December Newsletter: Extension Natural Resources Connection

News from the Extension Natural Resources Institute

CamRock County Park, Dane County

Fall in Wisconsin is a time of togetherness and celebration as we share the many program accomplishments of a productive, bountiful, and impactful summer. We mark this season with a focus on connection, where our Extension colleagues gather to learn together and to commit to uncovering new ways that we can better serve our communities. Fall is also a time of transition and anticipation of the necessary winter pause — the essential contraction of activities and busyness, and the replacement with quiet reflection. We wish you all a joyous and restful winter season ahead, and we are grateful you have joined us this past year through your participation and partnership!

Tricia A. Gorby, Director of the Natural Resources Institute

While we are still enjoying autumn's gifts, we can also start getting prepared for spring-time traditions, like the maple syrup harvest! Extension's Maple Syrup Program offers many resources to support both beginners and experts throughout the maple syrup season! Here's how you can get started.

Sapper tells us about her lifelong love for nature, and how it led her on the path to becoming a fundamental part of Master Naturalist Programs across the state — and helping support the passion of people like her. Click here to read!

Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center held the Nature's Navigators STEM camp for autistic youth for the first time this summer. The camp provides a unique opportunity for young adults to explore science and gain confidence in STEM. Read more here!

Extension Forestry recently held it's Women's Chainsaw Workshop in Northern Wisconsin for women interested in learning the best practices for chainsaw use. The workshop is uniquely made for and by women — offering a safe learning space for women to build their confidence and find a community of like-minded people. Read the whole story here.

When you move firewood, you could be moving invasive hitchhikers too! Luckily, there's plenty of ways to enjoy the campfire without spreading invasive species. Hear from experts on the issue here.

Chronic Wasting Disease is a lethal neurological disease found in deer. But, there's an easy way to test your deer and help protect Wisconsin's herd.

Sometimes the land needs a healthy dose of fire to grow and recover. This October, the Cloquet Forestry Center and Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe hosted a prescribed fire workshop in the Superior region. The workshop provides education on the ecology of pine-dominated landscapes and best fire practices. See the whole story here.

Meet Sue, the new Director of the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey and State Geologist. She has worked in many different fields as a quaternary and hydro- geologist, as well as an professor for almost 25 years at Beloit College.

What got you interested in geology?

My background in geology really started from early days. I was fortunate enough to grow up on a farm and so I always loved being outdoors. When I went off to college, geology appealed to me because I saw it as a way to continue doing things that I loved outdoors…I realized the diversity of processes involved in geosciences. I could integrate chemistry and biology and physics and political science, all in this field of geology.

In what ways are you excited to connect Wisconsin residents with geology?

I think a lot of residents of Wisconsin do have a relationship with water…certainly in that we all value safe drinking water, but a lot of Wisconsin residents also value high-quality lakes and rivers and streams, right? So I think that water, in many ways, provides sort of an entry point to talking about geology more broadly.