Perfect Timing for a Unique School Project

This past week Wisconsin received some news that we have been dreading for years; White Nose Syndrome (WNS) was confirmed in a single bat hibernacula in Grand County in the southwest part of the state.  As you may already know, White Nose Syndrome is a disease affecting hibernating bats. Named for the white fungus that appears on the muzzle and other body parts of hibernating bats, WNS has killed more than 5.7 million bats in eastern North America.  Bats infected with WNS exhibit uncharacteristic behavior during cold winter months, which include waking up out of hibernation and flying around outside during the day, using up all their reserved energy before winter ends.  For several years the Discovery Center has been a regional coordinator for the state-wide Acoustic Monitoring Program, training local citizens to conduct surveys with acoustic equipment.  This is just one of the many efforts our state has taken to learn more about Wisconsin’s bat population.

I don’t think it was coincidence that the news of WNS appearing in Wisconsin for the first time came on the same day that North Lakeland School 7^th grade students presented the “Bat Expo Night” at their local school.  “Bat Expo Night” was an evening where the students had a chance to show off bat related projects and activities they have been working on for the past few months.  As part of the Bat Education Project, a project generously funded by Xcel Energy, students each became an “expert” on a topic related to bats.  With the guidance of Mr. Williams, NLS science teacher and Dean of Students, each student started their project with a thesis, giving explanations and contributing factors that ended with an essay and was turned into an exhibit for the expo night.  Not only were students able to be creative with what they presented and the activities that went along with some of the exhibits, but the project also addressed several College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing in the Seventh Grade. 

Topics presented included each of the WI bat species, threats to bats, benefits of bats, bats around the world, what you can do to help bats, and more.  Students researched their topics, created a display and were on-hand as the public came out on April 10^th to view their exhibits.  Along with education displays, bat themed crafts, coloring sheets, bat artifacts to look at, we also had some yummies to share: “Nocturnal Nectar”, fruit juices made with food of fruit bats, “Bat Snack”, which contained all things we wouldn’t have if bats didn’t pollinate certain plants and trees (did you eat a banana today?  Thank a bat!), and bat shaped cookies to decorate and eat.  There were also fun activities for all ages that included dressing up in a bat-adaptation costume, measuring your bat wingspan, bat memory game, bat flyer activity, compare your wingspan to bats around the world and even a demonstration on how to safely remove a bat from your home.  Fun was had by all, and visitors found it a very educational experience.  Some of the comments we received:

• “Very well done- seems to be well researched- very educational and interesting.  
• "Fun activities!  
• "Nice variety of “stations.”  
• "A great deal of work and lots of time and energy went into this “Bat Expo”! “
• “Very informative and GREAT for the kids!  Thanks!”
• “I liked all the art.  And making cookeys [sic].  And playing games.”  

Throughout the two hours the exhibit went on, we had over 60 people come through.  As we were setting up the exhibits one of the 7^th grade students came up to me and said “I can’t believe how much more I know about bats after doing this project!” 

Now, more than ever, we need to educate ourselves and take action to protect this amazing mammal!  

Multitasking Cooper's Hawks!

Guy David, an active birder and Discovery Center Bird Club member, was recently hiking in Honeybee Canyon, Arizona.  He shared a few photos from his hike – highlighting some Cooper’s Hawk activity.  He knows I'm a fan of raptors and specifically Cooper's Hawks, as my 7-year old happens to be named after one!

 

Cooper’s Hawks are a bird we see in Wisconsin in the spring, summer and fall; but is one we seldom see in the winter.  They migrate south and their winter range is from southern Wisconsin to Central America.  As Guy said in his email to me, “I’ll leave it to you to draw your own conclusions about what these birds were up to.”

 

After I asked Guy for permission to post the pictures, he shared a bit more…
 

We first saw the male when it flushed ahead of us and circled behind us and landed in a tree.  So we backtracked to get a better look at the male when we saw the female.  She was busy tearing flesh from some prey that looked to us like part of the hindquarters of a rabbit.  The male moved around in close proximity to her and mounted her… while she just tried to keep on eating!  After he dismounted, they looked at us as if to say “Did you see that?”  Eventually the male flew off while the female kept on working on the prey.

 

 

All photos credited to Guy David

 

Article compiled by Discovery Center Executive Director, Sarah Johnson

Call For Wildlife Artists: 2014 Wolf Awareness Week Poster Contest

We will celebrate National Wolf Awareness Week October 12^th -18^th, 2014 with our annual poster. Thousands of organizations and schools focus on the wolf and educate the public on this charismatic and often misunderstood species.

The poster is the most anticipated and widely distributed piece of Wolf Awareness Week literature each year, and reaches thousands of people throughout the United States and Canada. It has historically become a collector’s item following publication.

The Timber Wolf Alliance is now soliciting entries for the 2014 Wolf Awareness Week poster.  Artists working in a two dimensional medium are invited to enter this competition. Entries must have as their subject wolves (either gray, Mexican gray, or red) in their native environments of the United States.  In return for use of the winning artwork, artists receive prominent credit on the poster, 200 copies of the poster, and a $500 award.  Special consideration this year will be given to artwork that incorporates and celebrates the Wilderness Act of 1964 – a piece of legislation instrumental to our nation’s wildlife and celebrating its 50^thanniversary.

For more information, application form and poster submission guidelines, visit WWW.TIMBERWOLFALLIANCE.ORG.

Pictured above is the 2013 featured artist, Wildlife Artist Jon Ren, with his winning submission "Kindred Spirits." http://www.jonren.com

Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program starting in April

Do you want to increase your knowledge of the local environment, work alongside the areas most respected natural resource professionals and put your knowledge to good use?  The Discovery Center is excited to announce a Wisconsin Master Naturalist Volunteer Training Course as part of the Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program (WIMN) starting April 21.  WIMN is modeled after the WI Master Gardener Program and the 25 other Master Naturalist programs in other states across the country.

Courses provide 40 hours of instruction and field experience in natural history, interpretation, and conservation stewardship, and are led by Discovery Center staff and other professional natural resources educators and scientists. 

Monday, April 21 from 9am-3:30pm

Wisconsin Ecology – Fitting the Pieces Together

Led by Heather Lumpkin, Research and Monitoring Coordinator from the Discovery Center

In the Footprint of the Glaciers: Wisconsin Landscapes

Led by Tom Fitz, Geology Professor from Northland College

Monday, April 28 from 9am-3:30pm

Wisconsin’s Plant Communities

Led by Colleen Matula, Forestry Specialist from Wisconsin DNR

Wisconsin’s Wildlife – From Hummingbirds to Black Bears

Led by Mark Naniot, Wildlife Rehabilitator from Wild Instincts Rehabilitation Center

Saturday, May 3 from 8:30am-4:30pm

All Day Field Trip #1 – Visit the Van Vliet Hemlocks and the WinMan Trails with two excellent interpretive guides and focus on geology, ecology, plants, and wildlife.

Licia Johnson, Naturalist from the Discovery Center

Randy Hoffman, (former) Wildlife Biologist from the Wisconsin DNR

Monday, May 5 from 9am-3:30pm

Communicating Your Message – Generating Excitement

Led by Licia Johnson, Naturalist from the Discovery Center

The Waters and Wetlands of Wisconsin

Led by Susan Knight, Research Scientist and Aquatic Biologist from Wisconsin DNR

Monday, May 12 from 9am-3:30pm

Plants and Animals of Wisconsin’s Waters

Led by Sarah Johnson, Director from the Discovery Center and Anne Kretschmann, Water Specialist/AIS Coordinator from the Discovery Center

Human Impacts on Wisconsin Landscapes

Led by Jim Bokern, Historian/Educator

Monday, May 19 from 8:30am-4:30pm

All Day Field Trip #2 – Paddle the Manitowish River and visit treasured wetlands in our region three excellent interpretive guides and focus on water, wetlands, and aquatic plants and animals.

Licia Johnson, Naturalist from the Discovery Center

Susan Knight, Research Scientist and Aquatic Biologist from Wisconsin DNR

A major component of the course is a service-learning activity called a Capstone Project. Volunteer Master Naturalists work in groups on an education/interpretation, stewardship, or citizen-science project. The project is presented at the graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29 from 10am-12pm. Once certified, WI Master Naturalist Volunteers volunteer 40 hours each year thereafter at centers like the North Lakeland Discovery Center, and take eight hours of advanced training to maintain their certification.  This is a great opportunity for anyone wanting to increase their knowledge of the natural world and pair it with fun and exciting educational opportunities.  Space is limited for the training session, so we encourage you to sign up now to reserve your spot. 

For more information or to register for the Discovery Center WIMN Volunteer Training Click Here. 

A Brownie Girl Scout Journey at the Discovery Center: Learning to Appreciate and Conserve Water Resources

By Heather Lumpkin, Research and Monitoring Coordinator

In Vilas County we are blessed by abundant water resources that shape our recreation, economy, and culture.  The Discovery Center’s goal is to inspire an ethic of care for Wisconsin’s Northwoods, and what better way to accomplish this than by helping young girls develop a personal connection to the area’s water resources and empowering them to make a difference in caring for and protecting these resources?  The second and third grade Brownie Girl Scouts of troops 7309 and 7302 have been meeting monthly at the Discovery Center to work on their WOW (Wonders of Water) leadership journey which is a part of the Girl Scout’s “It’s Your Planet – Love It” journey series.  Each month the girls have been finding new ways to engage their minds and hearts as they explore the wonders of water.   What they learn, and the awe that this new knowledge inspires, will be a springboard that they can use to care for this precious resource now and throughout their lives. 

 

In October girls discovered that water can be an exciting method of transportation.  The girls practiced their strokes on land and then headed out for a canoe tour of Statehouse Lake.  It didn’t take long for them to realize that without teamwork, they weren’t going to get anywhere!

In November the girls visited the critters in the nature nook, learning about aquatic turtles, frogs, and fish.  The Discovery Center’s water specialist and aquatic invasive species coordinator, Anne Kretschmann, introduced the girls to some of the alien invaders that can cause problems in our lakes and rivers.  They girls especially enjoyed checking out the live Rusty Crayfish.  Then they took some time to meet some of the smaller critters that inhabit our waters.  To do this they sifted through muck from the bottom of the lake in search of the tiny macroinvertebrates that live there like dragonfly, caddis fly, and may fly larvae. 

In December girls played a game where they became one molecule of water, traveling around the room collecting colored beads that represented the different places they found themselves in as a water molecule (a lake, inside an animal, in a cloud, and even frozen in a glacier!).  At the end of the game the girls had some beautiful beaded bracelets that told the story of their water drop’s journey.  The girls were surprised to learn how complex the water cycle really is. The girls also made personal goals for saving water by doing things like taking a shorter shower. 

In January the girls reported on how they were doing with their personal pledges to save water.  They realized that their efforts alone might not seem like much, but together they can have a big impact.  They began planning their troop project for saving water and decided to spread the word about water conservation at drinking fountains around their schools and community buildings.  Then the girls made goals for cookie sales and played a fun game where they ate a cookie off a string while blindfolded.  

In February the girls continued planning their troop project of spreading the word about water conservation at drinking fountains.  Then they went on a snowshoe hike around the Discovery Center grounds, learning how increasing the area of their feet with snowshoes can spread out their weight and help them stay up in the deep fluffy snow just like the snowshoe hares do.  The girls had a great time looking at the tracks and other animal sign along the way.  After the snowshoe hike they all crowded into the quinzhee (a snow mound that has been hollowed out into a shelter) and experienced firsthand the insulating properties of snow.

Tracking Critters at the WinMan Trails

With frigid temperature not uncommon these past several weeks in the Northwoods, it’s been a struggle to get out and enjoy all this beautiful snow!  Throughout the winter the Discovery Center is offering guided snowshoe hikes at the new WinMan Trails (www.WinManTrails.com).  On a recent interpretive snowshoe on the trails, participants found plenty of sign of critters out and about in the milder (12 degree!) temps.  It can be hard to come across wildlife in the forest, as they hear us they quickly hide themselves.  However, winter allows us to easily see what was once there, no critter needed.  Looking for animal tracks, scat and other sign is one of the most enjoyable winter activities in my opinion.  Enjoy some of the sights we came across on our trek, and if you are interested in learning more about the sign animals leave behind, join me Monday, February 17^th from 12-1 at the Winchester Public Library as we discuss and explore that very topic.

The first animal sign we came across were these snowshoe hare tracks.  The snow consistency was just right, and you can actually see the toes in the snow.  Snowshoe hare have extremely large and furry feet to keep them above the snow, a great adaptation to survive our Northwoods winters, along with their fur growing in white in late fall as the days get shorter.  Hare are considered hoppers, and as their smaller front feet land on the ground, their larger back feet swing around and land in front.  In this picture, the snowshoe hare was heading up the shot and away from us.

This human-made  sign we came across on the ski trails.  Someone had been out enjoying the WinMan trails with a fat tire bike!  If you haven’t yet tried it, I highly recommend it, it’s really fun!  These trails are meant to be enjoyed by everyone!

Halfway around the trail, we started to see trees that looked like this.  Immediately we knew a porcupine was in the area.  Upon closer inspection you could see the chew marks up and down smaller deciduous trees and also in the red pine in the old plantation.  However, we didn’t see any fresh tracks in that area.  We continued on…

Ah ha!  a fresh trail!  Porcupine are sometimes called the ‘snowplows of the forest.’  They have big, boxy bodies, short legs and when they walk through the snow, they literally plow through it, leaving a trough looking structure behind.  If you look close you can actually see the foot tracks in the trough.  Upon closer inspection, we found long hairs along the trail and drag marks from quills on the side of the trough.  Of course, scat was also found J  

We decided to wander off trail a bit to see if we could find the critter.  We knew it had to have been out that morning, as we had just a little dusting of snow the night before covering up the trails.  In about a minute we came up to a pile of brush with an opening, and the trail led right into it.  Wanting to respect the animal and its space, we didn’t get too close, but we were able to see the porcupine inside the den!  All we could see were quills poking out, then it heard us and went deeper inside.  What a neat find!

Overall, it was a very successful day of interpretation, discovery and recreation.  The WinMan Trails offer miles of groomed and ungroomed snowshoe trails, beautiful terrain, and many things to discover!  Enjoy the WinMan Trails a different way by joining us February for the WinMan Windigo Snowshoe Stomp 5K, 10K and 1K kids snowshoe race!  For more information please visit www.WinManTrails.com.  See you on the trails!

by Licia Johnson, Naturalist

Great Lakes Water Levels in Unusual Decline

Data collected by citizen scientists on small inland lakes was incorporated by researchers at the Trout Lake Research Station into a recent scientific article published by the American Geophysical Union (Geophysical Research Letters). Researchers report that water levels in lakes across the Great Lakes Region, including those within the North Lakeland Discovery Center’s lake level monitoring program, have a historical up and down oscillation of approximately 13 years. This pattern is controlled by precipitation and evaporation which are connected to large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns originating in the mid-latitude North Pacific that support moisture coming into the region from the Gulf of Mexico. In 1998, a downward trend in lake levels began, indicating a change in the historic 13-year pattern which may signal a new hydro-climatic regime.

Anne Kretschmann and Al Drum from the Discovery Center's
monitoring Program putting in a monitoring gauge

For more information on the Great Lakes water levels article follow the links below:

LIVESCIENCE

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WPR

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