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Updated August 7, 2020
9:30 AM |
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Don't forget to enjoy those lazy summer days! They will be gone too soon.
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It's been an interesting summer so far. Some of our staff continue to work from home. But our office is open during normal business hours, so please feel free to call us at 715-369-7835. Thank you for your continued patience, cooperation, and understanding!
What's Buzzing?
What's New in the Courthouse Garden?
There's something new in the Courthouse Garden! We have added some garden stakes with small Flower ID cards throughout the garden so you can easily identify the different types of flowers that are currently blooming. Each ID card will have a QR code on it so you can quickly go to the on-line Wildflowers Field Guide to learn more about each species. Enjoy your walk through the beautiful Courthouse Garden and take a moment to watch these beautiful bees in slow motion.
Take a Walk Through the Courthouse Garden
A virtual walk is good but an on-site walk is even better. Take a stroll, watch the bees and butterflies, or maybe see a hummingbird. It's a beautiful day in the Courthouse Garden on Baird Avenue in Rhinelander.
Poster Contest Winners Announced!
GOT SWIFTS?
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2020
Contact: Rich Staffen, DNR conservation biologist Richard.Staffen@wisconsin.gov or 608-266-4340 Sandy Schwab, Wisconsin Chimney Swift Working Group chair helpchimneyswifts@gmail.com or 608-658-4139 |
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Got Swifts? Survey Seeks To Identify Chimneys Providing Bird HabitatPilot Project Aims To Help Owners Pay For Repairs To Preserve Habitat
MADISON, Wis. – Brick chimneys may be a key component to conserving acrobatic, fast-flying chimney swifts, so Wisconsin residential and commercial property owners are being asked to report if their chimneys are currently being used by swifts through a survey which can be found here.
Answers to the online survey conducted by the Wisconsin Chimney Swift Working Group will help shape a pilot project aimed at helping owners pay for chimney repairs, so they are more likely to keep the structures. DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Program biologists are part of the working group.
“Chimneys are crucial habitat for swifts that depend upon man-made structures for nesting and roosting before fall migration,” said Sandy Schwab, chair of the working group.
“We’d like to know if you have a chimney that is being used by swifts for nesting or resting, and if you do, if it’s in need of repairs. This information will help us develop our project to help preserve habitat for chimney swifts.”
A member of the Chimney Swift Working Group may contact respondents in the future to discuss their answers.
Chimney swifts nest in eastern North America (east of the Rockies) in the summer and migrate to South America in the fall. Historically, the birds congregated in large standing hollow trees in old-growth forests before they began their migration. However, as old-growth forests disappeared from North America, chimney swifts discovered that brick chimneys served as an easy and abundant replacement.
The birds can cling to the rough, vertical surface like the inside of a hollow tree. Hundreds of native chimney swifts may congregate in communal roosts, gathering strength before flying to South America and creating a spectacle that looks like “smoke” pouring into brick chimneys in the fall.
“Sadly, chimney swifts, like many other aerial insectivores including whip-poor-wills, nighthawks and swallows, are declining,” said Rich Staffen, a DNR Natural Heritage Conservation biologist and working group member.
“There are no definitive reasons identified yet for why this is, but the ongoing decline in insect populations is a major concern, and bird experts also know the removal of old chimneys or capping of them, is removing suitable nesting and roosting locations for these birds.”
The survey will help working group members understand which chimneys are being used for roosting and nesting by these birds and if those chimneys require any repair to keep them as a viable option for the birds into the future.
Chimney swifts have slender bodies, very long, narrow, curved wings and short, tapered tails. They fly rapidly, with nearly constant wing beats, often twisting from side to side and banking erratically. They often give a distinctive, high-pitched twittering call while flying.
MADISON, Wis. – Brick chimneys may be a key component to conserving acrobatic, fast-flying chimney swifts, so Wisconsin residential and commercial property owners are being asked to report if their chimneys are currently being used by swifts through a survey which can be found here.
Answers to the online survey conducted by the Wisconsin Chimney Swift Working Group will help shape a pilot project aimed at helping owners pay for chimney repairs, so they are more likely to keep the structures. DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Program biologists are part of the working group.
“Chimneys are crucial habitat for swifts that depend upon man-made structures for nesting and roosting before fall migration,” said Sandy Schwab, chair of the working group.
“We’d like to know if you have a chimney that is being used by swifts for nesting or resting, and if you do, if it’s in need of repairs. This information will help us develop our project to help preserve habitat for chimney swifts.”
A member of the Chimney Swift Working Group may contact respondents in the future to discuss their answers.
Chimney swifts nest in eastern North America (east of the Rockies) in the summer and migrate to South America in the fall. Historically, the birds congregated in large standing hollow trees in old-growth forests before they began their migration. However, as old-growth forests disappeared from North America, chimney swifts discovered that brick chimneys served as an easy and abundant replacement.
The birds can cling to the rough, vertical surface like the inside of a hollow tree. Hundreds of native chimney swifts may congregate in communal roosts, gathering strength before flying to South America and creating a spectacle that looks like “smoke” pouring into brick chimneys in the fall.
“Sadly, chimney swifts, like many other aerial insectivores including whip-poor-wills, nighthawks and swallows, are declining,” said Rich Staffen, a DNR Natural Heritage Conservation biologist and working group member.
“There are no definitive reasons identified yet for why this is, but the ongoing decline in insect populations is a major concern, and bird experts also know the removal of old chimneys or capping of them, is removing suitable nesting and roosting locations for these birds.”
The survey will help working group members understand which chimneys are being used for roosting and nesting by these birds and if those chimneys require any repair to keep them as a viable option for the birds into the future.
Chimney swifts have slender bodies, very long, narrow, curved wings and short, tapered tails. They fly rapidly, with nearly constant wing beats, often twisting from side to side and banking erratically. They often give a distinctive, high-pitched twittering call while flying.
DID YOU MISS THE WORKSHOP?
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New Grants Received!
The Oneida County Land and Water Conservation Department has been approved for three new grants.
Lake Classification Grant
Our Department has received the Lake Classification grant for which we applied! This means we will be devoting lots of time to promoting lake shore restoration in your neighborhood! Our goal is to work closely with each of our lake groups to promote lake shore restoration, identify homeowners that are interested in restoring their shorelines, and implement the projects onto the landscape.
We would like to complement the work you already do, and ultimately protect water quality, create wildlife habitat, and reduce shoreline erosion. To make this happen, our Department has cost share monies available for projects and we’ll be tapping into monies that the Healthy Lakes Initiative offers.
Click on the LAKE CLASSIFICATION GRANT button above to read the project narrative and become a little familiar with what we hope to accomplish over the next 2 years.
Feel free to call, email, or drop in if you wish to discuss. Here’s to a great 2020 Summer season!!
Our Department has received the Lake Classification grant for which we applied! This means we will be devoting lots of time to promoting lake shore restoration in your neighborhood! Our goal is to work closely with each of our lake groups to promote lake shore restoration, identify homeowners that are interested in restoring their shorelines, and implement the projects onto the landscape.
We would like to complement the work you already do, and ultimately protect water quality, create wildlife habitat, and reduce shoreline erosion. To make this happen, our Department has cost share monies available for projects and we’ll be tapping into monies that the Healthy Lakes Initiative offers.
Click on the LAKE CLASSIFICATION GRANT button above to read the project narrative and become a little familiar with what we hope to accomplish over the next 2 years.
Feel free to call, email, or drop in if you wish to discuss. Here’s to a great 2020 Summer season!!
River Planning Grant
In late October of 2019, our office reached out to the Towns of Lynne, Minocqua, Woodruff, Lake Tomahawk, Hazelhurst, and to the Oneida County HWY Department about a River Planning Grant for which the Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department was applying. The proposal involved inventorying and prioritizing stream crossings in those townships. Just last week we learned that our Department was awarded the grant.
The ultimate goal of the project is to help Oneida County and Towns tap into available funding for culvert projects and for our Department to provide technical assistance to help reduce future flooding events, erosion, and environmental issues.
Click on the RIVER PLANNING GRANT button above and read the project proposal which outlines the objectives, activities, and timeline. Please note there will be a fall workshop that will announce project results, but we are more than happy to coordinate a pre-project meeting between all parties if there is interest.
In late October of 2019, our office reached out to the Towns of Lynne, Minocqua, Woodruff, Lake Tomahawk, Hazelhurst, and to the Oneida County HWY Department about a River Planning Grant for which the Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department was applying. The proposal involved inventorying and prioritizing stream crossings in those townships. Just last week we learned that our Department was awarded the grant.
The ultimate goal of the project is to help Oneida County and Towns tap into available funding for culvert projects and for our Department to provide technical assistance to help reduce future flooding events, erosion, and environmental issues.
Click on the RIVER PLANNING GRANT button above and read the project proposal which outlines the objectives, activities, and timeline. Please note there will be a fall workshop that will announce project results, but we are more than happy to coordinate a pre-project meeting between all parties if there is interest.
DNR AIS Education, Prevention & Planning Grant
We have received our "official" letter for the 2020-2021 grant.
Project Description:
Two LTE's will assist with this grant called “Oneida County AIS Prevention and Control Project 2020-2021,” which provides AIS education, prevention and planning measures to prevent the introduction and spread of AIS regulated by NR40. They will conduct watercraft inspections at priority (high risk) boat landings, AIS early detection and water quality monitoring on 15 waterbodies, AIS early detection monitoring at boat landings, and assist with AIS rapid response, control, management, and restoration after AIS are removed. They will also assist with education, workshops, trainings, outreach, and statewide campaigns and provide technical assistance to citizens, lake groups and partners.
The Project began in February, 2020 and will wrap up on June 30, 2021.
We have received our "official" letter for the 2020-2021 grant.
Project Description:
Two LTE's will assist with this grant called “Oneida County AIS Prevention and Control Project 2020-2021,” which provides AIS education, prevention and planning measures to prevent the introduction and spread of AIS regulated by NR40. They will conduct watercraft inspections at priority (high risk) boat landings, AIS early detection and water quality monitoring on 15 waterbodies, AIS early detection monitoring at boat landings, and assist with AIS rapid response, control, management, and restoration after AIS are removed. They will also assist with education, workshops, trainings, outreach, and statewide campaigns and provide technical assistance to citizens, lake groups and partners.
The Project began in February, 2020 and will wrap up on June 30, 2021.
An impressive number of Oneida County residents, LWCD Committee members and Department Staff gave testimony on water quality at the July 23, 2019 Water Quality Task Force meeting. Click on the "Task Force Recommendations" button to read more.
January 8, 2020
Good News For Rare Species. . . The first statewide native mussel survey in 40 years;
Rare piping plover chicks fledging in record numbers; The first bats vaccinated against white-nose syndrome; Increased invasive species control work on state natural areas. |
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These are just a few of the gains for Wisconsin’s rare species and State Natural Areas we share in our 2019 Natural Heritage Conservation Program Field Notes.
This sampling of great photos and short stories is one way we thank people like you for helping conserve the rare plants, animals and State Natural Areas that make Wisconsin so special.
Whether you're a partner, volunteer or donor, we want you to know that your contributions are very important and we're grateful you're part of the team.
Thank you! We look forward to doing even more great work together in 2019!
This sampling of great photos and short stories is one way we thank people like you for helping conserve the rare plants, animals and State Natural Areas that make Wisconsin so special.
Whether you're a partner, volunteer or donor, we want you to know that your contributions are very important and we're grateful you're part of the team.
Thank you! We look forward to doing even more great work together in 2019!
Drew Feldkirchner, DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Director
Click on the
GREENSPACE WORKSHOP BUTTON for some resources that were used. |
The Greenspace Workshop is now a memory, but you can find out what everyone is buzzing about. |
Top Twelve Great State Natural Areas for...Click on the picture
for more information. |
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Bird Survey Ends With a Photo Finish
Click on the image for a larger view.
Volunteers and organizers wrapped up Wisconsin’s 5-year statewide breeding bird survey with an exciting photo finish: volunteer Aaron Haycraft sighted a glossy ibis pair and their young at Horicon Marsh, the first time this Atlantic Coast bird has been documented nesting in Wisconsin. Twelve other new bird species were documented breeding in Wisconsin that were not documented during a similar survey in 2000.
Minimize Yard Clean Up
To Protect Pollinators!
Are you getting ready to fill leaf bags and trim trees? You might want to wait. That impulse to clean up gardens and lawns for the fall may have serious impacts on pollinators and beneficial insects. If you cut down stalks and stems that bees are settling into for the winter, it’s “lights out” for those pollinator friends. Applying wood mulch or tilling your garden this fall could wipe out any chance for native bees to emerge early in the spring to pollinate your front yard apple tree. And the eastern black swallowtail, who spends the winter camouflaged as a dried leaf or a broken twig, could easily end up in the recycle bag or burn barrel.
Bumblebee queens emerge from their childhood homes in the fall and search for overwintering sites, burrowing into leaf litter and loose soil. Leaf litter contains a mix of bacteria, fungi and invertebrates and is an ecosystem unto itself. It provides habitat for beneficial insects who, in turn, break the organic matter down into a “treasure” of nutrients for the soil. All those leaves collecting under trees or near fences provide a wealth of overwintering habitat for creatures such as worms, millipedes, lightening bugs, spiders, beetles, slugs and snails. But one weekend and some garden tools could destroy entire populations of insects. Those insects could have provided the first spring meal for baby bluebirds or be the reason that chickadees, warblers and other songbirds won’t visit your yard.
So relax, put your garden gloves away, and store the tools and tiller. Leave your leaves alone whenever possible. If you must rake them from your lawn, put them to work in another part of your yard – behind your garage or under the tree line between you and your neighbor. By setting aside undisturbed patches of habitat allowing leaf litter, dead twigs and stems to remain, you are providing a safe haven for wildlife and attracting birds. So, when you are watching the snow get deeper this winter, and your yard looks cold and lifeless, remember just below that white landscape, the habitat you saved is teeming with life.
If you still have questions, contact the Oneida County Land and Water Conservation Department at 715-369-7835 or click on the Bee the Change button below.
Bumblebee queens emerge from their childhood homes in the fall and search for overwintering sites, burrowing into leaf litter and loose soil. Leaf litter contains a mix of bacteria, fungi and invertebrates and is an ecosystem unto itself. It provides habitat for beneficial insects who, in turn, break the organic matter down into a “treasure” of nutrients for the soil. All those leaves collecting under trees or near fences provide a wealth of overwintering habitat for creatures such as worms, millipedes, lightening bugs, spiders, beetles, slugs and snails. But one weekend and some garden tools could destroy entire populations of insects. Those insects could have provided the first spring meal for baby bluebirds or be the reason that chickadees, warblers and other songbirds won’t visit your yard.
So relax, put your garden gloves away, and store the tools and tiller. Leave your leaves alone whenever possible. If you must rake them from your lawn, put them to work in another part of your yard – behind your garage or under the tree line between you and your neighbor. By setting aside undisturbed patches of habitat allowing leaf litter, dead twigs and stems to remain, you are providing a safe haven for wildlife and attracting birds. So, when you are watching the snow get deeper this winter, and your yard looks cold and lifeless, remember just below that white landscape, the habitat you saved is teeming with life.
If you still have questions, contact the Oneida County Land and Water Conservation Department at 715-369-7835 or click on the Bee the Change button below.
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A New Study Finds Steep, Long-term Losses Across Virtually All Groups of Birds in the U.S. and Canada
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How are Wisconsin birds faring?
Trends in Wisconsin bird populations generally mirror the national patterns detailed in a study released last week in Science. Many landbirds, shorebirds, waterbirds and aerial insectivores have significantly declined over the last half-century and some common birds like Baltimore orioles and dark-eyed juncos have suffered among the greatest losses.
Tune in to Wisconsin Public Radio's Central Time on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 4.30 to hear NHC's Ryan Brady discuss study results and learn more about how Wisconsin birds are faring. Or listen later at your convenience at the same link.
How we can all help birds?
The silver lining in the national study and in Wisconsin is that some bird populations have increased due to action taken by governments, individuals, and others. Raptors are up by 15 million nationally, waterfowl by 35 million, and woodpeckers by 14 million.
2019 State of the Birds and how conservation helps.
7 actions to help birds around your home.
Trends in Wisconsin bird populations generally mirror the national patterns detailed in a study released last week in Science. Many landbirds, shorebirds, waterbirds and aerial insectivores have significantly declined over the last half-century and some common birds like Baltimore orioles and dark-eyed juncos have suffered among the greatest losses.
Tune in to Wisconsin Public Radio's Central Time on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 4.30 to hear NHC's Ryan Brady discuss study results and learn more about how Wisconsin birds are faring. Or listen later at your convenience at the same link.
How we can all help birds?
The silver lining in the national study and in Wisconsin is that some bird populations have increased due to action taken by governments, individuals, and others. Raptors are up by 15 million nationally, waterfowl by 35 million, and woodpeckers by 14 million.
2019 State of the Birds and how conservation helps.
7 actions to help birds around your home.
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Check out the new video on
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Click on the Hot Topic!
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Restored Habitat Provides Oasis
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Meet Tom and Eva Wedel, owners of Oak Woods Foundation in Argyle, Wisconsin. This awe-inspiring oasis of tranquility is home to 400 acres of rolling prairies and forests, providing habitat for fluttering monarchs and other butterflies feeding on milkweed and various wildflowers.
See the interactive, multimedia story map.
Read the full, printable story.
See the interactive, multimedia story map.
Read the full, printable story.
Dust off your hummingbird feeders and brew up some nectar as Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds customarily return to Wisconsin in the first 2 weeks of May. The 'hummers' are going to be very hungry when they arrive as there are few plants for them to forage following our late-arriving snow storms.
6 Ways To Attract Hummers to Your Yard
Hummingbird Nectar Recipe
1. Combine one part plain white, granulated table sugar and four parts water.
2. Slowly heat the solution for 1-2 minutes to help the sugar dissolve and slow fermentation.
3. Allow the solution to cool completely before filling feeders.
Learn More
6 Ways To Attract Hummers to Your Yard
- More than most birds, hummers need to bathe regularly, due to the sticky nature of nectar.
- They prefer very shallow, moving water, or a spray mist.
- Placing nesting material near a feeder may attract female hummingbirds to nest near you.
- "Hummer Helper®” is a practical nesting material and is available at many bird stores and garden centers.
- Hummer nests are often re-used, wholly or in part. Leave a nest in place.
Hummingbird Nectar Recipe
1. Combine one part plain white, granulated table sugar and four parts water.
2. Slowly heat the solution for 1-2 minutes to help the sugar dissolve and slow fermentation.
3. Allow the solution to cool completely before filling feeders.
Learn More
Engaging Youth:
Oneida County Takes the AIS
Fight to the Next Generation
A Teen Scientist Helped me Discover
Tons of Golf Balls
Polluting the Ocean
Bald Eagle Watching & Nest Counts
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Behind the Scenes at one of the Midwest's
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Check out this great
ENDANGERED SPECIES
resource!
Lumber Company's Gift of Land
Opens More Than 4 Miles of Undeveloped Shoreline on Northwoods Lake to Public
Nearly 4.4 miles of natural shoreline along Katherine Lake in Oneida County was included in the Yawkey Lumber Co.'s donation of 430 acres of forest and wetlands to the Northwoods Land Trust. (Photo: Northwoods Land Trust)
The Sweet and Tart Legacy of Wisconsin's Cranberry Crop
What the World Needs Now. . .
“Drain the swamp” has long meant getting rid of something distasteful. Actually, the world needs more swamps. . .
Click on the button below to get the full story.
Click on the button below to get the full story.
Great Lakes Restoration
A report released Tuesday claims federal dollars invested in Great Lakes restoration efforts are returning far more back to the regional economy. Click on the button below to read the whole story.
Northern Wisconsin Project Seeks To
'Slow The Flow' Of Stormwater
Please click on the button below for the story.
Goats and Humans Fighting Invasive Plants, One Munch at a Time!
Environmental Transformation Spells Brighter Future for Redonda's Fantastic Beasts...
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Check out our Creature Feature page! |
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Here's a step-by-step process
of how we sowed our seed at a seed sowing party. Watch and Learn! |
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