Jun-Jul-Aug 2009 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society

8/9/2019 Jun-Jul-Aug 2009 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/jun-jul-aug-2009-caws-newsletter-madison-audubon-society 1/12Madison Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society

222 S. Hamilton St. / Madison, WI 53703 / 255-2473/ www.madisonaudubon.org Summer 2009

Faville GroveSanctuary now

ofcially includesabout 550 acres

and a dedicatedState Natural Area,following the transferin March of the deedfor Snapper Prairieto Madison AudubonSociety from TheNature Conservancy.The 28.33-acre siteincludes about 22 acres of remnant oodplain prairie—one of only two remnants(the other being the original

60-acre Faville Prairie tract)of the great Crawsh Prairie,a 2,500-acre wet prairieopening that graced the west bank of the Crawsh River,set in a broader landscapeof savannas, wetlands, andscattered smaller prairieopenings.

While Faville Prairie wassaved from “cow and plow”intentionally as a scienticand ecological reserve

through the efforts of AldoLeopold and the generosityof Phillip and EleanorMiles, Snapper’s historyis more serendipitous. Thetract was once a part of thelarger Miller farm. PearlMiller had a deep love for

Two BIG CLOSE-UPS in Storeat Goose Pond Vulture Day

MadisonAudubonSocietyServing Columbia,Dane, Dodge, Iowa,

Jefferson, Richlandand Sauk Counties

Inside This IssueMiller/Snapper History ................. 2

Art Fair Rafe Winners ................... 3New MAS Ofcers. ......................... 4Audubon Conference ..................... 4Lawns & Gutters Tour .............. ....... 5Summer Field Trips .............. .........5-8FG Wildlife Grant ............................ 8Spring at Goose Pond ...................... 9MAS Banquet Awards .............. ..... 10Donations ........................................ 10MAS Loses a Friend ....................... 12

Want to see a really BIG BIRD up close? Uncle Butzie,a tame Turkey Vulture, will star at “Vulture Day” on

Sunday, June 14 at Goose Pond Sanctuary, from noon to 3:00

p.m. Visitors can also tour a BIG RESTORATION, 40 acres of tallgrass prairie in bloom, where Turkey Vultures are oftenseen.Lisa Hartman, wildlife biologist and vulture researcher,

and Uncle Butzie will be at the Sanctuary headquarters barn,W7503 W. Kampen Rd., Arlington. Uncle Butzie cannot bereleased because he suffered a broken wing. Hartman willdescribe vulture lifestyles, their outstanding soaring capabili-ties, their value to ecology as the clean-up crew, and interest-ing experiences she has had with them. With her husband,DNR wildlife biologist Mike Mossman, she has studied thelarge scavengers for more than 25 years.At the Hopkins Road Prairie hospitality station you can sur-

round yourself in acres of blooming prairie, climb up the hill,and (if you’re lucky) view Turkey Vultures gliding overhead.Guides and descendants of early landowners will be on handwith information about prairie restoration, habitat, animalspecies and human history in the area. This 40-acre tract, partof Goose Pond’s total 664 acres, was planted to prairie in 1999.For more information call the MAS ofce at (608) 255-

BIRD (2473) or resident managers Mark or Sue Martin at(608) 635-4160. To reach Goose Pond Sanctuary, just southof Arlington, from Hwy. 51 at Leeds go west on CTH K,drive two miles to Goose Pond Rd., turn north on GoosePond Rd. and turn west on Kampen Rd.

Snapper Prairie Incorporatedinto Faville Grove Sanctuary

continued on page 2

Pearl Miller’s favorite: prairie phlox, and a

single stem of pale-spike lobelia.


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her “ower patch,” and especiallyits annual show of prairie phlox.Pearl steadfastly refused to allowher father and brothers to plowthe patch, so the Millers continuedto mow it for marsh hay in latesummers even as the surroundingprairie lands disappeared. Theannual mowing kept woodyvegetation from invading theprairie, and strongly encouragedthe short-statured, fall-blooming,lady’s tress orchids—so muchso that it is said that the fragrantorchids lled the air with their scenteach fall. It is unlikely that PearlMiller ever heard of Aldo Leopold’sideas regarding a “land ethic,” butclearly, she understood.

Then, in the late 1970s whilehunting pheasants, two DNRstaff stumbled onto the remnant,which ultimately led The NatureConservancy to acquire the site andan access easement in 1979 witha generous donation from JoanHeymann and Arthur Snapper, Jr.,and it was named the Arthur andAlbena Snapper Memorial Prairiein memory of their parents. FavillePrairie was transferred to theUniversity of Wisconsin Arboretum

in 1945, making it the world’s rstpublicly protected prairie preserve.It was dedicated as Scientic Area(later State Natural Area) #3 in1952 (at the same meeting of theState Board for the Preservationof Scientic Areas at which SNAs#1 and #2, Parfrey’s Glen andCedarburg Bog were dedicated),granting it the highest protectionprovided by state law.

Snapper Prairie received StateNatural Area protection only in1987 (SNA #168), and yet ironically,Snapper fared better than Favilleduring the intervening years.While Snapper was mowedalmost annually for hay underthe Miller’s care, Faville sufferedfrom benign neglect as an outlyingproperty of the overstretched UWArboretum. Faville endured manylong intervals without burning, and brush and trees made signicantinroads on the open prairie.

Following its acquisition by TNC,Snapper too suffered a period of neglect, and aspen, cottonwoodand willow began to invade,although TNC soon recognized theconsequences of inaction and begana regular burn rotation for thesite. More recently, however, TNCestablished a policy of focusing onlarge, landscape-scale projects (itsLast Great Places initiative) and theorganization has sought to divestitself of small tracts like Snapper.

Volunteers and summer internswith Faville Grove Sanctuary havemanaged Snapper under a formalmanagement agreement since 2003(and we assisted TNC informally before that). On our watch, wehave burned a portion of the prairieannually, cut and girdled invadingtrees, pulled and cut sweet clover,dug wild parsnips, and cut out thewoody fence row along the southedge of the property to improvehabitat for grassland birds. Going

forward, we hope to restore asignicant portion of the CrawshPrairie and integrate SnapperPrairie fully into the larger FavilleGrove landscape (with your help, of course!).

While we are sorry to loseTNCs partnership in this grandundertaking, we are honored to beentrusted with the care of this gemof a prairie.

Snapper. . .continued from page 1

Michigan lily at Snapper Prairie.

Miller Prairie – SnapperPrairie HistoryBy Mark MartinPreservation of the Miller/Snapper Prairiehas an interesting history that includesinvolvement of a number of MAS members.• 1850s. The Miller family acquired land thatincluded 30 acres of wet-mesic prairie.

• 1912-15. Leonard Miller remembers bring-ing food to family members who were dig-ging a ditch by hand and, with the help of horses, to drain water from the prairie. Theditch now is less than one foot deep and can

be observed after a burn.• 1960s. The Wisconsin ConservationDepartment (now the DNR) came close topurchasing a small prairie remnant fromthe Miller family about one-half mile westof the prairie and west of Highway G. Afarmer offered $5 more per acre than theDepartment.

• 1972. On Dec. 9, I was hunting pheasantsin the area with Chuck Pils, who serves onthe MAS Sanctuaries Committee. I was aDNR wildlife technician and assisted wildliferesearch biologists in studying pheasants,Great Horned Owls, Red-tailed Hawks, andred fox in the Waterloo area. We liked tohunt pheasants and on that Saturday werehunting south of the prairie when a roosterflushed and we missed it. It flew north andwe followed it to see if we could flush itagain. Crossing a tree line we found a standof prairie that included large numbers of

compass plant and prairie dock. We didn’tknow the quality of the prairie with only ashort early winter visit.• 1973. Two visits were made by DNRresearch biologists to inspect and inventorythe plants. Only 22 acres of virgin prairiewere found and it is my understanding thatone of the Miller brothers had allowed aneighbor to plow up 8 acres a few years earli-er. When Pearl Miller found out about plow-ing the prairie it was stopped, as she lovedthe wildflowers growing there and did not

want them destroyed. Bill Tans, with DNR’sScientific Areas program, joined the group onthe Sept. 7 tour. Gene Woehler, MAS boardmember and former Sanctuaries Committeechair, took the lead for the Department intrying to purchase the land for a scatteredwildlife habitat. Gene wrote a memo onSept. 20 requesting the 30 acres be appraised.The land was in the Frank Miller estateand owned by six brothers and sisters. Cliff Germain, director of DNR’s Scientific Areasprogram (today’s Endangered ResourcesProgram) wrote a memo in October to


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Art Fair Rafe WinnersVortex spotting scope and tripod donated by Eagle•

Optics—won by Tim Garity of Madison.

Framed wildlife photo donated by Mikkel Nelson—won•

by Mary Braskamp of Madison.“Migration” quilt donated by Gloria Welniak—won by•

Levi Wood of Madison.Songview in-house window birdfeeder donated by•

Mounds Pet Food Warehouse—won by Nancy Saindon of Madison.Deluxe in-house window birdfeeder donated by Mounds•

Pet Food Warehouse—won by Susan Clark of Madison.Yard art by Smith and Hawken donated by Jung Garden•

Center northeast—won by Jane Tormey of Madison.Wall hanging donated by Gloria Welniak—won by Bliss•

Kilzer of Madison.Teak cutting board and gift certificate donated by Orange•

Tree Imports—won by Pat Becker of Madison.Framed floral picture—won by Julie Wills of DeForest.•

“Birdscaping in the Midwest” by Mariette Nowak donat-•

ed by Itchy Cat Press—won by Diane Montgomery of Madison.Gift certificates donated by Wild Birds Unlimited—won•

by Karen Ecklund of Madison and Dottie Schoenke of SunPrairie.“Hanging by a Thread: A Kite’s View of Wisconsin” by•

Craig Wilson donated by Itchy Cat Press—won by PeteWeiler of Madison

Wildlife Management staff recommend-ing acquisition of the property. At thattime Scientific Area acquisition fundswere “very limited”.• 1974. The property was appraised at$12,000 ($400/acre). A neighboring farmerwas also interested in the parcel and headvised the DNR game manager thathe would “top anything the state would

offer.” Gene Woehler found after talkingwith Pearl and Leonard that they wereaware of the prairie flowers. Leonardtold Gene that yellow lady slippers wereonce so abundant they picked them bythe handful and took them to schoolfor the teacher. They told Gene that theprairie would not be plowed. Gene senta letter March 1 to Paul Olson inquiringif The Nature Conservancy could assistwith purchase of the property. Beginningaround 1974, I met Mike Ayers of LakeMills who was interested in all aspects

of nature (see Feb. 2009 article on MASExcellence Award winners). Mike becamefriends with the Miller family. He enjoyedlistening to Leonard reminisce about theflocks of prairie chickens and the bluehawks (gray male marsh hawks) thathunted his free ranging chickens.• 1978. Bill Tans wrote a ProjectAcquisition Proposal to The Nature

Conservancy requesting their assistance.Mike Ayers was listed as the “ecologistwith knowledge of the property.” Theestimated fair market value was then$19,500 ($650/acre). The Miller familyverbally agreed to sign the option thanksin large part to Mike’s work. Bill men-tion that “Fund raising will be by (the)Chapter.” Mike and I also prepared a

document for Miller Prairie and we esti-mated the value at $22,400 ($700/acrethat included a two acre access easement).“Because of economic pressures on theMiller family and the desire to purchasetheir land by surrounding landown-ers, it is felt the area must be purchasedthis year to be preserved.” It was men-tioned that TNC could donate the landto Jefferson County Parks Commission if they were successful in acquisition.• 1979. The Lake Mills Leader on Sept. 13,1979 reported that TNC completed the

purchase of a 30-acre virgin prairie. Thiswas TNC's 67th acquisition in Wisconsinand the land will be managed as aScientific Area. “This is one of our mostimportant acquisitions,” said Gene Roark,Chairman of the Wisconsin Chapter. Geneis still very active with many conserva-tion organizations. It was reported thatthe acquisition “was made possible by a

$20,000 donation from Arthur Snapper, Jr. of Kalamazoo, Michigan and JoanHeymann of Palo Alto California, givenin honor of their parents. The prairie will

be officially known as The Arthur andAlbena Snapper Memorial Prairie.” GeneRoark also mentioned that the Millerfamily “sold at a price far below what theprairie could bring as farmland.”

• 1980. The Capital Times carried an articleon Feb. 6, with a photo of Pearl Millerexploring the wilds of a Wisconsin prairie• 1980s. Under the leadership of JillBedford, TNC preserve steward, a man-agement plan was prepared. Jill also ledthe volunteer effort to inventory rareplants.• 1981. Snapper Prairie was designatedas Wisconsin Scientific Area #168. TheMillers used the prairie for cutting “marshhay.” Annual mowing, mostly in late Julyand August, was conducted and areas

that were not mowed were burned the following spring. In later years, tractors andlarger mowers were used and impactedsome prairie plants. It was interesting tonote that willows and dogwoods survivedfor decades with probably no or littlereproduction.

A sunny but cool day greeted art fair goers at Warner Park. Tim

Garity and daughter are pictured with the Vortex spotting scope he

won and Mary Braskamp stands with her framed wildlife picture.


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Midwest AudubonConference Is Sept. 18-20

This year’s Upper Midwest RegionalAudubon Conference, with the theme“Hope, Action and a Sense of Place,”will be held at Chestnut MountainResort near Galena, Illinois Friday-Sunday, Sept. 18-20. Audubon’ersfrom Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota,

and Iowa will gather on this weekendto learn more about crucial issuesand fascinating topics of naturalhistory, and to become inspired andre-dedicated to the important work that our chapters do. The conferenceis sponsored by the Audubon Councilof Illinois.Keynote presenters include outstand-

ing nature photographer David Olson,noted author Scott Russell Sanders (whowill also lead a writer’s workshop), and

grassland bird authority Dr. Jim Herkert.A luncheon address will be provided byNational Audubon Society President,

John Flicker.A variety of Saturday morning field trip

focus on birds, geology, natural history orwind energy. The many concurrent ses-sion options on Saturday afternoon andSunday morning are included in six topictracks: Bird Conservation, Restorationand Management, Connecting Peoplewith Nature, Protecting Our WaterResources, Energy and Climate Change,

and Chapter Roundtables.An early registration fee (received byAug. 1) of $75 includes a Friday nightreception, Saturday lunch and dinner,Sunday lunch, all sessions and keynotes,and most field trips. Register early toreceive the reduced fee and have a bet-ter opportunity to obtain a placementin your first choice field trip and the“Wild Imagination” writing workshop.Chestnut Mountain lodging rates arereduced, as well, if reservations are madeearly.

Conference brochures will be availableat chapter meetings and events or by call-ing Mary Blackmore, conference co-chair,at (815) 938-3204. The brochure can beobtained electronically by e-mailing KaraGallup, conference co-chair, at [email protected] . We hope you can join us

Meet the New MAS PresidentBy Brand SmithI would like to introduce myself as your newPresident of Madison Audubon Society, effective

July 1, 2009. Our jobs at Alliant Energy broughtmy wife and me to the Madison area from

Janesville in 1982. I still work for Alliant as a leadengineering technician and my wife, Sharon, isemployed by the Madison Police Department. We

have two grown sons and one grandson that livein Madison.My first contact with Madison Audubon was at

the MAS table at a farmers’ market in the early1990s. I started my volunteering by collecting seeds at Goose Pond. Since then I have

been involved with all parts of prairie restoration, from planting to burning. I have alsohelped with trail clearing and other miscellaneous labor. I have helped with installingWood Duck, American Kestrel, and Tree Swallow houses, as well as monitoring andcleaning them for the past few years. I have helped with many bird surveys aroundthe area, from counting the number and type of birds that frequent a food plot to pad-dling a canoe at Schoeneberg Marsh, identifying the likelihood of breeding birds. I wasinvolved in the pre-restoration bird survey at Zeloski Marsh to create a baseline forfuture reference. Last year I helped with the first bat survey around Goose Pond. I wasalso the Seed Sale chairman for two years in the mid 1990’s.I believe that everyone should volunteer for something that is important to them.

Madison Audubon is important to me and has made me more aware of the environ-ment and how it ties to all living things. I like to be around like minded people andenjoy their enthusiasm to accomplish the goals of MASI would like to make one comment about volunteering. Do not wait until the right

time to get involved. If you wait until then, you may never get involved. I volunteeredto be president of MAS because members that know me felt that I would be a good fitand could do a good job. My part of the process is to take their confidence in me andfollow through with my best effort to help an excellent organization continue operat-ing at the high level of integrity and stewardship MAS is known for.

Jon Bishop, New MAS SecretaryNature has been a life-long love of mine. I have

been a hiker and backpacker since I could walk. Ihave a BA in Ecology from UC Santa Barbara andan MS in Ecology from the University of AlaskaFairbanks. My grandparents were avid birdersand got me started birding at their cabin in theCascades in Washington during my summer tripsto visit them. I got completely hooked on bird-ing when I moved to Panama in the mid nineties.My wife, Itzy, was an avid birder, and I caughtthe bug from her. We were active members in the

Panama Audubon Society. We were also found-ing members of the Sonora Audubon Society inGlendale, Arizona (western suburb of Phoenix). I received a Masters in InternationalManagement (an MBA with a foreign language requirement) from the ThunderbirdSchool of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona in 2001. Itzy and I did a greatdeal of birding during our two years in Arizona. I moved to Madison in 2002. I am thefounder and CEO of Envest Microfinance Cooperative, a microfinance loan fund dedi-cated to the alleviation of poverty and promotion of sustainable economies. During mytime in Panama, I realized that poverty and deforestation are tightly linked. My profes-sional goal is to incorporate sustainability into economic development to take pressureoff of natural systems while providing a dignified existence for the world’s inhabitants.In my free time, I help restore prairie and woodland along the Ice Age Trail, and I hikeand bird with Itzy and my son, Eric.


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Better Lawns and GuttersTour Slated for Sat., Aug. 15See how native plants and rain gardensbeautify yards, and improve lakes andstreams.

Mark your calendar and plan to attendthe 8th Annual Better Lawns and GuttersTour, sponsored by the Dane County

Lakes and Watershed Commission, onSaturday, Aug. 15, from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00p.m. Event partners include the MadisonAudubon Society, Wild Ones and theHealthy Lawn Team.Tentatively scheduled in Sun Prairie,

the tour will share how area residentsare using native plants, rain gardens andrain barrels in their yards to reduce stormwater runoff and the amount of nutrients,chemicals and other pollutants that arecarried from lawns, gutters and streets toour lakes and streams.The Tour Information Center (location to

be determined) will feature ideas on beau-tifying your landscape, saving time andmoney on maintenance, attracting wild-life and helping our natural waterways.Garden owners will be available duringthe Tour to answer questions at the Toursites.Native plants can replace all or part of

a traditional lawn. They are hardy, low-maintenance, a delight to the senses andattract butterflies and birds. They do not

require frequent mowing and wateringthat traditional lawns do. In dry weather,native plants are one of the few greenthings in yards, because their roots go sodeep. They are better suited to this climateand can withstand periods of drought.Rain gardens are shallow depressions

positioned near downspouts to keep rainwhere it falls. By allowing storm waterto infiltrate into the ground rather than

becoming runoff, rain gardens cut downon the untreated storm water that makesits way—along with the sediment, fertil-

izer, oil, pet waste and other pollutants itcarries—to our lakes, streams, rivers andwetlands.Madison Audubon is looking for volun-

teers to staff our display and table. Pleasecontact Ginny Nelson, [email protected] , (608) 836-8293, or the MAS office,[email protected], if you can help.Watch www.danewaters.com for tourmaps and more information, as well asother ways you can help reduce stormwa-ter runoff.

Summer Field TripsAboundFriday, June 5: Canoeing Smith SloughSaturday, June 6: Birds of Devil’s Lake &Baxter’s HollowSee May newsletter for details, or visit www.madisonaudubon.org.

Thursday, June 11: Evening at Owen ParkWildlife Ponds - NEW!Leader Russ Hefty will show us the three newstorm water and wildlife ponds, and discusswhat wildlife is currently present there andwhat we might hope to attract in the future,such as Wood Ducks. Gourds have been putout to attract Purple Martins. Meet at 6:30 p.m.in the Owen Park Parking Lot on the southside of 621 Old Sauk Rd. The trip will last until8:00 p.m. or so. Contact Russ only if you havea question about the trip at (608) 233-8513 [email protected].

DATE CHANGE!Saturday, June 13: Geology of the BarabooHillsGeology Professor Emeritus Robert Dott, whohas worked and taught in the Baraboo Hillsfor more than 40 years, and his naturalist wife,Nancy, will lead a walk at Hemlock Drawand (after a picnic lunch) an optional hike atNatural Bridge State Park. They will show usfeatures that indicate the fascinating geologicalhistory of this area over the past 500 millionyears (back when Wisconsin lay in the trop-ics, south of the equator!). Nancy will identifyinteresting woodland plants and birds. The

walk and picnic will last 3-4 hours and we willreturn to Madison by mid-afternoon. Bring binoculars, a lunch, water, and wear sturdyshoes for hiking as the terrain is somewhatsandy and rocky, the hike sometimes moder-ately strenuous.Meet to carpool and leave at 8:00 a.m. from

the Middleton Park and Ride. Heading northon Hwy. 12 at Middleton take Exit 249 to thepark and ride. Or, meet at 9:00 a.m. at the smalltown park on the south side of the (former!)pond in the village of Leland on CTH C inSauk Co. Contact Bob or Nancy at (608) 238-2500 or [email protected] only if youhave a question about the trip.

Thursday, June 18: Evening at Black EarthPrairieOn this joint trip with The Prairie Enthusiasts(TPE) we will tour the Black Earth RettenmundPrairie, a TPE and State Natural Area. This isone of the highest quality prairie remnants insouthern Wisconsin, and has responded wellto its prescribed burn program. Trip leadersare Kathie and Tom Brock, site managers forthis prairie, and Steve Richter. The extensivewood lilies at this site should be in peak

bloom. We will also look for other flowering

plants, as well as birds, and learn about thehistory and management of this prairie. Thetrip will last about 2 hrs.Meet at 6:30 p.m. at Black Earth Rettenmund

Prairie. From Madison go west on Hwy. 14 toBlack Earth. At the traffic light (Shoe Box cor-ner) turn left on CTH F. Follow CTH F throughthe village and west for 1-1/4 mile. Turn righton Fesenfeld Rd. to the prairie entrance, about300 yds. Park on right side of the road. If you

have questions about the trip, call Kathie orTom at (608) 238-5050 or [email protected]

Saturday, June 20: Grassland Birding inWestern Dane & Eastern Iowa CountiesExplore The Nature Conservancy’s ThomsonMemorial Prairie Preserve, looking and lis-tening for grassland birds and prairie plants.Learn to identify by sight and sound grassland

birds such as Bobolinks, Upland Sandpipers,Western Meadowlarks, Dickcissels, and manyspecies of prairie sparrows. Thomson Prairieis part of the Military Ridge Prairie HeritageArea, a 50,000-acre landscape area of regional

significance for grassland bird and prairie spe-cies conservation. Be prepared for a long hike,and bring binoculars for bird and butterflyviewing. This is a joint trip with The PrairieEnthusiasts and The Nature Conservancy. Thetrip will last from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. Leaders areSteve Richter and Dave Sample (608) 257-1011Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the TNC’s Thomson’s

Prairie Preserve parking lot. Take CTH Fsouth from Blue Mounds. From the intersec-tion of F and Hwy. 18/151, take F south for 2miles to the small designated parking area forthe TNC preserve (on the right, west side, of the road). (CAUTION: at about 1 mile southfrom 18/151, F turns to the right while Z goesstraight).

Saturday, June 20: Butterflies & Wildflowersat Pleasant Valley Conservancy - NEW!This is a joint trip with The Prairie Enthusiastsand S. Wis. Butterfly Assn. Leaders are AnnThering and Kathie and Tom Brock. PleasantValley Conservancy is one of our newest StateNatural Areas, and one of the most beautiful.It is situated in the Driftless Area and boastssteep goat prairies on the south-facing hillsideand oak savanna along the ridge top. There isalso a large high quality marsh in the adjacentlowland area. The various habitats are home

to numerous butterflies. This time of year wehope to see Baltimore Checkerspots and per-haps some wetland skippers, such as MulberryWing. Other possible butterfly species includeBlack Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail, GiantSwallowtail, American Lady, fritillaries, blues,hairstreaks, and sulfurs. All of these butterflieswill have many wonderful native plants tonectar on this time of year. We will be hikingtwo to three miles, including a steep hillside.Long pants, a hat, water, and sturdy hikingshoes are recommended. Bring binoculars, thecloser they focus, the better. (We have a few


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extra binoculars.) Contact the trip leaders onlyif you have questions: Tom: (608) 238-5050,[email protected], or Ann, [email protected], (608) 836-1097.Meet at 9:30 a.m. The trip will last until noon.

Heading south into downtown Black Earth fol-low CTH F as it turns right (west). After a mileor so F turns left (south). Continue on F for

another 3-3/4 miles turning left onto PleasantValley Rd. Drive 3/4 mile and stop at the walk-ing trail on the left. Park off the road facing theentrance.

Saturday, June 27: Butterflies of CherokeeMarshOn this morning walk we’ll observe and learnabout butterflies, those small but exquisitely

beautiful creatures that dance about our anklesin summer. Conservation Biologist Kathy Kirk will lead this 2-hour walk at Cherokee Marshon the northeast side of Madison. We willobserve a variety of butterflies as they take

nectar from wildflowers, and learn about theiridentification, behavior, and lifestyle. Bring

binoculars if you have them; close-focusingones work best. Wear long pants and a hat forprotection from the sun.Meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Cherokee Marsh

parking lot at the north end of Sherman Ave.Take Northport Drive (Highway 113) thenturn north on Sherman Ave. Call Kathy onlyif you have a question about the trip, at (608)442-1642.

Sunday, July 5: Madison Butterfly CountThis is our 19th annual butterfly count.

Co-sponsors are UW Arboretum and SouthernWisconsin Butterfly Assn. Each summer but-terfly enthusiasts all over North America par-ticipate in more than 483 censuses of butterflyspecies. Each count is similar to a ChristmasBird Count. These censuses help to monitorthe health of our butterfly populations and theresults are published in an annual report. If youcan identify butterflies, or can help spot but-terflies, or just want to see and learn about but-terflies, join us on this 3-hour count/field-trip.Bring binoculars, the closer they focus the bet-ter. Dress for protection from the heat and sun;a hat is recommended. The North American

Butterfly Association (NABA) requires a $3.00fee from each participant to cover publishingcosts.Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the parking lot for the

Grady Tract in the UW Arboretum. We willcount until about noon. Heading west onthe Beltline (Hwy. 12), take the SeminoleHwy. exit and then turn left (south) onSeminole Hwy. driving across the bridgeover the Beltline turning immediately intothe parking lot for the Grady Tract. If youhave a question about the buttery count,contact leaders Karl and Dorothy Legler at(608) 643-4926 or [email protected].

Saturday, July 11: Pretty Things withWings—Birds, Butterflies & Dragonflies ofthe Lakeshore Nature PreserveOn this trip to the Picnic Point area we expectto see interesting bird species and at least half a dozen species of dragonflies and twice asmany different butterflies. The walking routewill include the edge of Mendota’s UniversityBay, the woods of Picnic Point, and the BiocorePrairie. Bring your binoculars, the closer theyfocus the better. (We will have a few extra bin-oculars.) This trip is co-sponsored by Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve and SouthernWis. Butterfly Assn. Leader is Edgar Spalding.

Meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Picnic Point ParkingLot, along University Bay Dr. on the UW cam-pus. The trip will last until noon. Call EdgarSpalding at (608) 265-5294 or 831-0616 only if you have a question about the trip.

Sunday, July 12: Tour of Faville GroveSanctuary (East)The east end of the sanctuary includes over300 acres of prairie, savanna, and wetland res-torations along the floodplain of the CrawfishRiver. The walk will last two to three hoursand provide an excellent opportunity to see

the prairie in its summer colors. In addition toprairie flowers and grasses, we will watch for avariety of birds including Bobolink, Dickcissel,Eastern Meadowlark, among others. Trip lead-er is Lars Higdon.Meet at the Sanctuary east unit at 7:00 a.m.

From I-94, at Lake Mills, go north on Hwy.89 1-3/4 miles. Turn right on G and go 1-1/2miles, turning right onto Prairie Lane. Park inthe pull off on the right-hand side. Call Larsat (608) 220-9563 only if you have a questionabout the trip.

Saturday, July 18: Flowers, Butterflies & Birds

of Schurch-Thomson PrairieVisit The Prairie Enthusiasts’ Schurch-Thomson Prairie, and the adjacent privately-owned Underwood Prairie. The latter is closedto the public, so this is a great opportunity tosee it up close. These and adjacent propertiesform a complex of remnant prairie and CRPgrasslands that are rich with grassland birdsand other prairie animals. Summer flowers will

be in bloom, and we hope to see the rare RegalFritillary and other butterflies. Last year wefound five species of fritillaries. Be prepared fora long hike and bring binoculars for butterflyviewing (the closer they can focus the better).

We will have a few extra binoculars. This isa joint trip with The Prairie Enthusiasts andSouthern Wis. Butterfly Assn. Leader is RichHenderson. The trip will last until noon.Meet at 9:00 a.m. From Hwy. 151 at Blue

Mounds take CTH F south (note: F makes aright turn). After 5 miles turn right onto ReillyRd. Go to the end and park by the barn. CallRich at (608) 845-7065 only if you have a question about the trip.

Sunday, July 19: Prairies at Their PeakVisit Pleasant Valley Conservancy StateNatural Area, a fine prairie/oak savanna areain western Dane County. It has been underrestoration for about 11 years. Because of theextensive brush control and burn programcarried out this year, the site should be quiteattractive. Red-headed Woodpeckers are usu-ally nesting. The hike will involve some hillclimbing, so wear sturdy shoes and long pantThis is a joint trip with The Prairie EnthusiastAt the end of the 3-hour trip, light refreshmenwill be served at the small cabin/shack.Meet at 1:00 p.m. From Black Earth go west

on CTH F about 4 miles. Turn left onto PleasaValley Rd. and stop at fire # 4609. Park on theright (south) side of the road. Contact lead-ers Tom and Kathie Brock at (608) 238-5050 [email protected] if you have a questionabout the trip.

Saturday, July 25: Scuppernong Valley Prairiand ButterfliesCome and explore over 1,000 acres of lowlandprairie habitat in various stages of recovery.Located in Waukesha Co. this WI-DNR owneland has the potential of becoming one of thelargest and richest prairie areas in the state.

The vegetation across this level landscape is amosaic of high-quality remnant prairie, long-abandoned old-fields reverting back to prairieand everything in between. Three state naturaareas are currently designated within the areaWI-DNR’s efforts in recent years of extensiveclearing of trees and brush and reintroducingfire are resulting in the reclamation of largeareas of prairie. Many prairie flowers and avariety of butterflies abound. Some late seasograssland birds may also still be active in thearea. This is a joint trip with Southern Wis.Butterfly Assn. and The Prairie Enthusiasts.Be prepared for much walking and some wet

ground. Bring food and water, sun screen, hatinsect repellent, and binoculars (the closer thefocus the better; we will have a few extra pairLeaders are Rich Henderson (608) 845-7065 anKarl and Dorothy Legler.Meet at 10:00 a.m. The trip will last until 3:00

p.m. Meet at the Scuppernong Prairie StateNatural Area parking lot on CTH N. FromEagle (in SW Waukesha Co.) take Hwy. 59 wefor 1 mile to CTH N. Turn right (north) ontoCTH N and go for about 1-1/2 miles. Look foa Scuppernong Prairie sign on the right. Thegravel parking lot is on the left.

Field Trips . . .continued from page 5


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/jun-jul-aug-2009-caws-newsletter-madison-audubon-society 7/127The Audubon Caws Summer 2009

Saturday, Aug. 1: Goose Pond PrairieRestoration

Join us for a tour of restored prairies at GoosePond Sanctuary led by Mark and Sue Martin,Goose Pond Resident Naturalists. The prairiesshould be in peak color and this will be a goodopportunity to learn your prairie plants. Wewill also tour mesic and dry-mesic prairies aswell as unburned and burned prairies. The tripwill last about 2-1/2 hours. Meet at the sanctu-

ary headquarters residence, W7503 KampenRd., Arlington (northwest of the pond) at 1:30p.m. From Madison go north on Hwy. 51 intoColumbia Co.; turn left (west) on CTH K. Aftertwo miles turn right (north) onto Goose PondRd., then north one mile to Kampen Rd., turnleft on Kampen Rd. for 1/2 mile, then left intothe driveway. If you have questions about thetrip call Mark or Sue at (608) 635-4160 or [email protected].

Saturday, Aug. 8: Butterflies of the Avoca/ Blue River AreaThis trip will highlight several areas in the

Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, includingAvoca Prairie and Savanna State Natural Areain Iowa Co. and the Muscoda and Blue Riverunits in Grant Co. Leader will be Mike Reese.We expect to see late butterflies and severalsouthern immigrants. A hat and long pants arerecommended. Bring a lunch and binoculars(the closer they focus the better). A few extra

binoculars are available. This is a joint tripwith the Southern Wis. Butterfly Assn. Meet at 10:30 a.m. The trip may last until5:00 p.m. Allow 1-1/4 hour travel time fromMadison. Take Hwy. 14 east to Lone Rock,south on Hwy. 130, then turn right on Hwy133. Go west about 5-1/2 miles, turn right onHay Rd. and drive north to the parking lot just

before the creek. Call Mike at (920) 787-2341 if you have a question about the trip.

Saturday, Aug. 15: Shorebirds of SouthernWisconsin - NEW!This trip will go to wherever the shorebirdsare! Possible destinations include Columbia,

Jefferson or Dane Counties, based on currentconditions and reports. Bring a scope if youhave one. The trip will last 3-4 hours. Leadersare John Romano, Quentin Yoerger and PeterFissel. Contact Peter at (608) 226-0260 (before10:00 p.m.) or [email protected] only if

you have a question about the trip.Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Cub Foods parking

lot on the northeast side of Madison. From theintersection of Hwys. 51 and 30 head northon 51 for about 1/3-mile then turn right onCommercial Ave. then left on Nakoosa Trail tothe Cub Foods lot.

Sunday, Aug. 16: Driftless Area CavesHere’s an introduction for the average surfacedweller to the amazing world of caves! We willsee some general karst topographic featuresand learn about the geology of southwest

Wisconsin. The main component of the tripwill be an underground visit to one of thewild caves found in the area, that is, a caveundeveloped for human visitors. In additionto studying the general geology/speleologyof the cave, we’ll see exactly why cave ecosys-tems are so unique and fragile. The cave wevisit normally hosts two to three species of

bats, which probably will be roosting duringour daytime visit and available for us to see up

close. We will meet at 9:00 a.m. and return toMadison by late afternoon.Our visit to a wild cave is considered “cav-

ing” and is moderately strenuous. In additionto a short but steep hike to the cave entrance,our underground experience will includewalking on wet, sometimes loose rock, duck-ing, and some hands and knees crawling. Wewill journey to the end of the cave via oneshort, but tight belly crawl (in caver language,a “squeeze”).Participants will need at least two flashlights

(headlamps are ideal), a helmet (a bike helmetwill do), gloves, sturdy footwear, and warm old clothes (clothes that you would paint in).Remember, caves are cool; plan to get wet anddirty; bring an extra change of clothes for thedrive home. Pack a lunch and bring a bottle of water.Participation is limited to 8 people. To reg-

ister for this trip, or if you have questions, call Jennifer Schehr (608) 843-2176 and leave yourname, telephone number and how many peo-ple in your group (no children younger thaneight). After you register Jennifer will contactyou with a carpool meeting place for the trip.Registration opens August 1; a short waitinglist will be held in case of cancellations.

Saturday, Aug. 22: Canoe Cherokee MarshEcological Restoration

Learn about the fascinating history and resto-ration story of Cherokee Marsh, the wetlandat the mouth of Lake Mendota. The first of aseries of dams was installed in 1849, at whatwould become Tenney Park. This caused thewater level of Lake Mendota to rise five feet,

backing up water into Cherokee Marsh. As aresult, the peat layer “delaminated” and roseto the surface forming a floating bog. But ero-sion over the decades has destroyed more thanone square mile of wetland. Russ Hefty willshow us how the shoreline of this floating bogis being stabilized by plantings to form a veg-

etation breakwater and silt fence. This should be peak bloom for the thousands of AmericanLotus Water Lilies used as a buffer! We hopeto see a number of Great Egrets and other wet-land birds.Bring your canoe or kayak and meet at 8:30

a.m. at the School Rd. boat landing. TakeSchool Rd. north from Northport Dr. until theroad starts turning east. Instead turn left ontothe gravel road and proceed to the pier and

parking lot. You will see the sign for CherokeeMarsh Conservation Park. Contact the leader,Russ Hefty at (608) 233-8513 or [email protected] only if you have a questionabout the trip.

Thursday, Aug. 27: Fall Warbler Walk atPheasant BranchWalk at Pheasant Branch Conservancy withMike McDowell at the beginning of fall birdmigration. Expect to see warblers, vireos,flycatchers and other migrants. Bring comfort-able shoes for a 2-hour walk. Meet at 7:00 a.m.in Middleton at the dead-end street by ParisiPark (where Park Lawn St. and Park St. meet.)Rain or shine. If you have questions about thetrip, call Mike at (608) 831-9989 or email mike@

birddigiscoper.com.

Sunday, Aug. 30: Fall Birding at Picnic PointCome search for fall migrants, including con-fusing fall warblers, flycatchers and sparrows.Co-sponsored by Friends of Lakeshore NaturePreserve. We will be walking for two hours ontrails that take us through woods, prairies andgardens. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Class of 1918Marsh parking lot (across from Picnic Point).Leaders: Eric Wood and Marty Evanson, (608)271-6846.

Thursday, Sept. 3: Evening Tourof Owen ParkEnjoy an evening of fall color in one of Madison’s restored prairies. Asters, gold-enrods and other fall prairie flowers will be

blooming among the tall prairie grasses. TheMonarch butterfly migration may be peakingabout this time. We will be alert for possiblefall migrating birds, and there is always thepossibility of seeing or hearing one of the threespecies of owl that live here. We will check outthree new holding ponds.Meet at 6:00 p.m. in the Owen Park parking

lot on the south side of Old Sauk Rd. to spendabout two hours enjoying an evening walk.Trip leader Sylvia Marek, who lives nearby,will share some of her 30 years of accumulatedknowledge about her favorite neighborhoodpark. Questions: call Sylvia at (608) 238-8344,evenings.

Monday, Sept. 7: Pleasant ValleyConservancy TourOn Labor Day, Kathie and Tom Brock willlead an afternoon trip, co-sponsored withThe Prairie Enthusiasts, at Pleasant Valley

Sora Rail/Pat Ready



Conservancy State Natural Area. The site is inthe Town of Vermont, south of Black Earth, inthe driftless area of southwestern Wisconsin.The property contains prairie remnants, wet-lands, and extensive oak savannas and has

been under intensive management for the pasteleven years. An extensive prescribed burnprogram and judicious use of herbicides have

resulted in excellent control of invasive brush. Hiking will be partly across steep bluffs, andlong pants and good hiking shoes are recom-mended.Meet at the property at 1:00 p.m. The trip will

last three hours. From Black Earth take CTH Fto the west and then south for 5 miles. Turn lefton Pleasant Valley Rd. Park along the southside by the driveway at Fire Number 4609.If you have any questions about the trip callKathie or Tom at (608) 238-5050, or [email protected].

Saturday, Sept. 12: Birding Madison SchoolForestEnjoy a fall walk through this mature hard-wood forest on well-maintained trails. We

hope to see a variety of sparrows, thrushes,warblers and other fall migrants. The tripwill last 2-3 hours. Meet at the School Forestparking lot at 8:00 a.m. From the intersectionof Hwys. 151 & 69 south of Verona, go southon Hwy. 69 about one mile and turn right onRiverside Rd. Go west about two miles andturn left on Fritz Rd., then south about onemile to the curve and turn left into the parkinglot. Leaders are Peter Gorman and Peter Fissel.Contact Peter Fissel at (608) 226-0260 (before10 p.m.) or [email protected] only if youhave a question about the trip.

Saturday, Sept. 12: Bird Banding at BiocorePrairie Bird ObservatoryThis easy fall field trip near Picnic Point runsfrom 8:00 a.m. until noon. Come early or laterin the morning, stay the full time or just a fewminutes. See how birds are netted, banded,measured and released, and discuss howimportant information is gathered for man-agement and conservation purposes. You canexpect to see resident songbirds and a varietyof other migrating birds in the hand. Youcan accompany bird banders to the nets andobserve how they remove birds, band them,and measure the birds at the mobile station.

Bring insect repellent. To get to the band-ing station, take Lake Mendota Dr. and park at Frautschi Point. Walk south through thewoods, keeping Lake Mendota on your left,onto the Biocore Prairie. At the prairie, followthe trail to your right, then left. The bandingstation (aka picnic table) is at the top of theprairie. Visitors not able to walk are asked tocontact the trip leader ahead of time for per-mission to drive you to the site. Contact: Mara

McDonald, [email protected] or (608) 274-2534 before 8:30 p.m., please.

Saturday, Sept. 12: Monarchs & Fall Flowersat Pheasant Branch Conservancy - NEW!

Join us on a walk through the lovely PheasantBranch Conservancy in Middleton. The many

beautiful asters should be in bloom, and wehope lots of butterflies will be nectaring onthese flowers. We can expect several spe-cies, including Monarchs, sulfurs, blues, andpossibly some southern immigrants, suchas Common Buckeye and Painted Lady. Younever know what you may find! We will alsolearn more about restoration efforts at the con-servancy. Long pants, a hat, water, and sturdyhiking shoes are recommended. Close-focusing

binoculars are also useful. We will hike twoor three miles. Leaders are Ann Thering andDreux Watermolen. Co-sponsors are Friendsof the Pheasant Branch Conservancy and theSouth. Wis. Butterfly Assn. Contact the tripleaders only if you have questions: DreuxWatermolen: (608) 266-8931, [email protected], or Ann Thering, [email protected], (608) 836-1097. Meet in Middleton at noon. The trip will

last until 3:00 p.m. At the west end of LakeMendota take Allen Blvd. north, then turn lefton Century Ave. (CTH M). Track your mileageas you turn right onto Old Creek Rd. and thenright on Pheasant Branch Rd. going north 1.2miles to the small county parking lot at the

beginning of the gated road.

Faville GroveSanctuary ReceivesState Wildlife GrantGood news! We recently received word

that Faville Grove Sanctuary will receive$20,000 in matching funds through theState Wildlife Grant (SWG) program,which will go a long way toward helpingus to complete our management objec-tives over the next two years.Our impressive history of achievement

certainly helped to strengthen our appli-cation and separate our request from themany others. And by demonstrating ahealthy volunteer involvement, we wereable to leverage funding by pledging in-kind match using volunteer hours. This

means that every hour you volunteer, youare also helping to bring money into thesanctuary. Volunteer hours will continueto be used as an in-kind match for thethree Landowner Incentives Program(LIP) grants we received for SnapperPrairie, Charles Prairie, and the Lake MillsLedge Savanna-North, so your volunteerefforts are sure to go a long way, regard-

less of where in the sanctuary you helpout!The SWG program is designed to pro-

vide matching funds for fish and wildlifespecies of greatest conservation needthroughout the country. Funding is dis-tributed to states through the federal gov-ernment and used to implement wildlifemanagement and promote partnership

building among conservation groups.Applying to the SWG program is a verycompetitive process, especially in thiseconomic climate, requiring applicants

to match funds and identify how theirproject will benefit priority conservationopportunity areas and species of great-est conservation need. In fact, MadisonAudubon was one of only four non-profitorganizations in the state to receive fund-ing, with the remaining 19 grants going toDNR projects. This speaks to the distinc-tion of Faville Grove and the value of oursanctuary as a haven for wildlife.Due in part to our management efforts,

Faville Grove is home to many species of greatest conservation need including (but

not limited to) the American Woodcock,Blue-winged Teal, Eastern Meadowlark,Bobolink, and three species of rare prairieinsects. SWG funding will be used to sup-port summer interns, staff, and contrac-tors who will work on habitat improve-ments for these species and many others.Specifically, the sanctuary plans to con-tinue restoring natural gradients betweencommunity types to reestablish habitatcorridors, allowing wildlife to movefreely across the landscape. With contin-ued management we hope Faville Grovewill one day be home to other species indesperate need of habitat such as the Red-headed Woodpecker, Upland Sandpiper,Franklin’s ground squirrel, and maybeeven the Greater Prairie-Chicken. We aretruly excited with what the future holdsfor the sanctuary. Join us as we continuerestoring the land to create a top-notchrefuge for wildlife. You can always finda calendar of Faville Grove work partiesand other events at www.madisonaudubon.org/favillegrove.

Field Trips . . .continued from page 7

Eastern Bluebird/Bob Leggett


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9The Audubon Caws Summer 2009

Spring atGoose PondBy Mark Martin andSue Foote-Martin

Goose Pond looks like a prairiepothole that you would see commonlyin the Dakotas. The water level is thesame as last summer which is a record

level. The Townships have placedmany truck loads of breaker rock along Goose Pond and Kampen Roadsto keep the roads from being undercutand washed out by high water.The highlight of the spring has been

locating a Canada Goose nest. This might be the first nest at Goose Pond sincethe 1850s. We assume Goose Pond wasnamed for the geese that once nestedhere. The breeding geese were probablyshot and their eggs taken for food shortlyafter the settlers arrived. Muskrat housesare preferred as goose nesting sites but iceand wind eliminate most muskrat houses

by nesting season. Coyotes and fox caneasily prey on geese nesting on the shore-line, however this nest is on a “smallisland” created by high water. We hopethe nest will be successful.With the record amount of water we

have record numbers of ducks nesting.On the May pair count we found thefollowing pairs: (2) Wood Ducks, (1)Gadwall, (44) Mallards, (70) Blue-winged

Teal, (12) Northern Shovelers, and (2)Green-winged Teal. Counts will be con-ducted later for Ruddy Ducks, Pied-billedGrebes, and American Coots.An adult Bald Eagle is present on most

days. With no fish in the pond, the eagle isprobably feeding primarily on AmericanCoots and muskrats. One day Sue sawthe eagle take off and catch a muskrat. Itlanded on a Wood Duck house and spentnearly two hours feeding on the muskrat.One day in April we observed two adultsand an immature eagle sitting on theground in the prairie.

Another interesting sighting was find-ing a Sandhill Crane on a nest at HopkinsRoad Prairie. The crane was nesting ina one-acre restored wetland with littlewater. As the water sank into the ground,the nest was easily preyed upon by rac-coons or coyotes and we found the bro-ken egg shells in the uplands.We also have a couple Yellow-headed

Blackbirds nesting west of the railroadtracks in cattail stands. The high water isalso providing excellent habitat for frogs.In some springs there is about 80 acres of

water and this spring we have 220 acresof water. Chorus frogs along with a fewspring peepers are calling from most of the shallow areas.It was difficult to get in all our pre-

scribed burns this spring. For many daysit was very dry with low humidity andunsafe to burn. Then we received 2.5 inch-es of rain followed by a number of rainydays. We were eventually able to burn sixareas of about 50 acres in our burn plan.Thanks to all the volunteers who helped

burn, especially Jeanne and Gerry Briggs

who brought a fully equipped utilityvehicle with burn equipment, including alarge water tank with pump and hose.

Beginning Birding: AnOutsider’s PerspectiveBy Sam SteinbrecherIt was a gloomy morning and unusually

dark at 7:00, mostly due to the overcastsky. As I waited for my ride, I checkedto make sure I had my binoculars. Thesky looked ready to downpour, but thetrip leader, Allen Holzhueter, had said hewould be there rain or shine.It’s a short drive to Picnic Point from

campus, but the sky kept getting darkeras we got closer to our destination. Wearrived to find Allen and a few other bird-watchers. Allen decided that we shouldstick close to the parking lot, in the eventthat the weather became uncooperative.Allen directed our view toward a tree

on the edge of a marsh. In it are varioustypes of warblers and wrens clusteredtogether with their respective species.

Without even leaving the parking lot, wesaw 10 different species. To the novice birdwatcher like myself, this was a rev-elation. Before this excursion, birds were

just that – birds. I didn’t know anythingabout birds or their differences. I couldtell a robin from a goose and a cardinal,

but after that my bird related knowledgeseverely drops off. All other birds weresmall, oftentimes brown creatures thatchirped and sang songs in the morning.We continued on, hugging the edge of a

tree-lined marsh, stopping every 20 yards

or so to watch more birds. We saw geese,grackles, Song Sparrows, Barn Swallows,Red-winged Blackbirds, a goldfinch, aGreat Egret, some Green-winged Tealducks, and we heard a Sora Rail, butnever saw it. The most amazing part of all this to me, the first time birdwatcher, isthat we encountered all of these birds inunder an hour!Our trip was cut short by the thun-

derstorm and we had only been birdwatching for 45 minutes. We had barelyleft the parking lot. It was amazing to

me how many different kinds of birdsthere were living all around me that I hadnever noticed before. I would have lovedto explore further and see what else wecould have found, but I guess that willhave to wait until the next BeginningBirding trip.

The author is a UW-Madison student enrolledin English 201 who participated in a servicelearning experience with Madison AudubonSociety during Spring Semester 2009.Burn crew after burning the Bicennential Prairie on Saturday, April 18.



Joyce Altman BequestIn February 2008, Joyce Altman passed

away, leaving a $20,000 bequest to MadisonAudubon Society. Joyce, the daughter of Helen and Harvey Peckham, was marriedto the late Jim Altman and lived on HillcrestCircle in Madison.According to Charles Miller, executor of the

estate, neighbor, and friend of the family formany years, Joyce and her mother gener-ously fed the birds both in Madison and ontheir 15-acre property in Richland County,which they supplied with bird food regularlyyear around.Madison Audubon members Patrick and

Debra Ready were good friends of Joyce.Pat built bird feeders and nest boxes for herover the years. “We used to spend weekendswith her at the country place near RichlandCenter. She enjoyed learning about all the

birds that lived on her property,” Pat recalls.

Joyce managed a trail of bluebird nest boxesstarting about 20 years ago. Hummingbirds,Brown Thrashers, towhees and flying squir-rels were other favorites. Joyce loved birdsand animals and left bequests to variousHumane Societies, saying, “I advocate forthose who can’t speak,” according to Mr.Miller. Barbara Shaw, a neighbor of the Peckham

family, added that Joyce would bring homepoor little stray creatures to care for. On

behalf of the birds, Madison AudubonSociety thanks Joyce Altman for helping us to

continue to support her interest in those whocannot speak for themselves. — Submitted by Dorothy Haines

Donations Received in AprilMY OWN VISIONColleen and Bill FeistBob and Peg LyonsDolores SorensonClifford Voegeli

GIFTS IN MEMORY OF A PERSON

In Memory of Carol Christenson Lyle ChristensonIn Memory of Virginia Clark William and Rebecca MartinIn Memory of Marylin JungKit Albrecht and Kevin Kennedy

In Memory of Louise MeyerJo Anne GroganGordon and Linda Hanson

In Memory of Mark E. Musolf Wayne AttoeCarol Falk and Alan Johnson

MASExcellenceAwardRecipients

Above: Tom and Kathie

Brock received the Cliff

Germain Award for Excel-

lence in Community-Based

Restoration

Left: Mike Ayers received

the Sam Robins Awardfor Excellence in Citizen

Science

Right: Bob Welch and

Debra Martin accept the

James Zimmerman Award

for Excellence in

Environmental Education

and Communication

Madison Audubon VP Deb Weitzel, presents the Joseph Hickey Award for

Excellence in Bird Conservation to Kent Hall and BRAW board members Joe

Schultz (BRAW President) Sue Hall, Claire Romanak, Jerry Schoen, Mike Hel-

gren and Pat Ready.


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/jun-jul-aug-2009-caws-newsletter-madison-audubon-society 11/1211 Summer 2009The Audubon CAWS

THE AUDUBON CAWS is published

September through June by:

Madison Audubon Society,

222 S. Hamilton St., Madison, WI 53703,

(608) 255-2473.

Birding hotline, 255-2476.

[email protected]

E-mail services donated by Berbee

The mission of the Madison Audubon

Society is to educate our members and

the public about the natural world and the

threats that natural systems are facing,

to engage in advocacy to preserve and

protect these systems, and to develop and

maintain sanctuaries to save and restore

natural habitat.

MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY

President: Stan Druckenmiller

Vice-president: Debra Weitzel

Goose Pond resident managers:

Mark and Sue Martin

Faville Grove Sanctuary managers:David Musolf, Roger Packard

Editor: Patrick Ready

[email protected]

Graphic design: Patrick Ready

[email protected]

CAWS printer: Roemer Printing

Submissions for the September CAWSare due August 1st.

Madison Audubon Wishlist

We greatly appreciate anydonations, or contributions, for thefollowing items.

• Quality binoculars• Digital (LCD) projector

• Mule utility vehicle

• Rider mower/snow blower inworking condition

• Energy efcient washingmachine

• Household/deck furniture

• Small, custom-routed, wood signs

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME!

Join Madison Audubon Society, or give agift membership.

TIME TO RENEW?

Check your Madison Audubon CAWS ad-dress label to determine your renewal date.

Please renew two months before that dateto keep your membership current and avoidmissing any issues of the CAWS.Tip: Renewing through the MAS office

directs more of your donation to local

activities and conservation projects.

Update: We now send an annual renewalnotice. In the future we plan to offer a re-newal option via the MAS website.

MAKE A DONATION

Help make Madison Audubon’s vision areality. We offer education about the natural

world, opportunities to advocate for the en-vironment, and two wildlife sanctuaries withnatural habitat where you can learn aboutthe beauty and value of nature.

MAIL TO:MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY222 S. Hamilton St., Suite #1Madison, WI 53703

Madison Audubon Society, Inc. is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue

Code. Donations are tax deductible to theextent allowed by law. Madison Audubon’sfinancial statement is available uponrequest.

Membership, Renewal and Donation Form

MY NAME _________________________

Address ______________________________

City __________________________________

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Day phone: ( ) ______________________

E-mail ________________________________

YES! I want to___ Join Madison Audubon

Society

___ Give a gift membership to:

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___ Renew/upgrade my membership

___ Make a donation

[ ] In memory of _______________________

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Please send notification of this gift to:

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[ ] Please do not acknowledge my

Gift in Madison Audubon CAWS.

PAYMENT INFORMATIONNew membership

[ ] $25 New or Gift $_________ Renewal _________

[ ] $25 Student/senior [ ] $60 Family[ ] $40 Renewal

[ ] $20 CAWS newsletter Only(non-member)

Over and Above Member _________

[ ] Patron $1,000[ ] Benefactor $500[ ] Partner $250[ ] Contributor $100Donation _________

[ ] Acre-Maker, $2,500 or morecan purchase and restoreone acre of land

[ ] Half-Acre-Maker, $1,250-$2,499[ ] Quarter-Acre-Maker, $625-$1,249

[ ] Adopt-an-Acre, $100 a year for three years ($300 total). Here ismy first installment.

[ ] Nest Egg, $50 a year for threeyears ($150 total). Here is myfirst installment.

[ ] My Own VisionTotal enclosed/charged $_________Please make check payable toMadison Audubon Society,OR please charge my

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http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/jun-jul-aug-2009-caws-newsletter-madison-audubon-society 12/12

6/09Madison Audubon Society, Inc.

Stan Druckenmiller, President

222 S. Hamilton St. Suite #1

Madison, WI 53703

Is it time to renew your membership?

See form on page 11 and help MAS.

Vulture Day at Goose Pondsee page 1

MAS Calendar at aGlance

EvEnts

Sunday, June 14Vulture Day at Goose Pond

Saturday, August 15Better Lawns & Gutters Tour

Friday-Sunday, Sept. 18-20Midwest Audubon Conference

FiEld trips

See the complete listings for all sum-mer field trips on pages 5-8.

Madison Audubon Loses a FriendJill Martin, long-time friend and supporter of Madison Audubon and wife of Jerry

Martin, died in April following a long illness. While Jill’s first loves were quiltingand historical preservation, she always supported Jerry’s interest in environmentalpreservation, including his often semi-weekly jaunts from their home in Gurnee,Illinois to Lake Mills to volunteer at Faville Grove Sanctuary. And she shared hisspirit of giving.Jill taught English at the high school and college levels for 30 years. In retirement,

she was extremely active with the Warren Township Historical Society, whereshe served as vice-president. She edited a book titled Gurnee and Warren Township (Arcadia Publishing, 2006), gathering more than 200 photographs from the histori-cal society’s collection and writing detailed captions. Jill was fascinated by histori-cal and genealogical research, and was an expert on the Civil War, volunteeringregularly with the Lake County Discovery Museum documenting and preservingCivil War letters. Jill was an avid quilter and established a quilting group. Andcombining her passions for history and quilting, she collected antique quilts and

could identify all the old patterns.Jill and Jerry have donated several properties in Minnesota and northernWisconsin to the state departments of natural resources. They have also contrib-uted generously to Madison Audubon over the years, assisting with acquisitionof land for expansion of both MAS sanctuaries, with acquisition of the house atFaville Grove Sanctuary for its resident ecologist and land steward, and with sup-port for the ecologist position. Jill’s generosity, contributions, and dedication were

broad reaching and an inspiration to us all.

Jun-Jul-Aug 2009 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society

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