This Week: June 18, 2021

Round-up of weekly news for Wisconsin landowners

 

 


Image of swallow tail butterfly feeding on wild sunflower.

Wisconsin Butterflies

Is one of three online identification guides hosted by the Southern Wisconsin Butterfly Association (SWBA, pronounced “Sweeba”), local branch of the North American Butterfly Association. They run field trips throughout southern Wisconsin every summer for seasoned butterfly watchers and novices.


Image of hand holding several earthworms.

Most of Wisconsin has no native earthworms. What’s with that?

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Then comes the earth-shattering realization that earthworms are not native. Yes, the soil-enhancing invertebrates hailed for decades and gobbled up by the state’s official bird, the robin, are from Europe.


Image of grass test plots.

To grow or to survive: what are the strategies of a perennial grass to face severe seasonal stress?

Functional Ecology

Spoiler alert, “The trade-off between growth versus survival was found to be the key to understanding local adaptation of populations to stressful climatic conditions.”


Webinar: Easy Steps to Start Using Drones to Manage Invasive Species

Wildlife Habitat Council

Monitoring for invasive species is an important aspect of habitat management, but can be challenging on large or inaccessible areas. Drone imagery can save many man-hours of survey time, typically done on foot, and often in remote areas.


Image of prescribed prairie burn in late April.

Ancient Prairie in Wisconsin

Aldo Leopold Foundation – My Wisconsin woods
Down Nature’s Trail
Dan Hazlett

Thirteen acres of lush green hillside meadow, tucked away in a cool and quiet valley. What a perfect place to spend a Sunday afternoon, slowly stepping along, through a shin-high diversity of native prairie plants. I am in total awe. This rare gem of property has survived for thousands of years—and more incredible, it survived the farm landscape transformation of European settlers.


Image of hand with boot brush cleaning a boot.

DNR Seeking Public’s Help To Prevent Spreading Invasive Species

Antigo Times
JUNE 16, 2021

June is Invasive Species Action Month, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking Wisconsinites and visitors to take simple precautions to avoid spreading invasive, nonnative plants and animals in our woods, waters and land year-round.


Image of naturalist wading in marsh grass.

Caring for wetlands by mapping invasive plants

Wisconsin Wetlands Associaiton

As plants begin to regrow after the long winter, it’s a great time to keep an eye out for invasive plants. As you walk your wetland this spring, take note of any invasive plants and add them to your records or maps of your wetland.


Wisconsin Degree Days

Many plants sprout and flower based on how warm it has been. Check out this chart from the Wisconsin DATCP to see how your neck of the woods compares with average temperatures so far this year.


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