Newsletter Volume 16. No. 4 Summer 2001
General Information
| Falconry - Hunting With Trained Birds of Prey
Attention sporting enthusiasts, Did you ever consider leaving your gun at home and taking out your peregrine falcon instead? That's right, hunting with a bird! Don't miss what Master Falconer, Chip Hutler & wife Laura will present at our April meeting. The Hutlers reside in Wautoma, WI and are proprietors of Hutler's Wild Country Workshop, a wildlife specialty store. They also volunteer as director/educators for the Mecan River Discovery Center, a non profit family camp and discovery center. Chip is also an avid birder and member of WSO and has served six years as the Wisconsin State Falconry Club President. Chip specializes in hunting small game, upland game birds and waterfowl. He will present some history on the sport of Falconry, national status and Wisconsin perspective on the sport, obtaining permits, housing and maintaining raptors, hunting tactics, and stories from the field. The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 19th at 7:00 P.M. in Room M-110 at the UW-Marinette. |
Scheduled Activities
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In Search of Crane Counters Saturday, April 21 will offer bird enthusiasts the chance to trek to area wetlands in both Marinette and Menominee Counties and enjoy a springtime sunrise while on the lookout during the 27th Annual Midwest Sandhill Crane Count.
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Hay Creek Clean Up The bi-annual spring time cleanup of Hay Creek will happen April 21st this year!! (weather date of April 28th) It is being organized by the Community Youth Project and the Chappee Rapids Audubon Society.
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Harmony Hardwoods Work Day The annual Harmony Hardwoods trail maintenance project has been scheduled for Saturday, April 28, 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. Please plan to bring your tools and help with the clean-up this year. Also bring a bag lunch to enjoy after a morning of fresh air in the maple woods. If you have any questions about this event or need directions, please call George Bereza on 735-3486. |
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Bluebird Trails The Chappee Rapids Audubon bluebird trails at the Harmony Hardwoods and at the Carter property on Shore Drive will need volunteers for monitoring again this year. Contact Trygve Rhude at 732-8985 for more information. |
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Plants, Animals and Waterfowl... A special outing has been planned for Saturday, May 12. Our first destination, the Green Bay Botanical Garden, is one of Northeastern Wisconsin's newest educational resources, teaching those who visit about the vital role plants play in our lives. Since opening in 1996, it has become one of the region's most popular attractions. Spring is an excellent time to visit and be refreshed by gardens overflowing with beauty and serenity.
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Spring Nature Walks The schedule for this year's nature walks is as follows:
Location: Nature Trail, Bayshore St., Marinette Contact: Joan Campbell, 732-1277 Location: Henes Park, Menominee Contact: Bob Brisson, 863-6850 Location: Chappee-Webber Learning Center Site, River Dr., Menominee Contact: Bob Brisson, 863-6850 Location: Menekaunee Walkway, Ogden St., Marinette Contact: Denise Taylor, 863-7397
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Activity Results
| Banquet Was a Success
Over 80 people enjoyed the twelfth annual Awards Banquet held on March 23 at Schusslers. Mary Lata presented a talk and slide show of her experiences in prairie management and with prescribed burns, including the fires at Mesa Verde in 2000. The silent auction netted over $200. The money will be used for improvements at the Chappee Webber Learning Center. The Leroy Lintereur Individual Award went to Chappee Rapids Audubon members Paul and Laurie Lata for their work in editing the Chappee Rapids Audubon newsletter for many years. The Business/Organization Award went to The Menominee Alternative School for its institutional environmental responsibility. This has included the annual clean up of Hay Creek in Menominee. The award was accepted by Kari Laporta, teacher, and Karen Garcia and Nick Fox, students. A special thank you goes to Gloria Breuer for again organizing a successful banquet. |
| Special Thanks to the Following for Door Prizes and Silent Auction Items for the Banquet |
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Aurora Books
Larry Koesling
Marj Bjork Kuber's Feed Mill George Bereza Marinette Farm & Garden Gary Burley Mary Moss Camera Fair Peshtigo Feed Mill James Hammett Photo Images by Carl Caylor Hoefgen Canoes John's Taxidermy Schusslers Supper ClubSentinel Structures Sue-Ron's Woodshed Art Rage Heider Wallpaper, Paint & Art Supplies Schloegels Bayview Restaurant and Gift Shop |
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Grab Your Boots Ruth Farrell, Outings Chair, has arranged several excellent outings for this April and May. Details about the Green Bay Botanical Gardens-N.E.W. Zoo-Barkhausen Trip, the Spring Morning and Evening Hikes, and the Harmony Hardwoods Work Day are on pages four and fiveof the newsletter. Information about the Hay Creek Clean-Up, the Sandhill Crane Count and the Bluebird trail monitoring is also on pages four and five. So grab your hiking boots for some fun and some good causes. |
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An Update on Global Warming At our May meeting, Dr. Wendel Johnson, Professor of Biological Science at UW-Marinette, will examine the present state of scientific information on Global Warming.
Almost daily, the media is citing examples of global warming evidence, ie. loss of glaciers in the western states, shorter duration of ice on Midwestern lakes and rising sea levels that concern island nations in the Pacific Ocean.
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Field Guides Donated to Area Schools Chappee Rapids Audubon, under the direction of Education Chair, John Helfert, has donated Field Guides to the following area schools: We hope these reference books will spark an interest in the students and that perhaps someday they will become Chappee Rapids Audubon members
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Field Guides Donated to Area Schools |
Letter From The President
| Thanks and then some...
As my first season as president of Chappee Rapids Audubon Society draws to a close, I'd like to take this opportunity to give credit where credit is due. When John handed his gavel (or meat-tenderizer, as was the case) to me, he assured me that the board did their respective jobs so well that my job would be a breeze. He was certainly right about that. I have never, in any capacity, worked with such an able and devoted group of people. I am grateful to each and every one of them. As I review the past year and all the years I have spent as a member of this group I can't help but be proud to be a part of it. We are so much more than just an organization. I am proud of the efforts we have made toward the preservation of the environment as well as the local history. The stewardship of the Harmony Hardwoods and the Chappee Rapids site has been assumed with a true love of the land and a desire to share these points of pride with others in the community. Our association with the Menominee Co. Historical Society to develop and maintain the Learning Center at Chappee Rapids has proven to be a great success. I can't begin to express what a wonderful educational opportunity this has opened for the young people in our community. Anyone who has yet to experience the lessons offered by the knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers who participate in this program is in for a treat. Chappee Rapids Audubon has such a wealth of knowledge and experience within its membership. Members who have committed to sharing their knowledge with others are a gift to the entire community. Members are working with the Marinette Recreation Department to offer programs to the pubic covering a variety of earth-friendly subjects. Our education fund has provided Field Guides to local school libraries for several years. Making these books available to young people who wish to explore their world is a service that will be repaid in the form of young adults who love nature as we do. The young people and others we reach through these endeavors are the future members of Chappee Rapids Audubon. Lastly, I would like to applaud the work and recognition we have shared with the young adults at the Menominee Alternative School. This fine group of people have the potential to be valuable members of our community if given a chance. I am proud that our organization has allowed them to prove themselves. I could go on, but it would take too long. I could name names, but there are too many. I do want to thank all of you for such an enjoyable first year. I want to thank those of you who have contributed your time, money and expertise to what I feel is our biggest assignment: to share our love and concern for this earth with as many as we can and have a good time as we do it. I hope to see all of you at our spring activities and then next fall. Have a safe and peaceful summer. Mary |
DID YOU KNOW ?
By: John Helfert
| To determine the age of fish, remove a scale an inch or so behind the pectoral fin in the middle and count the rays. Distance between rays tells the growth rate as one would count rings on a tree trunk. |
| The little brown gecko of the Palaw Islands in the South Pacific literally "runs out of its skin." Upon attempting to catch this little lizard, as soon as a hand is laid on this particular species, it runs out of its skin with lightning -like rapidity. The would-be captor is left holding the animal's empty skin. |
| Most scientists agree there are 650 species of birds in North America. |
| While experimenting with deer ticks, deer hides containing
live ticks were frozen for over a week at 20 degree F. When removed form the
freezer, the hides were completely thawed and the ticks began to move about.
In another experiment to test their endurance, deer ticks were placed in a vial with only a moisture strip in the vial. After four months the ticks were still alive. |
Field Notes
By: Denise Taylor
| Looking back at last year's notes I see we were about
"three weeks ahead of normal", then as I look at my calendar notes
this season and say " we are just about three weeks behind last
year!". Oh no! Are we having one of those elusive "normal"
springs? Yup, seems about right! That's ok, cool, damp spring weather allows
us time to savor the season as many early bloomers are longer lasting and more
intensely hued under these conditions. Every day in April can bring us a
special pleasure. It may be as simple as a blade of green grass, the first
Hepatica, the erupting bloodroot, a Juneberry exploding into a white cloud,
the first earthworm to the surface or even the first dandelion. It's a great
time to be alive and able to greet this season of arrivals!
In retrospect, February was uneventful. The weather was seasonably cool and somewhat dry. The birds didn't seem to change much from the January array. Large flocks of finches did not make it to southern Menominee Co., although a modest group was seen in Escanaba. Evening Grosbeaks made it only down to the Iron Mt., MI area. Only a few snow buntings ever materialized, and I noticed no flocks of waxwings to clean up the deadfalls in the orchard ( but the spring robins are very happy!). The first horned lark at the airport was counted March 1st, first kestrel north of Menominee March 11th, robins at the farm March 14th, sandhills here March 17th. The third week of the month brought in marsh hawks, song sparrows, woodcocks, redwings and flickers. The end of the month rounded out with bluebirds, meadowlarks, grackles and juncoes now singing in the yard. Bird influx should really get humming here in the next few weeks. Ice is starting to move out of the rivers and shift in the bay so waterfowl will be splashing down everywhere. This is really better than fall for watching these birds as they are now in their brightest plumage and hormonal activity really reduces their inhibitions. Numerous sparrow species will be passing through including fox, Lincoln, white crowns and white throats. Broad-winged hawks will arrive and red-tails will increase. Tree swallows are more insect dependant but I expect them around the middle of the month this year. Insect activity started up the last week in March with moths, flies and at least one good sized midge. Morning Cloak butterflies will awaken from hibernation soon. Chipmunks are out and about as are skunks and raccoons, badgers and woodchucks. Foxes here on the farm had kits at the end of March this year; they will be playing on the roads by mid- May. My guess is frogs will start singing a little later this year; the waters are cold! I'll take a guess at April 9th for peepers; let me know when you hear them. But spring peepers are not the only singing amphibians in our waters. Let me give you a little listing... American toads, gray tree frogs, western chorus frogs, green frogs ( descriptive, eh?) , Northern leopard frogs, pickerel frog, wood frog, and maybe in the cold spots- mink frogs. Well, there…did I give you something new to do? So I am finishing another season of writings for now, but spring is about beginnings! Be it cattail shoots, unfurling new leaves, nest building or egg laying. It's a time to plant new trees, lay out a new garden or even resolve to *not* mow so much grass this year and let Nature make a new start. Try to take some time each day and reflect on its events, the arrival of a hummingbird, the first Great blue heron in the river, the thunderstorm, solar flares, the expanding universe.... or just an exquisite white trillium flower sparkling in the warm May light of a star 93 million miles away |
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