton, (920)-830-8400.
* UW Oshkosh Women’s Center: April 19, 6:30 p.m. A showing of the film “Rachel’s Daughters: Searching for the Causes of Breast Cancer.” Inspired by Rachel Carson, who died of breast cancer in 1964, the documentary examines the environmental causes of the disease.
* Washington Park Earth Day Festival, Milwaukee, April 19, noon – 4 p.m. Kick-off of the Lagoon Restoration Project, park clean up and other activities; (414) 344-5460, [www.urbanecologycenter.org] (exit DNR).
* Fourth Annual Johnson Creek Earth Day Celebration, April 19, 9 - 11 a.m. - Clean up along the creek shoreline and on nature trail and other daylong activities; (920) 699-2296 or johnsoncreekgreen@charter.net.
* St. Francis Park, Green Bay: April 19, 9 a.m.-noon: Fox River clean up.
* UW Green Bay, April 19, 1 - 4 p.m. Great Lakes Compact Forum featuring Peter Annin, author of “The Great Lakes Water Wars.” Rose Hall, Room 250
* Broadway Street in Green Bay: April 20, 9 - 11 a.m. Take back the pavement. See Green Bay’s streets transformed into artistic greenery displays.
* DNR Rhinelander Service Center, April 20-26: Open House celebration as staff opens their offices to the public. Displays, posters, brochures and other materials will be available. On April 22, students from Northwood Community Secondary School will assist DNR volunteers in clearing invasive plants from an infested area in Rhinelander. 107 Sutliff Ave., (715) 365-8900,
* Arbor Day Tree Planting, Superior, April 21. The City Received and Urban Forestry Grant and will be celebrating with a tree planting event. Contact Mary Morgan Superior Parks and Recreation (715) 395-7270.
* Brown County Library, April 22, 10:30 - 11 a.m. Earth Day story time; 515 Pine Street, Green Bay, (920) 448-4400
* Twelfth Annual Earth Day Celebration, South Shore Park Pavilion, Milwaukee April 26, 9 a.m. - noon: Spring clean up; 2900 S. Shore Drive, (414) 744-0408.
* Havenwoods State Forest, Milwaukee, April 26, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Earth Day celebration features solar car races, recycled crafts, and an Eco-Scavenger Hunt; 6141 N. Hopkins Street, (414) 527-0232,.
More Earth Day events can be found listed on the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies EarthDayAction.org Web site [www.nelson.wisc.edu/earthday] (exit DNR). Visit EEK! DNR’s environmental education for kids Web site to learn about April flowers that are blooming or the April 2008 issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine to find a field trip that suits your outdoor interest. Contact your local DNR service center for information on Earth Week activities in your community.
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American marten research shows rare mammal benefits from heavy snowfall
Endangered Resourced Checkoff celebrates 25th Anniversary of aiding rare species
RHINELANDER, Wis. – Like the polar bear, Wisconsin’s only mammal on the state’s endangered species list could also become a victim of global warming. Research conducted by a state wildlife biologist indicates that in order for the reintroduced American marten to survive in Wisconsin, the species seems to need an annual dose of heavy snowfall, something that has been absent from the northland for a number of years.
American martin near Argonne, Wis
“The marten does better during years of high snowfalls in the north,” says Jim Woodford, a wildlife biologist for the Department of Natural Resource. “When there is less snowfall, like we have seen in the last few years, they are at a disadvantage.”
In the winter, martens tunnel under the snow in search of small animals. With less snow they compete for these limited foods with the bigger predators like fishers, bobcats and fox. Martens feed mainly on mice, voles and other small mammals but will prey on squirrels, hares, reptiles and birds.
“Mice and vole populations can vary much from year to year,” Woodford said, “and that could be another reason why marten populations are not increasing.”
Woodford has been studying martens for the past five years. In a study he did four years biologists placed radio collars on martens to determine their daily dispersal habitats and survival rates. The study area included most of Forest and the eastern portions of Vilas and Oneida counties.
American martens – sometimes referred to as a pine marten due to the similarities shared with their European pine marten relatives -- were once common in the state but were extirpated by 1925 because of unregulated harvest and habitat alteration. Attempts were made to reintroduce the animals in 1953 on Stockton Island in the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior, and between 1975 and 1983, the DNR and the U.S. Forest Service obtained 172 martens from Ontario and Colorado and released them in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Forest and Ashland counties. Between 1987 and 1990, DNR biologists released 139 martens from northern Minnesota on the Chequamegon side, the northwest portion of the National Forest.
The state’s marten population will get another boost this year. A new stocking program will add 100 more marten’s to the Chequamegon National Forest zone. Wildlife biologists will continue to study this shy creature with hopes of establishing a self-sustaining population in the state.
According to Woodford, there may be less than 500 martens in the state right now.
“Our martens in the Nicolet National forest in the northeastern part of the state seem to be doing better than those in the north central area of the Chequamegon National Forest,” Woodford said.
These reddish brown or dark brown animals can weigh between 1-and-a-half to 2-and-a-half pounds and males can grow up to 25 inches. Martens have long bushy tails that are one-third of their total length.
Wisconsin marten research and reintroduction are supported by tax deductable donations.
“Gifts to the Endangered Resources Fund help to conserve wildlife and their habitats while it is still cost-effective to protect them,” said Signe Holtz, director of the DNR Endangered Resources program.
“Every contribution, big or small, adds up to make an immeasurable impact on Wisconsin’s quality of resources and quality of life. It is a vital investment in the health and well-being of the environment, economy and quality of life – benefits everyone can appreciate and enjoy, now and for generations to come,” Holtz said.
“For those residents who haven’t yet filed their state income taxes, we are asking them to ‘Look for the Loon’ and support Wisconsin’s endangered resources,” said Holtz, adding that each dollar donated to the Endangered Resources Tax Checkoff is matched by state funds, “making your gifts twice as important.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Bureau of Endangered Resources - (608) 266-7-12
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Wisconsin leads nation in fledging of bluebird chicks
MADISON – More bluebird chicks fledged out of nest boxes in Wisconsin last spring than in any other state in the nation, thanks in large part to a dedicated statewide cadre of volunteers who build and place the nest boxes and then closely tend and monitor them.
In the 2007 nesting season, volunteers reported that 28,244 bluebirds fledged from 7,800 nest boxes across Wisconsin, setting a new national record for the number of bluebirds fledged from a single state, according to Kent Hall, a retired University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point biology professor and a vice president of the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW).
Hall notes BRAW is among the largest citizen science organizations in Wisconsin, numbering about 850 members located throughout the state. The organization was formed in 1986 when the Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Endangered Resources approached citizens about helping to reverse an alarming drop in bluebird numbers that was being measured by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
At that time, biologists estimated that the eastern bluebird population had declined in its historic range by 90 percent during the preceding 50 years due to changes in agriculture practices, competition from the house sparrows and starlings, and the loss of nest sites, such as tree cavities and hollow wooden fence posts. Following a series of meetings, the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin was formed to monitor and increase the production of the bluebirds and other native cavity-nesting birds through a coordinated statewide nest box construction and monitoring program.
Twenty-two years later, in addition to fledging a record number of bluebirds, Hall says BRAW members recorded an additional 10,000 tree swallows, 2,000 wrens and 400 chickadees that fledged from Wisconsin nest boxes in 2007, for a total of nearly 41,000 songbirds fledged.
“These impressive production figures come after many years of data collection and analysis,” Hall says. The key when it comes to nest box success, Hall says, is “location, location, location.” BRAW research found that 90 percent of nest boxes can attract bluebirds if they are properly located.
Bluebirds need a territorial forage area of 3 to 21 acres of predominantly open habitat. Ideal sites have short, sparse grass with interspersed trees, such as cemeteries, golf courses, parks, roadsides, and railroad tracks.
Another key management principal that came out of BRAW research is that nest boxes should be spaced a minimum of 100 feet apart, and that they should not be placed in pairs, which has traditionally been considered a standard management practice in areas that also have high tree swallow populations. The theory was that by supplying a second nest site, competition between the two species is reduced because both species tend to compete for nesting sites more within their own species than they compete against other species. Therefore, by providing paired boxes, bluebirds could nest in one box while tree swallows could nest in the other.
However, Hall says, 10 years of detailed BRAW research and monitoring showed that when boxes are not paired bluebird production actually increased. Hall says that is probably because bluebirds are more territorial that tree swallows.
“By placing boxes close together, male and female bluebirds are encouraged to compete for nest sites, while spacing the boxes 100-plus yards reduces this competition,” he says.
BRAW has developed other management techniques include using predator guards on mounting posts, properly pointing nest box in the correct direction to the sun.
In addition, the association has coordinators in most counties of the state who conduct workshops, and share research findings and successful birding techniques with landowners and others who are interested in establishing bluebird nesting trails on their property or in their areas.
Hall says the BRAW board of directors has set a goal for this year of fledging more than 30,000 bluebirds in Wisconsin. People interested in learning more or becoming involved with bluebird restoration can contact BRAW through their Web site, [www.braw.org] (exit DNR) or by contacting one of the BRAW county coordinators (exit DNR) listed on the association's Web site.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Hall, BRAW (715) 344-8081 or Sumner Matteson, DNR endangered resources - (608) 266-1571
Rural homeowners need to be aware of bears, other animals in spring
SPOONER, Wis. -- Bears, raccoons and other animals are coming out of hibernation in Wisconsin, and with food sources limited this time of year, bird seed, suet and garbage are easy meals that can draw the hungry critters close to residences and campgrounds in search for food.
Bears
Campers, homeowners, and other visitors in bear country can avoid problems with these animals by making sure they don’t create the kind of situations that attract bears, state wildlife officials say. Feeding bears either purposefully or accidentally is dangerous because the bears begin to loose their fear of humans. It is also expensive for the state and cruel to the bears, since often the bears must be trapped and relocated or destroyed.
“If you understand what attracts bears and practice common sense, your likelihood of encountering one close to home or camp is extremely small,” says Mike Zeckmeister, wildlife biologist.
The best way to avoid trouble with bears is to follow these steps:
Around home:
* Do not knowingly feed a bear (or other wild animals).
* Reduce garbage odors by rinsing food cans before putting in recycling containers or garbage cans.
* Compost vegetable scraps.
* Keep meat scraps in the freezer until garbage day and garbage cans in a closed building until pick up.
* Remove bird feeders in the spring; if you do feed during the summer, remove suet and hummingbird feeders at night or put them high out of reach of a bear.
* Keep pet food inside or do not feed in the evening.
* Keep barbecue grills and picnic tables clean.
* Use an electric fence to keep bears from beehives, sweet corn, fruit trees and berry patches.
While in the woods:
* Clear food off picnic tables and grills.
* Do not have any food and candy in your tent.
If you encounter a bear while in the woods, don’t panic, don’t shoot the bear and don’t approach it. Give it space, walk away and watch from a distance. Do not approach sows with cubs.
If a bear is near your home or campsite, wave your arms and make some noise to scare the bear away. Then back away slowly or go inside and wait for the bear to leave. If the bear found food such as bird feed or garbage one or more times, it will return once or twice to see if it can again find food. When food is no longer available, the visits will stop.
Raccoons, skunks, and other animals
See the above information on “around home” to keep raccoons, skunks, and other animals from getting into garbage cans, garages, homes, and other areas where food wastes are stored. Once these animals find out that food in not available near your home, they will return to natural food sources.
Brochures better explaining bear habitats and ways to avoid them, nuisance wild animal removal, and others are available from your local DNR Service Center. If you have bear troubles and are in need of assistance please call USDA Wildlife Services 24-hour hotline at 1-800-228-1368.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: DNR Bureau of Wildlife Management – - (608) 267-7857
Six win awards for stream monitoring efforts
MADISON – Wisconsinites from Viroqua, Milwaukee, Ashland, Solon Springs, Delafield, and Land O’ Lakes are being recognized for their outstanding efforts to help monitor and improve the health of Wisconsin’s streams and build the ranks of volunteers committed to that cause.
The Department of Natural Resources and the University of Wisconsin-Extension present Stream Monitoring Awards every year to recognize people for their exemplary work leading to increased participation in stream monitoring, collecting stream data, and sharing their knowledge of stream monitoring.
The awards program aims to promote participation in volunteer stream monitoring work in the more than 42,000 miles of year-round streams and rivers in Wisconsin, according to Kris Stepenuck, Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program Coordinator for UW-Extension and Wisconsin DNR. “The caliber of work these award winners are doing to help monitor and protect streams, and to share their knowledge with others, is tremendous.”
* Gary Thompson of Viroqua received the “Adult Volunteer” for his work with the Viroqua-based Valley Stewardship Network. Thompson, now the group’s volunteer coordinator, started with it in 2002 training adults to monitor the Kickapoo River monthly but also after rainstorms. He has been instrumental in planning and executing a study of bacteria levels on the Kickapoo River and actively seeks funding to support these and other monitoring efforts by the organization.
* Juliana Bridge of Delafield, won in the “Student Volunteer” category for her work monitoring Scuppernong Creek for five monitoring seasons and compiling her data. Bridge, who was homeschooled, presented the data for a science fair as well as instructing other students in monitoring techniques. Her efforts and data provide an important gauge of water quality conditions in Scuppernong Creek now, for comparison in coming years as the area copes with tremendous development pressure.
* Amber Johnson, a student from Solon Springs High School, was chosen for her participation in the Water Action Volunteers Stream Monitoring program over the past two years. She has monitored May through October and taught fellow students the monitoring methods during her second year, and has also instructed elementary school students in stream monitoring techniques. She also presented science labs to parents and teachers at two NASA nights the school hosted.
* Cheryl Nenn, Milwaukee Riverkeeper for the Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers, won in the category recognizing organization employees for their contributions to volunteer stream monitoring. Nenn has worked to develop stream monitoring programming across the Milwaukee River Basin and now coordinates the efforts of more than 64 volunteers. Nenn also monitors water quality at three sites herself. In addition to her involvement with volunteer stream monitoring, Nenn manages the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail and a variety of restoration projects, as well as seeking sources of pollution to Milwaukee’s rivers.
* The Bad River Watershed Association of Ashland has won the group stream monitoring award for its work, since 2002, to monitor water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen content, water clarity, and nutrients, including phosphorus and nitrogen at 18 sites in the watershed each month. Volunteers are trained by a technical professional and follow a quality assurance project plan to ensure their data are of highest quality. Information the group’s volunteers collected about invertebrate populations helped support the DNR’s recent designation of several rivers as Outstanding Resource Waters, a classification that will better protect their water quality from degradation. April Stone Dahl, Joan Elias, Dane Bonk, Leslie Kolesar, and Karen Danielson are among those volunteers collecting data for five years.
* Jill Graf, Robert Eady, and the Environmental Monitoring Class at Conserve School in Land O' Lakes have won the Teacher/Classroom award. Graf, a founding teacher at the Conserve School, teaches an environmental sensing and monitoring course she developed for upper level students and published a children’s book field guide series targeted to fourth- to ninth-graders about macroinvertebrates and aquatic plants. Robert Eady co-teaches the environmental sensing and monitoring course with Graf, helping students to understand the technological equipment and data they collect.
More information about the awards program, including a list of past winners, is available on the UW-Extension watermonitoring.uwex.edu (exit DNR) Web site.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kris Stepenuck, (608) 264-8949
Edited by Paul Holtan
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 7921
Madison WI 53707
(608) 267-7517
Fax: (608) 264-6293
E-mail address: paul.holtan@wisconsin.gov
