Note from the Director 

As the snow starts to accumulate and we celebrate the winter solstice, we reflect on the beauty of the transition between seasons and prepare for new beginnings. We are also filled with gratitude as we remember our achievements and the many long, joyful and impactful days spent collaborating with partners on both new projects, like accessible birding events, and long-standing traditions, like searching cherished local waterways for invasive species. Thank you for sharing this important journey of learning and serving with us.

 

We hope this December edition of the Extension Natural Resources Connection will continue to deepen our connections and help us make a difference, collectively.

 

“One individual cannot possibly make a difference, alone. It is individual efforts, collectively, that makes a noticeable difference—all the difference in the world!"

–Dr. Jane Goodall

 

Tricia A. Gorby, Director of the Natural Resources Institute

Want to learn more about Wisconsin's greatest waters? The Wisconsin Master Naturalist program just launched the Great Lakes Trek, an online, self-paced training about the water, land, life and people of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.

 

(Pro tip: The Trek is a great gift for yourself or a fellow nature enthusiast!)

In October, Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center worked with community partners to host an accessible birding event. Attendees could participate in a variety of bird-related activities, including an indoor program on turkey vultures. Read more on Upham's blog.

A new report from the North Central Region Water Network (NCRWN) underscores the need to invest more in people to achieve clean water goals. The report shares lessons learned from a multistate project to build “human capital” for watershed management in the Mississippi River Basin.

On August 20, 2022, water-loving volunteers across the state gathered for AIS Snapshot Day to search for and identify aquatic invasive species (AIS) in local waterways. Over 100 participants surveyed 94 monitoring sites at 64 waterbodies. Their findings matter: data collected help track the spread of new species and inform management plans.

On December 7, NRI colleagues gathered in-person for the first time since 2019 for the 2022 Extension All-Colleague Conference. The day featured a keynote from Aaron Bird Bear, Director of Tribal Relations at UW–Madison; sessions on inclusive language, evaluation and outdoor accessibility; and lightning talks on water, forestry, wildlife and climate change programming in NRI. It was good to reconnect, learn and celebrate in the same room!

Watershed outreach specialist Jenny Seifert and coauthors Lisa Merrifield and Anne Sawyer offer five takeaways for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in watershed work.

The new website features information for maple syrup producers and resource managers and highlights upcoming events.

Learn how to harvest branches for wreaths, swags and other projects without damaging trees – it only takes a minute!

Looking to invite more birds to your yard this winter? Extension wildlife outreach specialist Jamie Nack offers advice on how to select food and keep feeders clean for your feathered friends.

Meet Eric Carson, the new interim director of the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey. A Quaternary geologist who has worked with WGNHS for 14.5 years, Carson researches the river systems of ancient glaciers. 

 

Hometown?

Morgantown, WV

 

What do you love about being a geologist?

No big surprise, but I love the aspect of being and working outdoors. And I’ve always loved geology in particular because it turns the scientific method on its head in the sense that the "experiment" is what happened in the earth’s past and our job is to figure out what that experiment was.

 

Favorite way to connect with the outdoors?

My single favorite annual event is a camping trip with a group of close friends and my/their kids to Rock Island at the extreme end of the Door County peninsula.

January 9

Registration opens for Master Naturalist Trainings

February 4

Fox Valley Winter Landowners Conference

February 2023 (various dates and locations)

CAFO Update Series

March 8–10

St. Louis River Summit

April 19–21

Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Conference

 

See more events >

 

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