A Tree’s Story

By Courtney Davis, Environmental Education Intern

Our youth summer programming began last week. The topic was trees! 

Inspired by Aldo Leopold’s essay The Good Oak where he introduces annual tree rings as history books, students wrote creative stories about what they thought their “adopted” tree experienced in past years.  Our eco-discoverers also enjoyed making their very own 3-D tree. The eco-explorers got the chance to paddle in a homemade birch bark canoe. 

The students also spent time counting the annual rings of a 100 plus year old tree! They could not image the land 100 years ago. Their imagination ran wild!

A student stares at her “adopted” tree. How old could this tree be?
Photo by Courtney D.

 Eco-discoverers show off their very own 3-D tree.
Photo by Courtney D.

Eco-explorers paddle a birch bark canoe!
Photo by Courtney D.

Phenology Update - Mid June 2013

Phenology

6/14 - Lupine in Bloom

LUPINE IN BLOOM - photo by Peter R.

6/15 - Honey suckle in bloom

-        Leather Leaf in bloom

-        Sphinx Moth is out

6/18 – Chalk –fronted corporal (dragonfly) out

6/19 – Snapping Turtle Laying Eggs

   

Snapping Turtle - Photo by Licia J

6/20 – Woodland Violet in bloom

6/21 – Wild Columbine in bloom

Wild Columbine in Bloom - Photo by Peter R.

Dragonfly emerges

by Licia Johnson, Naturalist

While visiting the Tenderfoot Reserve, a Nature Conservancy property with the Center for Conservation Leadership students, we came across a mass hatching of adult dragonflies.  We paddled three miles across Palmer Lake, up the Ontonagon River, and across Tenderfoot Lake to reach the property.  On the grasses of the shoreline we found many exoskeletons of dragonfly nymphs and the newly emerge dragonflies nearby.  This fella was on a spruce tree at the beginning of our trail hike.  He emerged not a moment too soon, as thousands of mosquitos swarmed the group! 

 

Photo by Licia Johnson

Phenology Report Early June

Here's what we're seeing around the center...

5/31- Monarch butterflies

6/2 –Dragonflies out

Photo by Peter Rebholz

6/3- woodland flowers in bloom

                  -gaywings

                  -barren strawberry

                  -Canada mayflower

Bog flowers in bloom:

-leather leaf

-bog laurel

Photo by Peter Rebholz

-pink ladies slipper

Photo by Peter Rebholz

-pitcher plant

Photo by Peter Rebholz

6/8 –eastern Tiger swallowtails

Photo by Katie Simonsen

6/10 –starflower in bloom

         -lightning bugs out

Mushroom Powered Rockets?! Fun Facts about Fascinating Fungi

Ever year people scour the trails in Wisconsin’s north woods to forage for mushrooms with high hopes of bringing home some delicious earthy eats.  The Morel Mushroom is without a doubt one of the  most highly sought after fungi, not only is it quite tasty, the morel mushroom retails at $15-17 or more per pound to the right buyer or “fun guy”.  But, before you head out in to a local hardwood forest where these mushrooms can be harvested make sure you know what you are looking for because there is more than one look-a-like that can make you extremely sick.  One of these imposter morals is the Conifer False Morel (Brain Fungus), and this very distinctive spring mushroom (mid-May to mid-June in northern Wisconsin) grows at the same time of year and in the same habitat (sandy soil, under pine, spruce, and sometimes aspen) as the true morel.  Even with their similarities the distinctive red-brown brain like cap on the poisonous false morel mushroom is an easy way to tell the difference between the two.  You do not have to be a rocket scientist to identify this poisonous fungus in the wild but you might need to a rocket scientist to fully appreciate and understand the fascinating truth behind the Conifer false morel.   Scientific studies of this particular fungus has revealed that the presence of a carcinogenic toxin, monomethylhydrazine (MMH), is not only what causes the unpleasant symptoms to humans after ingesting it is used as a propellant for the rocket fuel in the Space Shuttle.

A Surge of Spurge!

A Surge of Spurge!

by Tim Dobbins, Summer Water Educator

Leafy spurge is a common terrestrial invasive plant located throughout many areas of Wisconsin. Its bluish-green stem containing alternating lance shaped leaves can assist in identifying this leafy plant. Throughout the early summer leafy spurge can be seen with yellow flower clusters located at the top of the stem. It prefers sunny areas with dry to very dry soil such as fields and along roadsides. 

As an invasive species, leafy spurge provides a threat to our endemic species. Each plant can release a toxic substance into the soil surrounding it to prevent the growth of any competing plant that may have occurred in that area. This allows the invasive plant to spread quickly and drown out native species. Leafy spurge has an extremely large root system and new plants can even sprout from root fragments making removal extremely difficult. To spread seeds, leafy spurge can open its seed capsules in an explosive manner sending seeds over 15 feet away!

If you look close you can see the forming of the seed capsules here! 

Photo by Peter Rebholz

As of July 2011 the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has 58 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties listed for known populations of leafy spurge. Vilas is among the 14 counties in which leafy spurge has not yet been documented as inhabiting an established population. 

However, earlier this week AIS Coordinator, Anne Kretschmann, and I spent the day on Island Lake taking water samples at different areas throughout lake. While boating over to one of our sample locations, Anne noticed a small cluster of yellow flowers along the shoreline. After collecting a small sample, we brought it back to the Discover Center and confirmed it was indeed leafy spurge. Our next step is filling out a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Invasive Plant Report.

Here is one of the infestations found on Island Lake. 

Photo by Tim Dobbins

 If you think you have found an invasive plant that has not yet been documented, whether aquatic, wetland, or terrestrial, you can report your findings using the links below:

Terrestrial/Wetland:

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Invasives/documents/1700056.pdf

Aquatic:

http://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/forms/3200-125-plantincident.pdf

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Works Cited:

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/veg/plants/leafyspurge.htm

Distribution Map: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Invasives/fact/LeafySpurge.html

Flash the Ferret

by Licia Johnson, Naturalist

If you have ever stepped foot in our Nature Nook you know the musky scent that greeted you. Flash the Ferret (a member of the weasel family) has been an amazing member of our Discovery Center family for over five years. 

He has put a smile on hundreds of visitors to the Discovery Center and was a favorite and essential part of the Nature Nook experience. 

For the past several months Flash has been treated for a tumor on his pancreas, not an uncommon illness for older ferrets. Earlier this month we had to make the tough decision to put our dear friend to sleep. His frail little ferret body was no longer able to fight the effects of the disease. 

He was a special critter to many folks and he will be greatly missed here at the Center. Thank you to all of those who visited him, played with him and took him out for his daily walks- he appreciated all the love and attention very much.