Luna Moths!

by Environmental Educator, Angela Ziobro

We were excited last week at the center to see not one, not two but three luna moths! These beautiful creatures are a rarity to behold and we were very lucky to get a chance to look at them with the Center for Conservation Leadership students that spent nearly a week here. In this region Luna moths live a maximum of seven days and only produce (at most) two generations per year up here in northern Wisconsin. The female moths lay 100-300 eggs, 4-7 at a time on the undersides of leaves. It takes between eight and thirteen days for them to incubate. Luna moths can have a wing span as large as 4.5 inches. Keep your eyes open for some of these beauties in your back yard!

(Photos (C) Katie Simonsen)

Surveyors of the Night

By Naturalist, Licia Johnson

With the threat of White-nose Syndrome knocking at our door, the latest discovery of the WNS fungus just detected at Maquoketa Caves State Park, Iowa,  just 30 miles from the SW corner of Wisconsin, it is important now more than ever to get an understanding of Wisconsin’s bat population.  

One way citizens can become involved in this effort is to monitor our local bat population with an acoustic monitoring detector. 

While we have trained over 60 volunteers in the past 3 years who conduct these night-time surveys from May-September, I rarely get a chance to take the equipment out myself to partake in this awesome experience.  Well, this past Tuesday was my chance to get out there.  I met Discovery Center member and trained bat surveyor, Ed Marshall, at his house on Squaw Lake in Lac du Flambeau. 

I arrived at 9pm (we have to start the surveys ½ hour after sunset) to get all the equipment ready and to load up in the boat, and Ed was ready to go - the sun setting and temperature at a comfortable 64 degrees.  He had his electric Duffy boat, aptly named the ‘Lac du Flambeau Queen,’ after its resemblance to a certain famous 1951 action-adventure-romance flick, charging all day, so we would have enough power to last throughout the survey.  

We settled in, put all the equipment together, shoved off from the dock….and the motor wouldn’t start.  Curious.  I quickly reached out, grabbed a half-submerged pipe to keep us from drifting too far out into the lake.  We docked the Duffy, and decided to try out the Alumacraft fishing boat.  The motor started right up and we began our survey route along the edge of Squaw Lake. 

We had only about seven minutes of no bat activity before the detector started going crazy.  We could see the bats flying over the surface of the lake-over 20 surrounded us at one point.  By looking at the sonogram that showed on the equipment, I could tell they were little brown bats.  This kind of activity continued for the next hour and a half, I believe we also had big brown and hoary bats. 

As we conducted the survey, the temperatures began to drop.  I believe that it got down into the upper 40’s, low 50’s towards the end.  The water temperature was over 71 degrees F.  This led to the occurrence of a steamy lake surface.  As we glided over the lake, my hands were so cold, but I could actually feel the warmth of the steam on my face as we cut through it.  It was such an amazing feeling, and only could have been experienced while out surveying our nocturnal flying mammals. 

The best part of doing these surveys is the results we receive.  After the survey is completed, I download all the information stored in the detector on our route and all the bats that we encountered.  DNR folks in Madison then analyze the data and send back a map of the route, along with the location and species of all the bats we encountered during the survey.  

We are anxiously awaiting our results and will share them when we get them!   

The Friendly Dragons of the Center

--by Allie Coleman, Interpretive Services Intern

This is a male Chalk-Fronted Corporal (Ladona julia) Dragonfly.  These dragonflies are members of the skimmer (or perchers) family, and is the largest dragonfly family in the world.  They are easily recognized thanks to their social nature, perching habits, and dusty body markings.  They often perch horizontally or skim over waters to snatch their prey from the air, and are social bunch, often seen in groups and around humans to feed on the mosquitoes and biting flies we humans attract.  The bars on their thorax are white in males, gray in females and tan in juveniles.

Dragonflies have been around for over 300 million years. Dragonflies will live as nymphs (aquatic larvae) for up to four years, molting their skin between 8 to 17 times depending on the species, and finally when they mature into adults, they live for only a few months.

Other names for dragonflies around the world are water dipper in England, old glassy in China, and the ancient Celts called dragonflies big needle of wings.

Lake Captain and "Deckhand" Training

- by Anne Kretschmann, Waters Specialist

"Lake Captain and Deckhand" Training
resulted in an invasive mystery snail
smashing party for this youngster!

The North Lakeland Discovery Center’s ‘Lake Captain and Deckhand’ program trains volunteers to identify aquatic plants/animals and monitor their waters for aquatic invasive species. We began the summer season with a bang and are hosting numerous training sessions throughout the summer for volunteers of all ages. Volunteers learn how to tell the difference between invasive species and common native species in our waters. We encourage everyone to keep their eyes open for aquatic invasive species while they are on the water or on their shores! Every little bit helps to protect our lakes and keep them beautiful for future generations. 

Quote:

“Civilizations began around wetlands; today’s civilization has every reason to leave them wet and wild.”  Edward Maltby

Sleeping in the Forest

I thought the earth remembered me,

she took me back so tenderly,

arranging her dark skirts, her pockets

full of lichens and seeds.

I slept as never before, a stone on the river bed,

nothing between me and the white fire of the stars

but my thoughts, and they floated light as moths

among the branches of the perfect trees.

All night I heard the small kingdoms

breathing around me, the insects,

and the birds who do their work in the darkness.

All night I rose and fell, as if in water,

grappling with a luminous doom. By morning

I had vanished at least a dozen times

into something better.

from Sleeping In The Forest by Mary Oliver

-Staff Pick by Angela Ziobro, Environmental Education Intern

What Is It? Photo

Curly Leaf Pond weed is an aquatic invasive species present in the Manitowish Chain of Lakes and throughout Wisconsin.  It is recognizable by its serrated leaf edges and “lasagna” like appearance.  This plant is considered invasive due to its ability to outcompete native pond weeds and other aquatic vegetation, growing very quickly into dense mats.


If you think you see any growing in your local water body, contact us here at the Center, or your county's invasive species coordinator.  Early detection is key to controlling an invasion before it starts.

Spring is Time for Eggs

-by Wildlife Educator, Ben Betterly

So what did come first, the chicken or the egg? This age-old causality dilemma has perplexed humans since the dawn of civilization. To ancient philosophers, the question about the first chicken or egg evoked the questions of how life, and the universe in general, began.  Charles Darwin’s theory of biological evolution via natural selection set the story straight, or at least changed the question. We now know that the egg predated the chicken, as chickens (and all other birds) share a common ancestor with reptiles, which also lay eggs.

Spring is the time that egg-layers lay their eggs; and different species have different strategies.  Many birds, of course, build nests in which to lay their eggs. Other animals build nests too, but birds do so in an extraordinary variety of forms, materials, and sites.  In the Northwoods, the Bald Eagle takes the prize for the largest nest, which can measure up to 6 ft. in diameter and weigh upwards of 2 tons (4000 lbs)!  The smallest nest (and eggs) goes to the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, which produce structures merely 2 in. in diameter.

Song Sparrow Nest and Egg
(C) Ben Betterly

Many birds build nests in the branches of trees, but not all do. Song Sparrows will often build their nests directly on the ground.  Natural selection has provided their eggs with camouflage (light brown, with a spackling of dark brown) to avoid being seen and eaten by potential predators.  Only birds lay eggs with pigmented colored shells; and some birds such as American Robin (and others in the Thrush family) lay bright blue eggs! Scientists are still not sure of the function of the blue coloration, and it’s hard to imagine how natural selection would allow such a brightly colored egg to persist. For one thing, Robins make their nests high among tree branches where their eggs will be kept relatively safe from hungry predators.

Most birds put a great amount of effort in brooding their hatch. They must first select a proper site, build a nest, lay their eggs, incubate, and once hatched, take vigorous care of their chicks.  Few reptiles can compare to the parenting determination of birds (although evidence suggests that some Dinosaurs had highly developed parenting behaviors).  Most Reptiles such as many turtles, simply find a suitable a spot to drop off their eggs, and hope for the best. 

A snapping turtle lays her eggs right
in the Center's parking lot!
(c)Licia Johnson

Snapping turtles will often travel extensively overland, away from their aquatic habitat to lay their eggs in sandy soil.  After digging a hole, the female deposits her eggs and covers them with sand for incubation and protection.  Unfortunately, snappers often choose to lay their eggs on the shoulder of busy highways. While this might make a good substrate for incubation, it can be dangerous for both the mother and her offspring.  Too often, turtles are hit and killed by drivers; and while natural selection has provided them with a hard protective shell, they’re no match for a car.   If you see a turtle laying its eggs on the side of the road, please make sure to give it some room; and if you happen to come across a turtle in the middle of the road, you can gently encourage it to keep moving on with its journey. 

--
If you want to read a bit more on the subject of eggs - here's a cool article on science daily news about the intensity of color in robins eggs correlating to the degree of parental care.

Phenology Summary

Phenology Summary

Here's what we're seeing out and around the center.  Let us know what you're seeing and we'll add it to our list! 

5/27/12-Fireflies out (You can be a part of "Firefly Watch" and record your firefly observations to help track populations)

5/31/12-Painted and snapping turtles laying eggs, Eastern bluebirds nesting

6/1/12-Tadpoles becoming froglets (green frogs)

6/2/12- Noticed blooming: Downy Arrow-wood, False Solomon’s seal, Blue Flag Iris, Bunchberries, Raspberries, Columbine

6/3/12-Strawberries out (several weeks early) and DE-licious!

6/5/12-Wee baby fawn

                   Bullfrogs calling

6/6/12-Mayfly hatch on Lake Gogebic

                  Additional turtles nest on terrace (behind sauna)

6/7/12-Mom and baby skunk

                  Mink frogs

                  June berries popping out

                  Hummingbird mating dance
                  Mapleleaf Viburnum 

6/8/12-Sphynx moth and bear cub

First Week at the Discovery Center

First Week at the Discovery Center

- by Allie Coleman, Interpretive Services Intern

My first week and experience at the Discovery Center has been a great one! I love all the new things I have been involved in and learning.

The school groups at the Discovery Center, this week, have been great.  I am amazed how enthusiastic the kids have been about learning. It felt great getting to learn new things about frogs and the underworld, then getting to teach what I learned to the students. The Land O' Lakes Elementary students were so excited to be outside and search for frogs, that once they found some, they insisted on taking pictures kissing the frogs, having frogs in their hair, and collecting as many as possible. I think it is a great opportunity children, in this area, get to have to connect to nature on a very personal level, make lasting memories, and get to spend a day, outside of the classroom, learning.

Green tree frog: a great way to for kids to connect!
You can also visit frogs in our Nature Nook.

          

  I am also very excited to be able to be a part of the nature nook. I feel that it is a great tool for the Discovery Center to have. It is a great learning and teaching device for everyone involved.

            

In the weeks to come, I am excited to learn more about the organization, the interpretive trail, bogs, and the pontoon boat tours.  As well as hone my tree, flower, bird, and fungi identification skills.