Symbolism, Symbolism Everywhere! By Maggie

Human culture is obsessed with assigning a meaning, idea, characteristic, prophecy or fortune to anything and everything. Flowers can have a secret meaning, the month of your birth highlights specific traits, and a cup of tea reveals your future. As for insects, some species have been present long enough to catch that attention.

A dragonfly can represent many ideas and characteristics. For the most part, this insect is used to personify a maturity of character, power, poise, awareness of the moment and defeat of self-doubt.

Japanese culture takes these positive traits a step further by associating dragonflies with victory in battle. Samurais also believed dragonflies to represent agility and power. The Chinese culture believes that dragonflies bring good luck, prosperity and harmony.

Some Native American traditions take dragonflies as a sign of speed, happiness and purity. When included in a totem, it is used to depict wisdom and change.

A few other cultures have less rosy outlooks towards dragonflies, however. Some European countries have nicknamed dragonflies ‘Devil’s Needle’, ‘Ear Cutter’ and ‘Horse Stinger’. In ye old time of witches and dark magic, it is believed that these names were created due to misconceptions and superstition.

For example, ‘Horse Stinger’ came about because people noticed horses stamping their feet when dragonflies were nearby. The assumption was the insects were upsetting the horses by biting and/or stinging them. With current knowledge about the insects’ habits, it is strongly believed that the dragonflies were actually assisting the horses by consuming the bugs doing the stinging. 

So much meaning and history for one small insect!

Currently, it is the mating season for dragonflies. The inevitable population boom will occur in late summer, specifically late July. But for those that wish to be blessed with good luck and grounded in the moment, dragonflies are plentiful at the water’s edge. If you visit Statehouse Lake on a sunny afternoon, try sitting still at the end of the dock. You’ll have plenty of visitors!

Teaching to Inspire By Emily Anna

I never wanted to be a teacher.  Even with my mom, a teacher herself, constantly telling me I was a natural at it, it wasn’t what I saw myself doing.  I had no desire to sit in a classroom all day, grade papers, or write up report cards.  I was passionate about the environment and conservation, so teaching just didn’t fit into the picture I had drawn up for my life.

                When I received an email offering me an interview for the position of Environmental Education Intern at the Discovery Center, I have to admit I was hesitant.  To protect and be a steward for the environment I have to do research, I kept telling myself.  So, after pondering it for a few minutes I thought, why not, it will be good practice interviewing at the very least. 

                The interview with Licia and Heather was phenomenal!  They made me feel so comfortable; it was like talking to a couple of old friends.  Suddenly, I was feeling really excited about a job that I had initially not even been interested in.  I began researching the Discovery Center and the more I learned, the more excited I became.  The Center is located in a beautiful area not too far from where I was living in Marquette; the mission aligned with my values, and unlike other jobs I had been offered, it provided a place to live!  I was ecstatic when I got a call from Licia the next morning offering me the job, and I accepted in on the spot.

                After spending a few days settling in and getting to know the staff, it was time for school programs.  I got my first taste of what environmental education was all about, and I loved it.  I shadowed Licia while she taught macro invertebrates and underworld classes to North Lakeland School second graders and took notes on literally every word she said.  The excitement that the kids had and eagerness to learn just energized me!  I called my mom that night to tell her how natural teaching came to me and how good it made me feel.  She didn’t say it out loud, but I’m sure an “I told you so” was floating around in her mind.

The following week I agreed to teach reptile and amphibian classes to first graders.  I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better.  I was able to show them all of the awesome critters we have in the Nature Nook, so their excitement was through the roof.  Myrtle, the ornate box turtle, was of course the show stopper. Again I kept thinking to myself, maybe research isn’t the only way to protect the environment. 

The next day we planned to take the Mercer 1^st-6^th graders to Van Vliet Hemlocks for some programs.  The evening before the programs we went to go scope it out, and the mosquitos were unbearable!  Even with a thick coat of bug spray covering my entire body, they were biting my eyes, ears, and fingertips.  We knew that if we were going crazy because of them, there was no way the kids would have any fun.  So, I found out very last minute that I would be teaching the macroinvertebrate class on my own back at the Discovery Center.  I had seen Licia do it and helped out several times by then, but I was still nervous.  This wasn’t just second graders anymore, it was first through sixth graders, and that intimidated me.  However, the day ended up being so much fun!  As soon as I started teaching I stopped thinking and everything came so naturally.  The kids were so interested in everything and could have dug through the muck looking for critters all day if I would have let them.  

As much as I never thought I would be a teacher, my first few weeks here at the Discovery Center are making me question everything I thought I would do with my career.  I have loved having the opportunity to teach, and it feels truly rewarding.  You get these kids out in the dirt and muck and you see a side of them that has possibly never been brought out before.  I feel invigorated and energized watching them truly engage and learn, and have an incredible time while doing it.  I’ve always thought research was the best way to protect and conserve our environment, but I’m learning that it’s not the only way.  These kids are the future of our planet and if we don’t get them outside and excited about nature, then who will?

A Paddle on Stone Lake -By Neva

As the Citizen Science Intern at the Discovery Center this summer, I will be leading and assisting with a number of projects that citizen science volunteers can easily participate in. You don’t have to be a professional scientist to take part in these projects, yet your contributions are the backbone of larger projects, often nation or even world-wide.

One of the several great projects I am working on this summer is working to increase Common Loon productivity through artificial nesting platforms on the Manitowish Waters chain of lakes. This project is in collaboration with Project LoonWatch, a citizen science program based out of Northland College, and gathers information about the distribution and reproductive success of Wisconsin’s loons. If you are interested, check out http://www.northland.edu/about-loonwatch.htm for more information. Volunteers monitor a lake of their choice from approximately March to August.  I will be monitoring Stone Lake, just off of County K.  This morning, Heather and I took a canoe out to the lake to see what we could find. 

We actually tackled two projects in one trip, the other being the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II project.  The Bird Atlas is another great citizen science project to become involved with, especially for avid birders. It documents the distribution and abundance of birds throughout Wisconsin with a focus on breeding times and success. More information can be found here: http://wsobirds.org/about-the-atlas. 

At the shore, we heard many singing male birds in territory where one would expect these birds to nest. We saw a bald eagle pair defending their enormous nest in the tallest white pine around. As we got onto the water, we heard many more species calling, including the Ovenbird, Yellow Warbler, and a Grackle. We were even lucky enough to see otters swimming around. As we made our way around the island, we saw and heard many more birds, defending their prime territory in the larches.  We saw a nest with the eggshells of Canada Geese. And then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted some large eggs right near the shore. It didn’t register what they were at first, but as it turned out, I had spotted two loon eggs! Very shortly after the sighting, the parent loon swam up aggressively. It was really exciting to spot the nest  because I had never really given a lot of thought to bird nesting, and I found it really enjoyable to watch the birds give clues to where their nests are.

The loon’s nest was in a dry, protected cove along the shore of the island, but ultimately we would have liked to see the loons using the nesting platforms that were put out for them this April.

Interestingly, there was evidence of the platforms being used by the otters.  There were shells left on the platform. I can definitely see how the otters would see this platform as a prime place to soak up some sun and snack on some mussels.

It will be interesting to observe the loon nest as well as the otters as the summer progresses. I can’t wait to (hopefully) see the baby loons. I am looking forward to these projects and many more this summer. 

HOME IS WHERE THE NEST IS—NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL

HOME IS WHERE THE NEST IS—NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL

Nesting Platforms on the Manitowish River chain of lakes

By: David Foster

Photo by Dennis Dorow

If you’re a loon, finding a place to raise a family isn't easy.  It needs to be just right: a nice spot on a shoreline, not in a flood zone, safe from marauders, located in a quiet neighborhood.  The process usually entails coming back to the same lake and hoping to meet up with the same partner (loon pairs winter separately but tend to hook up again in the old neighborhood if they make it back).  Then the search begins-- looking at the choices, talking it over with your partner, and beating the competition to the right place. 

          This lifestyle has worked well for Wisconsin loons in the last twenty years. The estimated adult loon population is above 4000 in the 2010 statewide census, taken every five years by Project LoonWatch of Northland College.  However, while the adult loon number is up, the estimated number of chicks in 2010 is down from 2005, and it is not clear why.  Researchers think that since larger numbers of loons are competing for nesting sites, there is more loon-on-loon aggression, and many pairs settle for lower-quality nesting places—ones more subject to flooding, human disturbance, or predation by raccoons, mink, snapping turtles, and eagles.

After careful study of conditions on the Manitowish River chain of lakes, the Wisconsin DNR approved several lakes on the chain for artificial platforms.  As Heather Lumpkin, Research and Monitoring Coordinator of the North Lakeland Discovery Center, says, “This project will install, maintain, and monitor 8 new artificial loon nesting platforms on the Manitowish Chain,” in partnership with the DNR, USGS, and Project LoonWatch.  Mike Meyer, a DNR scientist with long experience studying loons in Wisconsin, provided years of loon research data crucial to selecting lakes for this project.  

The Loon Platform 

A loon housing project—aka an artificial nesting platform-- begins as a three-foot square Styrofoam pad with cedar frames, netting and “chick slides” giving young ones easier access.  Then the frame and other components are loaded into a pickup truck and ferried to the nest site.  The photos below show the nest being constructed on Alder Lake near Manitowish Waters. 

Adding Dirt to Platform 

Making the Platform More Natural

                                                                                                          

After packing soil into the bottom of the frame, vegetation is added—mostly leatherleaf and sphagnum moss, with white pine and small boggy shrubs added.  

Making a new home

  The Finished Platform Floating

Lengths of cord are stretched between the slim wooden poles at each corner to protect the nest from eagles, while the open water between the nest and the shore provide protection from raccoon's and other predators.

The final stage of the program is to monitor the nesting platform weekly to see if a loon nests on it, whether eggs are incubated and hatched, and whether chicks are raised successfully. The North Lakeland Discovery Center hopes to monitor the platforms for at least 5 years during the nesting season, with the help of volunteers.  It may take a few years for the loons to start using them.  Loon nesting productivity with platforms will be compared to baseline nesting productivity data collected by Mike Myers for loons on the chain.  If more loon chicks are hatched and fledged with the platforms, the project will be considered a success.  

[1] W.H. Piper et al. Biological Conservation 104 (2002) 199–203 201, p. 202.

Experiencing Morning Marshland Music

By Heather Lumpkin, Research and Monitoring Coordinator

In an essay in A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold wrote of a still morning on a marsh which quickly became a cacophony of sounds:

“A pandemonium of trumpets, rattles, croaks, and cries almost shakes the bog with its nearness, but without yet disclosing whence it comes. At last a glint of sun reveals the approach of a great echelon of birds. On motionless wing they emerge from the lifting mists, sweep a final arc of sky, and settle in clangorous descending spirals to their feeding grounds. A new day has begun on the crane marsh.” 

In the 1930’s when Leopold was penning “Marshland Elegy”, there was an estimated 25 nesting pairs of Sandhill Cranes in Wisconsin.  Their numbers had been reduced greatly during the 1800’s and early 1900’s by hunting pressures and wetland drainage.  Today an estimated 72,000 Sandhill Cranes live along the migratory path that runs from Wisconsin to the Southeast, making the Sandhill Crane one of our most numerous crane species and an outstanding example of species recovery.

“Map of Sandhill Crane range and migration routes.  Courtesy of the International Crane Foundation”

On Saturday, April 18 thousands of citizen scientists awoke during the early hours of the morning to travel in the dark to wetland sites across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana.  They waited patiently as the sun came up to hear the trumpets, rattles, croaks, and cries of Sandhill Cranes as they greeted the morning.  These volunteers for the Annual Midwest Crane Count (https://www.savingcranes.org/annual-midwest-crane-count.html) play an indispensable role in helping to estimate the Sandhill Crane population and documenting their recovery.  Now they also count Whooping Cranes, a federally endangered crane species that is slowly recovering thanks to hand rearing and habitat protection.

For the last several years the North Lakeland Discovery Center has assisted with these efforts by coordinating Crane Count volunteers in Vilas County. 

This year in Vilas County…..

-          29 citizen scientists participated

-          20 sites across Vilas County were surveyed

-          67 Sandhill Cranes were counted!

Crane counters also observed 47 other bird species during the count including American Woodcocks doing their twittering, courtship flight and Wison’s Snipe making their haunting, winnowing calls.  But the experience goes far beyond the numbers and species lists.  As one volunteer stated, “There's nothing quite like hearing cranes communicating in a marsh at sunrise - beautiful and so peaceful. Also, being surrounded by all of the other awakening animal's sights and sounds is an incredible experience.”  Participating in the Annual Midwest Crane Count is certainly an unforgettable and rewarding experience.  

Watching the landscape transition from night to day is exhilerating. Once you witness it from nature's perspective, you'll want to experience it more often.

– Jeff Waite

Experience Genesis… try 5:30 a.m. - live the experience.

– Wil Conway

At 5:30 am, I may be cranky, but the cranes are dancing!

– Anonymous Vilas County Crane Counter

Thank you to all of the citizen scientists who made this day such a success!

“Sandhill Crane in Powell Marsh.  Photo by Azael Meza.”

Far From Home….

by, Licia Johnson.

The Discovery Center was recently visited by a group of students very far from home.  On Sunday, February 8th, 30 middle and high school students from China, part of the Wisconsin Education and Winter Exploration Program, spent most of the day exploring the Discovery Center by snowshoe and learning all about bats.  We started inside with a short program on bats, where the students were able to meet our live education bat, Leon, up close and personal.  I was really surprised by their knowledge of the English language, and even learned a few new words in Chinese, including nocturnal and echolocation.  They had great questions and were really engaged throughout the program.

 Students explore bat artifacts after meeting a live education bat up close

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Before heading offsite to the Pea Patch Saloon for lunch, the students visited all the exhibits and animals that live in our Nature Nook.  They loved all the taxidermy critters and especially liked the opportunity to touch and look at Maize, our education corn snake.

 Students taking a closer look at Maize, our education corn snake.  

When they returned from lunch, it was time to do a bit of snowshoeing.  For some of them this trip to the US was their first time playing in snow, and for many, their first time on snowshoes.  Mark, one of the leaders, gave a great introduction to snowshoeing and we were soon off on the trail.  Being an adventurous crew, they wanted to snowshoe across the deep snow on the bog- they really had a good workout!  We finished the trek by running across the lake- laughing and falling the entire time.  

One of the leaders, Mark, instructs students on how to use the snowshoes.

Students try out their snowshoes before heading out on the Discovery Center trails.

Students try out their snowshoes in the deep bog snow.

Crossing the bog boardwalk.

Students finished the snowshoe trek by running across Statehouse Lake.

It was really a neat experience for me to be a part of a group like this one.  I haven’t had the pleasure to instruct many foreign students, and it turned out to be a really fun time for all of us.  We look forward to possibly working with the group next year!

About the 2015 Wisconsin Education & Winter Exploration Program

The Wisconsin Education & Winter Exploration Program is in its second year and is a collaborative effort between UWSP’s School of Natural Resources, Central Wisconsin Environmental Station, and International Students Office, as well as the Stevens Point Area School District & the Stevens Point Area Catholic Schools.

Each Chinese student is matched with an American student during the school day, who serves as their “buddy,” helping to acclimatize them to American culture and language, as well as to the school system.  This is taking place at Pacelli High School, PJ Jacobs Jr. High School and St. Peter Middle School.  The Chinese students follow the daily class schedule of their buddies, and when feasible, take part in extracurricular activities along with them. Undoubtedly, the highlight of the trip for most of these youngsters from China is their home-stay for a long weekend with a local family. From Wednesday evening, February 18th through Sunday afternoon, February 22nd, each Chinese student will stay in the home of a family and get a glimpse into how a typical Midwestern American family lives. Families will include the students in all their normal meals and activities, as much as possible. This is something the Chinese students are all very excited about!

This year there are 30 middle & high school aged participants from China, up from 16 students last year. These students have expressed an interest in Natural Resources and the possibility of future study in the US. The students will attend classes in the public & Catholic Schools most weekdays and take part in programming related to Natural Resources throughout the three weeks they are here. The Chinese students will be accompanied by an adult chaperon from China.  While they are in Stevens Point, a UWSP Program Coordinator with a background in Natural Resources will lead them on all outings and excursions, with the assistance of three UWSP student counselors.  During their stay, the group will visit the Mead Wildlife Area, the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, and Trees for Tomorrow in Eagle River, the North Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters, and Treehaven in Tomahawk.  They will also go snowshoeing, sledding & tobogganing, and spend a day at a waterpark in Wisconsin Dells.

2015 WAEE Winter Workshop was a Success!

by: Licia Johnson, Naturalist and WAEE Treasurer

As a member of the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education Board of Directors, I took on the task of chairing our annual Winter Workshop.  The theme this year was “Sensing the Season” – ways to get out and explore the natural world using your senses.  We had over 90 people join in on a weekend filled with great presentations, engaging workshops, a fabulous featured speaker, laughter, music, and more! 

The workshop was held at the beautiful Treehaven campus in Tomahawk, WI and brought folks from all across the state, and even over state lines.  The trails were groomed to perfection and participants were able to take advantage of them in between programs. 

Program topics ranged from discussion on how to get educators to love the outdoors, to life beyond grants and even cross-country ski lessons.  Fun and engaging workshops had folks creating nature journals and learning how to connect digital natives to nature. 

Our featured speaker, John Bates, naturalist and author gave a very inspiring talk on teaching others to develop a sixth sense, creating compassion and reference for the natural world.  Learn more about John and some of his work at www.Manitowish.com. 

Featured speaker John Bates presents to workshop participants.  Photo by Carly Swatek 

Once again the workshop was blessed with the presence of the Brutal Gourmet, and the enticing aroma of raccoon could be smelled throughout the campus during this fun lunch activity.  A big thanks needs to go out to the fun and entertaining band, 50% folk, who joined in on the fun Saturday night and folks danced up a storm.  Also sponsoring entertainment that night was the Minocqua Brewing Company and Three Lakes Winery. 

 Participants enjoy cooking lunch with the Brutal Gourmet. Photo by Carly Swatek

100% of the energy used for the program was purchased through WPS's NatureWise Renewable Energy Program-energy purchased through this program comes from clean, safe, locally sourced wind and biogas. 

A big thanks goes out to all the folks who traveled out for the weekend to participate in the workshop- presenters, educators, students, and many other organizations.  Without an engaged audience, these workshops wouldn’t be as successful.

A silent auction helped raise money for future workshops and scholarships.   Photo by Carly Swatek

This was my first time at this workshop and I have to admit it was really a lot of fun!  Meeting up with other naturalist friends from around the state, meeting new folks and networking, and getting the Discovery Center on the map and in folk’s radar were some of the highlights for me.  I look forward to planning the 2016 Winter Workshop!

Former Discovery Center intern, Angie Ziobro, presents the closing at the workshop.  To the left is a wood cookie tree that was created throughout the weekend- each wood cookie has one way you can use your senses to explore the natural world.  Photo by Carly Swatek