tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78850615406749227382024-03-19T08:01:27.099-05:00Learning OutsideKickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-26188823422010530762021-09-28T12:44:00.002-05:002021-09-28T13:04:06.818-05:00Driftless Dark Skies: Walking in the Dark<p>Hello, Learning Outside Blog Readers! It has been a busy couple of months since we last posted here. Our posts about stargazing are always popular, and we hope you'll enjoy another fantastic post by astronomy educator, John Heasley, on the remarkable opportunity of the fall night skies.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8o2J3qw-6_FkyLfnLI0GiR9z0G_8Vt8wSBwn93Bp_JdTeGH7xXHbuD09w_mixPM-Nqx27OiIRvbbZyxOP6MMtZ0riyy0pK3TVFiwsvTYS0LWbY19DDI7_EIl2CJfz8RBJPs-Uqd2eI98/s2000/Milky+Way+John+Rummel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8o2J3qw-6_FkyLfnLI0GiR9z0G_8Vt8wSBwn93Bp_JdTeGH7xXHbuD09w_mixPM-Nqx27OiIRvbbZyxOP6MMtZ0riyy0pK3TVFiwsvTYS0LWbY19DDI7_EIl2CJfz8RBJPs-Uqd2eI98/w640-h426/Milky+Way+John+Rummel.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Night Sky Over the Kickapoo Valley Reserve Visitor Center </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo Credit: John Rummel</span></div><p class="MsoNormal">On the first day of September, I had a wonderful time hiking
the trails of Kickapoo Valley Reserve well beyond midnight. I was on a mission
with my Unihedron Sky Quality Meter to measure just how dark it was at nine
sites. And I was guiding and assisting an astrophotographer friend who was
creating images to be part of the new dark sky exhibit there and for our
application to the International Dark-Sky Association to be designated as an <a href="https://www.darksky.org/our-work/conservation/idsp/parks/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">International Dark Sky Park</span></a>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During twilight, we were wowed to see the planets of our
solar system emerging. But as the skies darkened even more, we were awed by the
sight of our Milky Way emerging and bending across the heavens. It is something
I would love for you to see for yourself by walking in the dark this month.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqMj_325GrC3KfAS-TVUtFuI_oucxd5koazVWLxLhhfVACZcAlRMjsmpw-Mdfkp9rkLtcHZMhnY1U3NnTdDzfCllzs8b5WuPTWILZZ0gfojaJGgRvCRhE9IMGbaO_ttVkArpX9fEqnE8/s2000/Stars+over+Ho-Chunk+Bridge+John+Rummel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqMj_325GrC3KfAS-TVUtFuI_oucxd5koazVWLxLhhfVACZcAlRMjsmpw-Mdfkp9rkLtcHZMhnY1U3NnTdDzfCllzs8b5WuPTWILZZ0gfojaJGgRvCRhE9IMGbaO_ttVkArpX9fEqnE8/w640-h426/Stars+over+Ho-Chunk+Bridge+John+Rummel.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Milky Way Over the KVR Photo Credit: John Rummel</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You will want to pick a park or country road away from city
and town lights.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> I love </span>wandering and trying new paths but not at night. Pick a
familiar trail that you’ve walked by daylight. Paved paths such as Old 131 are
an excellent choice. Just park where it crosses CTH P and head south to Little
Canada or north to the Ho Chunk Bridge. You can turn off your flashlight and
not worry so much about uneven surfaces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you need a little light, red or amber is best to give your eyes the
best opportunity to adapt to the dark. Feel safe and have more fun by bringing
along a companion or two. Maybe one of your geeky friends who can help you
identify the birds you’re hearing as well as other sounds of the night world.
One of us stayed the night at a campsite and the other drove home. Give a
little thought to what is best for you. <a href="http://kvr.state.wi.us/Recreation/Camping"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Campsites</span></a>
A, C, I, J, K, L, and PP are wonderful places to see the stars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If night hiking is not the best match for
you, Landing 14 where CTH P crosses the Kickapoo is easy to find and has dark
skies for you to take in the view.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sunset is around 6:45pm at the start of October and around
6:00pm at the end. It’s a great time to experience twilight. The sky is fully
dark about 75 minutes after sunset, so 8:15 on October 1st and 7:30 on
Halloween. <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; mso-highlight: yellow;">You can start
even earlier in November, especially after November 7 when we let our clocks go
back to natural time.</span> </span>New Moon is October 6, and you can see the Milky
Way without moonlight interfering Oct 1-10 and Oct 23-31. A moonlight walk is
also fun. Full Harvest Moon is September 20 and Full Hunter's Moon is October
19 and 20. You can be soothed by the soft glow of moonlight in the middle of
the months.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Don’t forget to celebrate <a href="https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon-night/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">International
Observe the Moon Night</span></a> on October 16 when humans across the globe
are encouraged to look up together and honor our connection with the Moon
through stories and images and art.<span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; mso-highlight: yellow;">That night, brilliant Venus will be near ruddy Antares in the western
sky while the waning gibbous moon, Jupiter, and Saturn will form a line across
the southern sky.</span> But whenever or wherever, I hope you are as refreshed
as I was walking in the dark.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p style="background-color: white;"> ***</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;">John Heasley is an
astronomy educator and stargazer who enjoys connecting people with the cosmos. <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; mso-highlight: yellow;">He volunteers with NASA/JPL as a
Solar System Ambassador, with the IAU as a Dark Skies Ambassador, and with
International Dark-Sky Association as an Advocate.</span></span> For more information
about stargazing in southwest WI, like </i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DriftlessStargazing/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">Driftless Stargazing LLC</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> on Facebook and find out whenever there's
something awesome happening in the skies.<o:p></o:p></i></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-72739369754226949732021-06-08T11:00:00.000-05:002021-06-08T11:00:18.153-05:00Conserving the Night<p> </p><h2 style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"><blockquote style="text-align: center;">"In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught."</blockquote></span></i><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Baba Dioum (born 1937), Senegalese forestry engineer</span></h2><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVixgVyl1yp9vnLiw6qUfkdOu9b90Z0f6lNeU8ZAEFMYoacBs8x6DTqaCinX3ADFu0KKmLcNmA7abBOCkBjq0MWG0JVyWtn_bZJceN9DpaEmXV8Hp68UrQY-yhU2aD2qnr_sX1YdXVdA/s1440/Bridge14ChadBerger.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1440" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVixgVyl1yp9vnLiw6qUfkdOu9b90Z0f6lNeU8ZAEFMYoacBs8x6DTqaCinX3ADFu0KKmLcNmA7abBOCkBjq0MWG0JVyWtn_bZJceN9DpaEmXV8Hp68UrQY-yhU2aD2qnr_sX1YdXVdA/w640-h428/Bridge14ChadBerger.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Bridge 14, Kickapoo Valley Reserve, Photo by <a href="http://secure-web.cisco.com/1Qg9FV9hBV6Sfcnf1IgqWM6H2O0YQcvhJGGnPfvzZnJxNOV4lRNuu8m5jkAaNg7V-WON1upogpQ6vbjBjPwhID61eYA6KRdZanKmSXedJaGH1-IzZ9QWjAgCq62yfLbhP-VjGOWyu9nSpNyeKCLse2c7yYYqUC5NFVBhrw4knXsO7rNc8DBC1fpi_Vp6Sn8Q2uaVHXGuELC4yvVAlJ2o6A4QJzxTGbz7SALSAYRqyMd0bMDZpmIJfGNcMvuO9MT4bs59YPXwwvLGB-MJfDyW2jQ/http%3A%2F%2Fchadberger.com%2Fwordpress_f%2F" target="_blank">Chad Berger </a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Kickapoo Valley Reserve, Wildcat Mountain State Park, and Mississippi Valley Conservancy are excited to announce they are working together to designate the 13,300 acres of KVR, Wildcat, and Tunnelville Cliffs as Wisconsin’s second International Dark Sky Park. The International Dark-Sky Association awards this distinction to "land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritiage, and/or public enjoyment.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">" </span></span></p><div style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;"> </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="500" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYf3r_tqMleWCtmSkfQIu6xNe9TID91BtFZ6-D4Ksj8-Mvww9l4kSZTlBxqhSn4BTvilS7FtfZkk73NO7HyhVf0kbf2aNHG0UHwX8_Zr2mVSbMh9QPbP3G2xXzJk_JUA1WEPOpOwkwzzc/w640-h496/WolfMoonOverKickapoo2017.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Campsite K at Night, Kickapoo Valley Reserve, Photo Courtesy of the <a href="https://kickapoofriends.org/" target="_blank">Friends of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve</a><br /><br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitiMOYGgbvAOQ7ZB1xWh92LO5_IeuT0w-o8iAJ6dxh65ayQY9ascntTIt7CBopzUodTkjVRkjYzSA0ihoOXanZni4YcnSQITd7ct_BVmz5YoKOofqdGlSRBFeAx8UruagNejZIaSm38g/w480-h640/Supermoon2014.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">2014 Supermoon, Photo Courtesy of the <a href="https://kickapoofriends.org/" target="_blank">Friends of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 18.4px;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"></p><div style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The application process requires a sky quality survey, lighting inventory and management plan, community partners, and education and outreach. They are assisted in this initiative by John Heasley, Marla Lind, and Scott Lind who hope to complete the process by 2022. Benefits of creating the Kickapoo Dark Sky Park include a healthier community and ecosystem, the financial benefits of tourism, the pride of being a world-leading community, and financial savings owing to reduced energy usage. But most important is preserving our heritage of starry skies for the enjoyment and awe of future generations.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 18.4px;">Discovering the dark skies of the KVR for yourself is simple. Turn off your lights, give your eyes time to adapt to the dark, and look up. Print out a free copy of the monthly </span><span lang="EN"><a href="http://skymaps.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; line-height: 18.4px;">Sky Map</span></a></span></span><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> to find your way around. A red light will help to preserve your night vision and binoculars will help you to see more colors and details. And don’t miss some of the special events of 2021.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"> </span></span></div><p></p><p style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Full
Moons around June 24, July 23, August 22, September 20, October 20, November
19, December 18. </b> Follow the lead of
Wisconsin naturalist</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://womeninwisconsin.org/profile/frances-hamerstrom/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Frances Hamerstrom</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> and “Walk When the Moon is Full”
and discover the sights and sounds of KVR after dark.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">Perseids
around August 12.</b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">Lie back on a chair or
blanket and watch this wonderful annual meteor shower.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Crescent
Moon and Venus.</b> Look west after sunset
on June 12, July 11, August 11, September 9, October 9, November 7, December 6
to see a wonderful pairing of a slender Moon near brilliant Venus.</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Lunar
Eclipse. </b> Watch on November 19 between
midnight and 6 am as the Full Moon becomes red as it passes through the shadow
of the Earth.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Old 131 is especially good for twilight and
night hiking. The path is paved and it’s
easy to find your way. There are
trailheads at the Dam Tower and at CTH P. The Dam Tower, Visitor Center, and the large grassy field at Landing 14
are excellent spots to lie back and enjoy the stars and Moon and meteors. If you are staying the night, the views are
stellar at Campsites AA, A, C, I, J, K, L, and PP.</span></span></p><div style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9B2TpccPPlBd2UnVBWqdyIjNpWTbfP72C_AqmacxC8J5WAMCqbGGgt3bhhGfoKacC5cobGRSge5JvS5VgXyE8xKtZDu4_TSxJnp7mP0VUJnCJMTGXE4pRQw0hEr1bbByFTzwaDjEODs/w640-h426/StarTrailsOverBridge182016.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Star Trails Over Bridge 18, Photo Courtesy <a href="https://kickapoofriends.org/" target="_blank">Friends of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve</a></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLPx0hJkUHjDHtGCCOGyrIpMxWXQAYcFr8w7vUhKkHTG4ZTF5E1Ckzu99AFS2anxLc8aMlK9AvHFxNTqx1JHj889pUjPW-2Sxy_T9gkUpa7J8MDChDYRka8krTrsEKj7zjG2HIob6jFk/w640-h426/KickapooRiverBridgeSunset2018.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Kickapoo River Bridge Sunset, Photo Courtesy <a href="https://kickapoofriends.org/" target="_blank">Friends of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="335" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgoAumsdzmXEq3oQE-Zy-_ZadVfdzQOeTVl7Tq2LEX960xSzmGmvhCUfCN7adR3hI5C5wFp8peXTpsYSY8B66sxXmRT7Z4oNHkNVRjk5Sb8oOJeyyGx3pbnZtyKc4yQd4zsX949X3Hok/w428-h640/KickapooByMoonlight2014.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="428" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Kickapoo by Midnight, Photo Courtesy of <a href="https://kickapoofriends.org/" target="_blank">Friends of Kickapoo Valley Reserve</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Unlike
other environmental problems such as groundwater contamination or global
warming, light pollution can be reduced “at the speed of light” with solutions that are relatively easy and
inexpensive. Good lighting reduces
energy consumption, respects the ecosystem and wildlife, safeguards human
health, promotes safety, and preserves the heritage of starry skies. The
Illuminating Engineering Society and International Dark-Skies Association have
come up with </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.darksky.org/our-work/lighting/lighting-principles/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Five Principles for
Responsible Outdoor Lighting</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> to enhance our quality of life:</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;">Useful</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;">–All light should have a clear purpose. Before installing or
replacing a light, determine if light is needed. Consider how the use of light
will impact the area, including wildlife and the environment.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;">Targeted</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;">--Light should be directed only to where needed. Use
shielding and careful aiming to target the direction of the light beam so that
it points downward and does not spill beyond where it is needed.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;">Low
Light Levels</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;">--Light should be no brighter than
necessary.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;">Controlled</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;">--Light should be used only when it is useful. Use controls
such as timers or motion detectors to ensure that light is available when it is
needed, dimmed when possible, and turned off when not needed.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;">Color</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;">--Use warmer color lights where possible. Choose </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">bulbs that
are marked 2700 Kelvin or lower to limit the amount of shorter wavelength
(blue-violet) light.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6pCHHCxDjQS6gh7NA2Re5vAes7fzkqygGBm_zY6hCKpirhBQ4LIiLlXwjODiOOCsZIf1L8lCrJNGBnWbRYC2UkS4EfyI-Orf4Omtdk-PMmajjyjBuAgGr3QGSClEJMZy8nHXw71QXf8/w640-h480/JanuaryMoon2011.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">January Moon 2011, Photo Courtesy of <a href="https://kickapoofriends.org/" target="_blank">Friends of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiR1C8DTUUgRue0dO3BXm1IpSAB5ypIUNWh-MBdoJlJ5031sBTM1FzLOwlrLUtAlgWlmLMRCCcMfW5CPTohKRUgAPH0il39lvLh0OtFm1gxQ6h1-9L3jrZOXoghmhZQ7e0oBKkiIN6SLo/w640-h480/FullMoonGreenHollow2009.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Full Moon Green Hollow, Photo Courtesy of <a href="https://kickapoofriends.org/" target="_blank">Friends of Kickapoo Valley Reserve</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgua3GmN5bvsWS5YxwwZU1ehgGciQxmbiNyExbNuunGZ2u6rILoZ7640LXmalHuhThrZfahjhFi4p79jSS_Er3lQZw2Uh5uW07WmBPCR8Zmg68TJK_Dp-gnpuyYlgg-B8PbWb4_njmLtFE/w640-h426/CampsiteKNight2016.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Campsite K at Night, Photo Courtesy of Friends of Kickapoo Valley Reserve</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;">Explore </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.darksky.org/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">darksky.org</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"> for more resources to make it simple to preserve the night.
And visit </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=7.50&lat=43.6180&lon=-90.8091&layers=B0FFFFFFTFFFFFFFFFF"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">lightpollutionmap.info</span></a></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> to view your community from space. Choose enough light to
find your way at night, but not so much as to be visible from low Earth orbit!</span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQzRPw8EbePi1BQ0ea1G0nT4EKLSdaUchSp2sZTk9Pcp2A8VcGFJlyZkMI2AFV5daZjrbqA9omFCnZdcejc5d8eTv1yZTK7X9-ELwubmaGY0ttiLCGtz9y4Yt8pwdRH0tu6h4gz7pLL4/w640-h426/CampsiteKMilkyWay2016.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Campsite K, Photo Courtesy of <a href="https://kickapoofriends.org/" target="_blank">Friends of Kickapoo Valley Reserve</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">John Heasley is an astronomy educator and stargazer who enjoys
connecting people with the cosmos. He volunteers with NASA/JPL as a </span></i><span lang="EN"><a href="https://solarsystem1.jpl.nasa.gov/ssa/biography.cfm?US_ID=732"><i><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">Solar
System Ambassador</span></i></a></span><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> , with the International Dark-Sky Association
as an </span></i><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.darksky.org/our-work/grassroots-advocacy/chapters/find-a-chapter/"><i><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">Advocate</span></i></a></span><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">, and the International Astronomical Union as a </span></i><span lang="EN"><a href="https://darkskies4all.org/users/profile/john-373052/"><i><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">Dark
Sky Ambassador</span></i></a></span><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">. For more information about stargazing in
southwest WI, like </span></i><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DriftlessStargazing/"><i><span style="color: #0563c1; font-size: 12pt;">Driftless Stargazing
LLC</span></i></a></span><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> on Facebook and find out whenever there's
something awesome happening in the skies.</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://kickapoofriends.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></a></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgua3GmN5bvsWS5YxwwZU1ehgGciQxmbiNyExbNuunGZ2u6rILoZ7640LXmalHuhThrZfahjhFi4p79jSS_Er3lQZw2Uh5uW07WmBPCR8Zmg68TJK_Dp-gnpuyYlgg-B8PbWb4_njmLtFE/s500/CampsiteKNight2016.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQzRPw8EbePi1BQ0ea1G0nT4EKLSdaUchSp2sZTk9Pcp2A8VcGFJlyZkMI2AFV5daZjrbqA9omFCnZdcejc5d8eTv1yZTK7X9-ELwubmaGY0ttiLCGtz9y4Yt8pwdRH0tu6h4gz7pLL4/s500/CampsiteKMilkyWay2016.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></a></div><p></p></div>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-1109388448984100342021-05-05T09:52:00.002-05:002021-05-05T09:52:22.676-05:00Creating Wild Spaces Close to Home<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkioLqGqL7KMSflsdn_OkvGLUbErulrBkvt98TQkQuAOJ4pCT8IzvjAeS6JELAfIVPeEJJGhWU5HtuWe2DSa51ra7sX97hQ3uhhGA8rIeLdJ7Igst7LsNH_YAmqWkRj0w2bUNFvchzDhI/s960/Untitled+drawing+%25283%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkioLqGqL7KMSflsdn_OkvGLUbErulrBkvt98TQkQuAOJ4pCT8IzvjAeS6JELAfIVPeEJJGhWU5HtuWe2DSa51ra7sX97hQ3uhhGA8rIeLdJ7Igst7LsNH_YAmqWkRj0w2bUNFvchzDhI/w640-h480/Untitled+drawing+%25283%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It's mowing season again, and a question for those of us who care about wild things might be hovering in our minds: How can we encourage more native plants in our landscapes?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Our readers most likely already see the value of biodiversity, wild places, and honoring native species, but there are so many other issues associated with the American love of standard green lawns. Did you know that over $35 billion is spent annually on lawn care and maintenance in the U.S.? Herbicides and pesticides are still all too common in caring for patches of grass that are not native to the landscape. These chemicals have an impact on the soil and the organisms that depend upon it. It is estimated that 40 million acres of the lower 48 states are lawns!</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In our last blog post, we featured important women in Wisconsin conservation. One person that bridges our last post with this one is <a href="https://wchf.org/lorrie-otto/" target="_blank">Lori Otto</a>. In addition to helping combat the use of DDT, a pesticide that is a carcinogen with detrimental impacts to fish, birds, and other wildlife, Otto discovered that allowing her yard to grow more naturally created an excellent habitat for birds and other pollinators. She was active in bringing the "rewilding" movement to American yard owners. Otto's group of natural lawn enthusiasts eventually became the national nonprofit organization, <a href="https://wildones.org/about/" target="_blank">Wild Ones</a>. <a href="https://wildones.org/wild-ones-introduces-free-native-garden-designs/" target="_blank">In January of 2021, Wild Ones released free garden plans for a variety of regions in the United States.</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">If you are ready to plan to return your lawn or part of your yard to more native plants, another great resource is the <a href="https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder" target="_blank">National Wildlife Foundation's Native Plant Finder.</a> You can enter your zip code and find plants ranked by points in terms of how many other species they support. For example, oak trees are listed as potentially supporting 389 species. The tool narrows it down to 15 of the most common caterpillars in our area that rely on oak trees in their life cycle. The Plant Finder Tool would be a great resource to use with children to consider which butterflies you might attract to your yard. Take your list to a nursery that stocks native plants and talk with a plant expert about what might work best in your yard. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://homegrownnationalpark.org/tallamys-hub-1" target="_blank">Doug Tallamy</a>, an entomologist with the University of Delaware and author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/nature-s-best-hope-a-new-approach-to-conservation-that-starts-in-your-yard/9781604699005" target="_blank"><i>Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Backyard</i></a>, has created the <a href="https://homegrownnationalpark.org/about-us" target="_blank">Homegrown National Park Project</a> with a goal of encouraging 20 million acres of native plantings across the U.S. This website has a ton of resources for just getting started in diversifying your backyard, <a href="https://homegrownnationalpark.org/faq-2/dougs-five-easy-steps-for-beginners" target="_blank">including an article on five easy steps for beginners</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Here's a talk Doug gave with the National Wildlife Foundation on the principles behind diversifying our landscapes.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WY4aV5hqkxY" width="320" youtube-src-id="WY4aV5hqkxY"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It takes learning, commitment, and labor to rewild a patch of yard, but the impact could be great. Less mowing <b style="font-style: italic;">and </b>supporting biodiversity in your own space at the same time are two potential benefits. And if you notice a yard that looks a little more wild than the stereotypical American lawn consider all ways it might be supporting important species.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/green-spaces-flora-fauna-wild-native-wildflowers-insects-dublin-dessau-wilderness/a-53955388" target="_blank">Urban planners and city dwellers are beginning to reconsider how common greenspaces can be redesigned to include more native species and less manicured lawns.</a> These efforts are helping to sequester carbon, reduce the amounts of pesticides and chemicals in high traffic areas, and connect people with wild things. What's happening in your neighborhood? </span></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-41442627821330713022021-04-19T22:00:00.002-05:002021-04-20T10:21:06.020-05:00Women in Conservation<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Women's History Month wrapped up almost a month ago, but we wanted to use this space to share a bit more about Wisconsin women who made important contributions to conservation. This post was sparked <a href="https://kvrlearningoutside.blogspot.com/2021/03/spring-migration-is-upon-us.html" target="_blank">by a reminder about the work of Wisconsin's Frances Hamerstrom</a> by our guest blog post writer, Barbara Duerksen. Frances was the first woman to earn a master's degree in wildlife management under Aldo Leopold at the University of Wisconsin. Hamerstrom was instrumental in efforts to save the prairie chicken after farming practices in the Midwest impacted natural habitats.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDYEvhGmVb79PNoGxNdzWmyy58MRKOzW2Uy7GLWnumcMBvt6UpsmliUm-lDJwj70nUOqrTl3OfjKJXbFRxyWzT-YJ4AzTWXJ628y6s8fCZameLgDBDUt3D6XCurGpSJED1OKf-nDXtU8/s1920/Greater_Prairie_Chicken_%25288100960675%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDYEvhGmVb79PNoGxNdzWmyy58MRKOzW2Uy7GLWnumcMBvt6UpsmliUm-lDJwj70nUOqrTl3OfjKJXbFRxyWzT-YJ4AzTWXJ628y6s8fCZameLgDBDUt3D6XCurGpSJED1OKf-nDXtU8/w640-h360/Greater_Prairie_Chicken_%25288100960675%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo Credit: <span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons</u></span></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Have you ever heard a prairie chicken? The unforgettable sound and display must have captivated Frances and inspired her desire to work to bring them back. <a href="https://www.pbs.org/video/in-wisconsin-prairie-chicken-dance/" target="_blank">Here are some great videos</a> to learn more about the <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/columnists/paul-smith/2020/04/05/prairie-chickens-wisconsin-need-habitat-help-survive/2939995001/" target="_blank">remarkable prairie chicken and their habitat in our state</a>.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What in the world is this?? </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCU1vgT-pm49dVyT48y3RySUmSvkeUX9dXnZm1qkUSfmMBpVu2gu5M4XtbGRpGZ8axzB3NM8nFI-KA9lFj3uMY_uI6-apdUG2wAHH_CKtzjpvWzB4bajPv-iSz0v_v7K9ast-1rFJmUc/s665/Trilete_spores.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="661" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCU1vgT-pm49dVyT48y3RySUmSvkeUX9dXnZm1qkUSfmMBpVu2gu5M4XtbGRpGZ8axzB3NM8nFI-KA9lFj3uMY_uI6-apdUG2wAHH_CKtzjpvWzB4bajPv-iSz0v_v7K9ast-1rFJmUc/w636-h640/Trilete_spores.png" width="636" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #54595d; font-size: 15.2px; text-align: start;">A spore tetrad (green) and trilete spores (blue, ~30-35μm diameter) from a late Silurian sporangium (</span><a class="extiw" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgsvik_beds" style="background: none rgb(248, 249, 250); color: #0645ad; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15.2px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;" title="w:Burgsvik beds">Burgsvik beds</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #54595d; font-size: 15.2px; text-align: start;">, Sweden). Spore genus is </span><i style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #54595d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15.2px; text-align: start;"><a class="extiw" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scylaspora" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="w:Scylaspora">Scylaspora</a></i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #54595d; font-size: 15.2px; text-align: start;">. Earliest evidence of life on land!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Smith609 via Wikimedia Commons </div></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.aldoleopold.org/post/staff-board/estella-leopold-2/" target="_blank">Estella Leopold</a>, daughter of the well known Aldo Leopold, became an expert in palynolgy, the study of fossilized pollen. Through her work with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) out west, she helped conserve the fossil beds near Denver, Colorado, which led to this special site being designated as a national monument. Dr. Leopold went on to lead the effort to also designate Mount Saint Helens as a National Monument. She authored over 100 research papers during her long career, and together with her siblings, helped establish the Aldo Leopold Foundation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Emma Toft is known as "Wisconsin's First Woman of Conservation" for her work to establish Toft's Point in Door County as a large tract of land that has been relatively untouched for thousands of years. Toft's Point is now managed by the University of Wisconsin System. In a region that draws thousands of tourists each year, the protection of this unique place is an important feat. <a href="https://video.wttw.com/video/wpt-documentaries1-emma-toft-one-nature/" target="_blank">Here's a great PBS feature on Emma's important work.</a></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuIz1FoQzsJmeeylFrgQPgFPmkqdeVC9eLw_zpubVSoBHIKAUoNUoepqZUtyfp5COHxpTFfUz6kXgWmQB7E2dEovM8N5pxeHIhkRtHMNcxsCKAms72jlivNuJpclvLGNnme8euy7aXCM/s970/recycling_codes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="970" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuIz1FoQzsJmeeylFrgQPgFPmkqdeVC9eLw_zpubVSoBHIKAUoNUoepqZUtyfp5COHxpTFfUz6kXgWmQB7E2dEovM8N5pxeHIhkRtHMNcxsCKAms72jlivNuJpclvLGNnme8euy7aXCM/w640-h360/recycling_codes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Did you know that plastics recycling was advanced greatly by Milly Zantow of Sauk County? She is responsible for those little triangles on plastic items that help identify recyclables the world over. Milly noticed the problem of local landfills being overrun with plastics and she worked tirelessly to advocate for a system to sort and recycle. She also helped write the first mandatory state recycling law that was passed in 1990. <a href="https://pbswisconsineducation.org/biographies/books/Zantow_Level1_Booklet.pdf" target="_blank">Here's a great booklet for young people to learn of Milly's innovation.</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">More currently, August Ball has been influential in connecting people of color with work in environmental sciences and conservation. She created <a href="https://www.creamcityconservation.org/" target="_blank">Cream City Consulting</a>, a firm in Milwaukee to that helps connect people in underrepresented groups with opportunities for leadership in conservation and also works to support youth in a green jobs corps. August also serves on Governor Evers' Task Force on Climate Change. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/travel/wisconsin/outdoors/2020/12/17/wisconsin-first-female-chief-forester-heather-berklund-wants-more-diverse-division-natural-resources/3881008001/" target="_blank">The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WiDNR) recently appointed Heather Berklund as the first woman to lead the Forestry Division in its 116 years.</a> Heather grew up with a love of Wisconsin forests and worked her way up through being a forester to leading departments and finally earning the appointment to her historic position. She is committed to sound practices in forest management across the state through connecting with diverse groups of people who rely upon them. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRqVS_CXEoEbe6iEF7EKvP8JjR6Hk56AFDnKhXNHWVHo_z4T3o0WCXORGImUhcFJbBLc6SOJDBPvB5ZxFDT3V_WbVjn_Q6WntC8I-GjNBxErfYiFyaiiFzuXehkhqw25kwzjiq27hQ3Y/s2048/DSC00764.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRqVS_CXEoEbe6iEF7EKvP8JjR6Hk56AFDnKhXNHWVHo_z4T3o0WCXORGImUhcFJbBLc6SOJDBPvB5ZxFDT3V_WbVjn_Q6WntC8I-GjNBxErfYiFyaiiFzuXehkhqw25kwzjiq27hQ3Y/w640-h480/DSC00764.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p>Locally, we salute the outgoing Executive Director of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve this month. Marcy West has been responsible for directing the management of over 8,600 acres that were returned by the federal government to the local Kickapoo Reserve Management Board and Ho-Chunk Nation in 1998. The Reserve is home to countless important plant, bird, and other wildlife species, in addition to special habitat areas and ecosystems. Visited by thousands of people each year, this special place has been a beloved gem of those who call the Driftless region home and a special destination for recreational users and people who love wild places. Thank you, Marcy! </p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For more information about Women in Conservation and Environmental Sciences, visit these posts:<br /><a href="https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/2021/02/08/women-of-wisconsin-conservation/">https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/2021/02/08/women-of-wisconsin-conservation/</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://womeninwisconsin.org/category/agriculture-environment/">https://womeninwisconsin.org/category/agriculture-environment/</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.aldoleopold.org/post/women-of-conservations-past-and-present/">https://www.aldoleopold.org/post/women-of-conservations-past-and-present/</a></span></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-83989374852219873272021-04-05T06:40:00.000-05:002021-04-05T06:40:43.803-05:00Celebrating Mud<p style="text-align: center;"><i> Guest Post by Julie Hoel, KVR Instructor and Enthusiastic Mud Loving Grandparent</i></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I was just out of college and visiting a friend who had
three children. We were chatting when her five-year-old son came bursting in
the door full of boyish exuberance and covered with splotches of mud from head
to foot. She took one look at him, put on her sternest mom face, whipped out
her you’re-in-big-trouble-now voice and said, “JAY MEYER, HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING
IN THAT CREEK?” The smile fell from his face, he rolled his big brown eyes
upward and said, “No.” The two older sisters and I tried our best contain our
laughter as his mom began peeling off the muddy clothes and throwing them
directly into the washer. To her credit, she did not shame him for being a
muddy mess but continued with her harangue, “You know you’re not supposed to be
playing in that creek!” Clearly, her concern was the danger of water play
rather than dirty clothes. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In these parts, we cannot escape the mud of the March thaw
and April showers that follow. We can save ourselves irritation and frustration
by just embracing and celebrating the wonders of mud. In that spirit, I would
like to share my favorite holiday photo of all time. It was refreshingly
different from the typical family photo of the kids clean and pressed. These
parents were secure enough to celebrate their kids in all their mischievous
muddiness in the deep green of a summer day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I recently asked their dad if I could
share this image, he said, you’re “welcome to use that pic if it’s to promote
kids being kids!” He added, “I think based on where we lived our kids naturally
got real dirty experiencing being a kid in nature. We had 50 acres and a half
mile of river frontage…what a place to be a kid!” He pointed out the nice clean
laundry hanging on the line behind them. I also noticed that they are both
wearing glasses that somehow remained relatively clear. Definitely experienced
mudballs with some self-control! <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAOqY8tGnR4csC0RZ4sVtlISCfiQa5NVUiBVgKekLwCj3wE5KmjTtDJhS4G88yyocWEPKRy1DSiIGqBpjP6C2AXjpBEK7emJ0aS1fEZqoY4FPyylyDaP1nX6ntc7FcudplnI0SwJlkQc/s640/Julie1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="640" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAOqY8tGnR4csC0RZ4sVtlISCfiQa5NVUiBVgKekLwCj3wE5KmjTtDJhS4G88yyocWEPKRy1DSiIGqBpjP6C2AXjpBEK7emJ0aS1fEZqoY4FPyylyDaP1nX6ntc7FcudplnI0SwJlkQc/w640-h556/Julie1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In these two vignettes, the children sought and located the
mud on their own. A quick google search will bring up many benefits of mud play
including development of fine and gross motor skills, increasing cognitive
skills and enhancing creativity. It also is good for the immune system and
decreases stress levels. We would therefore be wise and wonderful caretakers to
seek out opportunities for our children’s mud exploration. My favorite
resource, Pinterest, has limitless schemes to bring mud play to every location.
There are recipes for mud paint, fizzing mud and mud soup. The design
suggestions for mud kitchens are endless.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But the fun of mud play is not just for children. Back in
’93, I experienced mud as art with adults during a volunteer week at Dr. Patch
Adams’ Gesundheit! Institute in West Virginia. His model of good health
includes humor and art as healing. Once a week, volunteers were encouraged to
experience community in the mud pit. After the mud bath, there were photo
sessions of numerous statuesque poses. It was a truly memorable experience! <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTueesvskHmm5pk67pB4-F7DL8oeO0Ll_a2NrEsSs4FWR7hhRjBxQX2fLq4KXa7jOoToutImR4KaahQizTxDOljjBN7us1WhoqGg_y4IsdefvPZiiodCujSEHYXr-9nxwCu-qhIseMk9I/s640/Julie2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="640" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTueesvskHmm5pk67pB4-F7DL8oeO0Ll_a2NrEsSs4FWR7hhRjBxQX2fLq4KXa7jOoToutImR4KaahQizTxDOljjBN7us1WhoqGg_y4IsdefvPZiiodCujSEHYXr-9nxwCu-qhIseMk9I/w640-h442/Julie2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">So when you encounter the inevitable mud of the season, I
encourage you remember your own fondest muddy memory and smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if a mud-covered child comes bursting in
your doorway, greet them with that smile and make throwing those dirty clothes
into the washer a celebration.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">P.S. All the above references to mud exclude flood mud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That nasty stuff is a nightmare.</p><p class="MsoNormal">For some more muddy inspiration, check out these books and links:</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KOsnHyzMmfYdS8yuJ3SUfkE5S6r81Q0Qt85O1aQT13FGFi8m6C6j7sOLccBWAU9-rruUZhTE69_7j7c_uSGk__N6U7w1X9tNIVidKMXg1ufQGX5JNNypZsV082J0Yx3LITv5q15j5MM/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="220" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KOsnHyzMmfYdS8yuJ3SUfkE5S6r81Q0Qt85O1aQT13FGFi8m6C6j7sOLccBWAU9-rruUZhTE69_7j7c_uSGk__N6U7w1X9tNIVidKMXg1ufQGX5JNNypZsV082J0Yx3LITv5q15j5MM/" width="230" /></a></div><br /> <a href="https://www.laurenstringer.com/books/mud" target="_blank">Mud by Mary Lyn Ray, Illustrated by Lauren Stringer</a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This beautiful book celebrates the beginning of the mud season in simple text and gorgeous illustrations. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/mud-play#:~:text=It%20helps%20children%20develop%20tactile,%2C%20independent%20learning%2C%20and%20teamwork." target="_blank">Mudplay for Kids: Why It's Worth the Mess - Healthline</a> This article provides details about why messy play is so beneficial for children.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/2016/the-benefits-of-mud-play" target="_blank">Mud, Marvelous Mud - Community Playthings</a> With the benefits clearly outlined, this article provides ideas and considerations for embracing mud play with your child.</p><p></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-16769347549930160282021-03-22T07:54:00.002-05:002021-03-22T07:54:42.617-05:00Spring Migration is Upon Us<p style="text-align: center;"><i> Guest Post by Barbara Duerksen</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">What a delight to welcome back the birds we have not seen for
months! There’s music in the air – honking geese and calling swans flying to
the northwest, robins, blackbirds, and cardinals singing in the morning, and
the loud, rattling bugle calls of Sandhill Cranes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7Ay8HM157f-ozplnil_D9ju9b7lE7t_HUitgu-mceehYOLZFKiIPwhZBb6ZYeQC-Evbb1_n2NThkdNjc2GggHZm-TZa4xwz4jn_TrdZcgKRHE2aa2tLpoYQiUx1b9_iWe1hvx0SFeOQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7Ay8HM157f-ozplnil_D9ju9b7lE7t_HUitgu-mceehYOLZFKiIPwhZBb6ZYeQC-Evbb1_n2NThkdNjc2GggHZm-TZa4xwz4jn_TrdZcgKRHE2aa2tLpoYQiUx1b9_iWe1hvx0SFeOQ/w427-h640/image.png" width="427" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sandhill Crane photo by Dave Franks</span></i></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">When the ice goes out, the ducks come in. They might stay for
a day, sometimes longer, as they make their journey from the southern states to
their nesting territories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few of the
duck species like Wood Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, and Mallards, stay in our area
to raise their broods, while most of the other ducks head for farther north
wetlands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find Hooded Mergansers
particularly elegant and fun to watch. The males are black on top with white
stripes in front and back, brown sides, and a black and white head that looks
very large when the crest feathers are raised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Females are brown and also have crest feathers that can be raised or
lowered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They look a little less elegant
and more like a bad hair day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
found Hooded Mergansers in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve in early spring swimming
in the wooded wetland at the junction of Hwy 131 and County P.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrBHN1-DW3ePxjNvsA4Xc_Uu8fanPNfMyd1beVXvRfqQdJHuMmdqh8aihgXt35gV09DXC1olyvMGIFgLqNjmt-wvA4ijlIa_YRApcK6eIyOmtQATu4vMKxTh6_8s2SdUP2ApiFgMLG7I/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="400" data-original-width="500" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrBHN1-DW3ePxjNvsA4Xc_Uu8fanPNfMyd1beVXvRfqQdJHuMmdqh8aihgXt35gV09DXC1olyvMGIFgLqNjmt-wvA4ijlIa_YRApcK6eIyOmtQATu4vMKxTh6_8s2SdUP2ApiFgMLG7I/w640-h512/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hooded Merganser photo by Jack Bartholmai</span></i></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Migration is all about food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Waterfowl need open water to find fish, snails, worms, roots and other
plant food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Insect eaters need warm
enough temperatures to find a good steady supply of insects, and that takes
them far south of Wisconsin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seed eaters
and some of the predatory birds can find enough food to get through the winter
season, so we’ll see jays, chickadees, cardinals, crows, Cooper’s and
Red-tailed Hawks all winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Juncos,
American Tree Sparrows, Purple Finches, Rough-legged Hawks, and Northern
Shrikes are among the species that come from way north to stay here for the
winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will be leaving soon, and instead
we’ll see Fox, White-throated, and White-crowned Sparrows on their way north,
in addition to other early migrants like kinglets and phoebes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">April brings some notable insect eaters, despite the
possibility of cold weather and snowstorms. Hermit Thrushes, Yellow-rumped Warblers,
and Winter Wrens are all insect eaters that seem to be able to withstand colder
temperatures than others of their kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their
diets ae a bit more flexible –they prefer insects, but all three are able to
digest fruits like juniper berries. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cold
spells with deep snow that last too long can be life-threatening to these
birds, as we witnessed with in April, 2018.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorViEDmry730vFF_H6KpuVoMvrhND-XGEihRLewOc6Kep4c_KJYjlYW9r5Mc2IX0uPEEFjzR2JbKlRoC9Rfjx4hbqeaIzJH4EicsUTba7iiZNjBWnBIgqAvBlWGf_XTprdVqF7NTnhMo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorViEDmry730vFF_H6KpuVoMvrhND-XGEihRLewOc6Kep4c_KJYjlYW9r5Mc2IX0uPEEFjzR2JbKlRoC9Rfjx4hbqeaIzJH4EicsUTba7iiZNjBWnBIgqAvBlWGf_XTprdVqF7NTnhMo/w640-h480/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Winter Wren photo by Dan Jackson</i></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Winter Wrens are small brown birds with very short tails that
they often hold upright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are
smaller than the more familiar House Wrens that spend their summers here, and
most of them fly farther north to the forests of northern Wisconsin and Canada.
Winter Wrens have nested in cool microclimates in the Kickapoo Reserve and the
Baraboo Hills, preferring areas with coarse woody debris or tangled roots. Some
older field guides recommend looking for migrating Winter Wrens in stacks of
firewood in the yard. On nesting territory, the male sings a loud, rich,
lengthy, bubbly song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can listen to
the song <a href="http://kvr.state.wi.us/Natural-Features/KVR-Birds/KVR-Bird-List/Winter-Wren/">here by pressing the audio button.</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The colorful familiar songsters like grosbeaks, orioles, and
Indigo Buntings, will show up a bit later, some in late April and the rest in
May, along with many migrating warblers. These are the long-distance migrants
that spend the winter in warmer climates, some—Yellow Warblers and Barn
Swallows, for example—as far south as countries in South America.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Migration is a perilous journey with hazards that range from
bad weather and natural predators, to human-caused habitat destruction, window
strikes, poisoning by pesticides, and predation by cats. How to help?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Study up on what birds need, support bird
conservation groups and reserves (like the KVR), consider planting
bird-friendly plants and trees in your yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a list of suggestions here: at</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/seven-simple-actions-to-help-birds/">https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/seven-simple-actions-to-help-birds/</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGuroFGgXYbx9LZ0tc5Qkv10uoiJXoN13yW2CfkRB4aYwgrQbjN5Ha248dVCmCcD_c52hqq8Drlqlxs6Vj_TEAKenojgTED7Y5FFYvjE4l2-jPF-sCsdgy0fb5hUJ0dpnRHbjkb7ktYg/" style="font-size: 18.6667px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="400" data-original-width="500" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGuroFGgXYbx9LZ0tc5Qkv10uoiJXoN13yW2CfkRB4aYwgrQbjN5Ha248dVCmCcD_c52hqq8Drlqlxs6Vj_TEAKenojgTED7Y5FFYvjE4l2-jPF-sCsdgy0fb5hUJ0dpnRHbjkb7ktYg/w640-h512/image.png" width="640" /><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span></a><i style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">American Woodcock photo by Jack Bartholmai</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Ready for an evening adventure?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go out at dusk to listen for the American
Woodcock call and sky dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>American
Woodcocks are in the shorebird family, but nest on the ground in shrubby
woodland edges. An odd-looking short-tailed brown bird, they are about
robin-size, plump, with long beaks and eyes positioned high up and near the
back of the skull. In early spring, the males, looking to attract a mate, find
an open area to sit and call a series of single buzzy, nasal “peent” sounds,
and after a while, fly up with a twittering sound in a large circle, descend to
the same area with a slower chirpy sound, and start again to do the call. This
occurs about 20 minutes after sunset. The open area around the Kickapoo Reserve
Visitor Center has been a reliable spot to observe this spring ritual of the
woodcock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">For great reading on the woodcock dance check out these favorites:</span></span></p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://www.aldoleopold.org/about/aldo-leopold/" target="_blank">Aldo Leopold</a>, in </span><u style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://www.aldoleopold.org/store/a-sand-county-almanac/" target="_blank">A Sand County Almanac</a></u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">, describes the
Sky Dance of the woodcocks on his farm in the April section of Part 1.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://womeninwisconsin.org/profile/frances-hamerstrom/" target="_blank">Frances Hamerstrom</a>, in </span><u style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://www.aldoleopold.org/post/walk-moon-full/" target="_blank">Walk When the Moon is Full</a>,</u><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> devotes her April chapter to the story of gong out with her two
children to witness the sky dance of the woodcock.</span><p></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-51171247268649853682021-03-08T12:21:00.002-06:002021-03-08T12:58:21.954-06:00Looking for Spring<p style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcmDpyiiCT3brrhGYWhWLddihMf66oA80jA8jGzJLZrimzVZD8ZT0Iqkr_3hRs-IOXGXClHuwLVfJFyAegr73MJUh4e38DTMKsQLN4uBGk5glzhF1oox-N_Sx96fWMlMXE96dXDq9yK0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcmDpyiiCT3brrhGYWhWLddihMf66oA80jA8jGzJLZrimzVZD8ZT0Iqkr_3hRs-IOXGXClHuwLVfJFyAegr73MJUh4e38DTMKsQLN4uBGk5glzhF1oox-N_Sx96fWMlMXE96dXDq9yK0/w640-h480/image.png" width="640" /></a><i> </i><i>C. Chybowski</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>A guest post by KVR Educator Cathy Chybowski</i></p><p class="MsoNormal">Spring is in the air!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even if the calendar says “March,” the cold winds blow, and the snow
lingers, those of us tuned in to the changing seasons know that spring is fast
approaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By observing and recording
natural events year after year, we can accurately predict and anticipate the
sequence in which these events occur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The study of recurring natural events like the migration of
birds or the flowering of plants and their connection with each other as the
seasons change is called <u>phenology</u>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Everyone practices phenology whether they realize it or
not—naturalists, gardeners, farmers, and homeowners, among others. “April showers bring May flowers” is pure
phenology.<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibccXfxXEEHUN28CN0iUlp9t-TrYS_h_5G2pI6k6bUEpA59jR8JwifeT0hPRmnCK0ILKZaMBEUXcsvT7M8AqVQSDbsbuv2eohBXH-GOvgoQEFWlNnAaK_80qOZn_2HM6GrGUKCXW7Uxy4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibccXfxXEEHUN28CN0iUlp9t-TrYS_h_5G2pI6k6bUEpA59jR8JwifeT0hPRmnCK0ILKZaMBEUXcsvT7M8AqVQSDbsbuv2eohBXH-GOvgoQEFWlNnAaK_80qOZn_2HM6GrGUKCXW7Uxy4/w640-h426/image.png" width="640" /></a><i style="text-align: left;">Islay Pictures Photoblog</i></div><p>What tells you that spring has arrived? Is it the first robin of the year? Like Aldo Leopold, many people sense that
spring has sprung when they see and hear a flock of geese flying in the typical
V-formation proclaiming the change of season. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b><i>“One swallow does not
make a summer, but one skein of geese, cleaving the murk of a March thaw, is
the spring.” </i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Leopold continues .
. . <i>. “A cardinal whistling spring to a thaw but
later finding himself mistaken, can retrieve his error by resuming his winter
silence. A chipmunk, emerging for a sunbath but finding a blizzard, has only to
go back to bed. But a migrating goose,
staking two hundred miles of black night on the chance of finding a hole in the
lake, has no easy chance for retreat. His arrival carries the conviction of a prophet who has burned his
bridges.”</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuifX30OC8oSAhgtxcnW5KycMkzAJQfXKLUZBHuqDUCf1sudnsl7ISE7QANCiNPaJ5g02Muok_N_RmIMkr_IxRGKr8Psnhnj08xtWrO7HZH7KJ2MmtS2Th3ME6HCHTeu6AHVsbmXvd9s4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuifX30OC8oSAhgtxcnW5KycMkzAJQfXKLUZBHuqDUCf1sudnsl7ISE7QANCiNPaJ5g02Muok_N_RmIMkr_IxRGKr8Psnhnj08xtWrO7HZH7KJ2MmtS2Th3ME6HCHTeu6AHVsbmXvd9s4/w640-h480/image.png" width="640" /></a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span> </span><span><span> </span><i>Greg Gillson</i></span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtoBNa3w_uhqnOj9xdyeH_BQ9KNrKClZjztuJG65h5HOeY9jymK8D2hRt1Yb1x5sJYib_HlKKSPSk3xN4GoaPpbDuhkA6wvIxV8-07fM26vTz-k07lIsqywK7P-b4IGJTfjgwXQWQ0k4g/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtoBNa3w_uhqnOj9xdyeH_BQ9KNrKClZjztuJG65h5HOeY9jymK8D2hRt1Yb1x5sJYib_HlKKSPSk3xN4GoaPpbDuhkA6wvIxV8-07fM26vTz-k07lIsqywK7P-b4IGJTfjgwXQWQ0k4g/w640-h480/image.png" width="640" /></a><i style="text-align: left;"> Sid Hamm</i></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 9pt;">It is time to check last year’s
phenology records for the order of events. We can predict that in southern Wisconsin, the red-winged
blackbirds return to the marshes before the end of February and the bluebirds
return to nest by March 15. The wood
frogs begin their choral courtship the third week in March and ground squirrels
and woodchucks emerge sleepy from hibernation by the end of March. Hepatica begins to bloom around mid-April and bloodroot blooms about one week later.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 9pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdLIJMRLhesWQEHed5PpYI8VxAldm6GKTTqGR-vuGkDu4zjZ-OfL1lMGz2gKHoBvmNK4cc1G_Nyn9VQYEj_OGm6Q1VD476HIvuOf2nN6OPdswQlaeY9G_N-FsxYXMPL-nAmm8t8Y6N1s/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="462" data-original-width="640" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdLIJMRLhesWQEHed5PpYI8VxAldm6GKTTqGR-vuGkDu4zjZ-OfL1lMGz2gKHoBvmNK4cc1G_Nyn9VQYEj_OGm6Q1VD476HIvuOf2nN6OPdswQlaeY9G_N-FsxYXMPL-nAmm8t8Y6N1s/w640-h462/image.png" width="640" /></a></div> <i>awaytothgarden.com</i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWE39kO15zRxQnX-2zMkXOjHmPacvt3_kWz6X8_YoHUexHayqRhoMQOlFe6_5_mhO_O6DkvHPekxk6Du6hYFS-8qyrJxJ51_7GarAWsapc9J4E1pteWVBsZCAFb7kMYxUWUHvMG5MXNo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWE39kO15zRxQnX-2zMkXOjHmPacvt3_kWz6X8_YoHUexHayqRhoMQOlFe6_5_mhO_O6DkvHPekxk6Du6hYFS-8qyrJxJ51_7GarAWsapc9J4E1pteWVBsZCAFb7kMYxUWUHvMG5MXNo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4Km02XN272gFjMEwZ7QxSHwO_dCxQ37kJMNHfwzgBQXwU-TpAiayXAe96VnXBOib5cY7jtM0j-WPAzVWKPYvnESH9SnqjqLROCmbYVz6AU9bGKOojkT7VgR_f8doN4wr5-dvyf8vb8o/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="320" data-original-width="238" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4Km02XN272gFjMEwZ7QxSHwO_dCxQ37kJMNHfwzgBQXwU-TpAiayXAe96VnXBOib5cY7jtM0j-WPAzVWKPYvnESH9SnqjqLROCmbYVz6AU9bGKOojkT7VgR_f8doN4wr5-dvyf8vb8o/w239-h320/image.png" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWE39kO15zRxQnX-2zMkXOjHmPacvt3_kWz6X8_YoHUexHayqRhoMQOlFe6_5_mhO_O6DkvHPekxk6Du6hYFS-8qyrJxJ51_7GarAWsapc9J4E1pteWVBsZCAFb7kMYxUWUHvMG5MXNo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="320" data-original-width="252" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWE39kO15zRxQnX-2zMkXOjHmPacvt3_kWz6X8_YoHUexHayqRhoMQOlFe6_5_mhO_O6DkvHPekxk6Du6hYFS-8qyrJxJ51_7GarAWsapc9J4E1pteWVBsZCAFb7kMYxUWUHvMG5MXNo/w253-h320/image.png" width="253" /></a><i style="text-align: left;"> C. Chybowski</i></div></div><p class="MsoNormal">Nature’s grand production runs from the time that skunk
cabbage pokes up through the snow, through the time when the woodpeckers begin
to drum, male red-wings “onk-la-ree” from the cattails and pussy willows fluff
out. Killdeer and meadowlarks return, chipmunks awaken from their winter
dormancy, song sparrows sing “hip hip hooray guys, spring is here,” balls of
garter snakes appear, painted turtles pop up on sunning logs, mourning cloak butterflies
and little brown bats flit about, and spring ephemerals emerge from the woodland floor.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlQ-0ULAKERtvNMIcVFDksTFcrpnGbg3lvSuhOxEcz2BDOwFo-XubSemmw31z7oqGRO_jk6O7KhyphenhyphenKB4SRzghQL7ctu7_j0D5j6Q_tZkMQZmqJycMysV70psQ-g27uQ8O8ai-7RlDlPvU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlQ-0ULAKERtvNMIcVFDksTFcrpnGbg3lvSuhOxEcz2BDOwFo-XubSemmw31z7oqGRO_jk6O7KhyphenhyphenKB4SRzghQL7ctu7_j0D5j6Q_tZkMQZmqJycMysV70psQ-g27uQ8O8ai-7RlDlPvU/w400-h300/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><i style="text-align: left;"><span> V. Charney</span></i></div><p class="MsoNormal">All of these observations were made before April 15<sup>th</sup>. Soon thereafter the great wave of warbler
migration begins (about a month after the woodcocks begin their aerial
courtship display). Then the tree leaves
burst forth, flowers in gardens and fields bloom and the air holds the sweet
scent of lilacs just in time for Mother’s Day. The show continues on and on . . .</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>“During every week
from April to September there are on average, ten wild plants coming into first
bloom. . . No man can heed all of these anniversaries; no man can ignore all of
them.”</i> - Aldo
Leopold</p><p class="MsoNormal">No two years are exactly the same and some signs of spring
are more reliable than others. Frogs are
good predictors of spring. Wood frogs
and spring peepers begin to sing soon after ice-out when the water has warmed
to 46 degrees F. Earthworm castings
become visible when the frost has come out of the ground. The return of robins and bluebirds is not a reliable
indicator of spring because some of them stay in our area throughout the
winter.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YSmnLC4vlKaKami9M2X4gkfuClET9VnbhHX8-sAzkxVWcahjQ313gYOtsIDp8pRkxV6xyDAXvPp_ffgkM4qA_MxQLaXlw-t0k31F8Mp3i8XOoAnYHiDPIqDgYum7Jyoo1AdJ2BzpOHo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="849" data-original-width="1280" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YSmnLC4vlKaKami9M2X4gkfuClET9VnbhHX8-sAzkxVWcahjQ313gYOtsIDp8pRkxV6xyDAXvPp_ffgkM4qA_MxQLaXlw-t0k31F8Mp3i8XOoAnYHiDPIqDgYum7Jyoo1AdJ2BzpOHo/w640-h424/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> <i>petponder.com</i></span><br /></div><div><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><br /></span></div>Spring usually invades our state in the southwest corner and
marches north and northeast at a rate of about fifteen miles a day. This was determined when<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span>residents across the state were asked to
record the date at which the lilac, a species familiar to everyone, was in peak
flower.<p class="MsoNormal">According to Hopkin’s law, phenological events vary at the
rate of one day for each fifteen minutes of latitude, 1.25 days for each degree
of longitude, and one day for each one hundred feet of altitude, being later
northward, eastward, and upward. When
applied in Wisconsin, this law seems to hold almost exactly along a north-south
axis; except that Lake Michigan retards the spring warmup.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Above is merely a sampling of the discoveries that await the
curious nature observer. It is a fun time of
year for each of us to get outside and take a closer look at what Aldo Leopold
calls the “hundred little dramas” happening right outside the door when spring
is in the air. </p><p></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-83061480608196973842021-02-16T14:40:00.006-06:002021-02-16T14:42:27.792-06:00Celebrating Black History Month<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJ8htMZ8qlQ7PuTvOyjuIYD-Sb2E0jjgqzgf9uIiQNLA5m74A1EKYVBti4EE9QHrDOlWfkNTg-hv4SIg5XD5vZ1Vel6Ak7mB34ob8hIVlOAqIgPCjBaExcD0zOqFNMFQxn_-5IST0Zc4/s2048/6847172255_e70ea3c693_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="2048" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJ8htMZ8qlQ7PuTvOyjuIYD-Sb2E0jjgqzgf9uIiQNLA5m74A1EKYVBti4EE9QHrDOlWfkNTg-hv4SIg5XD5vZ1Vel6Ak7mB34ob8hIVlOAqIgPCjBaExcD0zOqFNMFQxn_-5IST0Zc4/w640-h488/6847172255_e70ea3c693_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image via <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/vblibrary/6847172255" target="_blank">Enokson on Flickr</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: left;">The Learning Outside team honors Black adventurers, outdoor education advocates, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts in solidarity with Black History Month and Black Futures celebrations around the nation. Here in Wisconsin, several exciting adventures and initiatives are happening as we speak in our remarkable landscape.</span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">First up, did you hear the buzz around Emily Wood, the first woman to thru-hike the Ice Age Trail in winter? <a href="https://madison.com/ct/news/local/photos-emily-ford-aims-to-become-the-first-woman-to-thru-hike-the-ice-age/collection_ad736bf2-4436-5818-8f00-7cd26bc0c6c6.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share#2" target="_blank">This photo feature and article in the Capitol Times is fantastic.</a> Follow Emily's hike virtually; she's @emilyontrail on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/emilyontrail/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. <u><a href="https://www.nbc15.com/2021/01/21/28-year-old-woman-hiking-ice-age-trail-set-to-make-history/#:~:text=Emily%20Ford%20is%20a%20professional,eons%20ago%2C%E2%80%9D%20says%20Ford." target="_blank">In an NBC 15 interview featuring this historic effort, Emily shared her thoughts about the "firsts" she is striving for and promoting equality:</a></u></span></p><div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Many other people have completed this trail, but winter is the elusive season for most folks. So I’ll be the first woman, the first Black woman, and I’m sure the first Black gay woman. I’ll tack that one on there!”</span></span></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She hopes to inspire more people in minority groups to get out and enjoy the outdoors. “The other reason why I’m out here is just to you know show people that if you look different or something is different about you, you can still do the thing that people don’t think you can do,” says Ford.</span></span></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She says especially after the year our country just faced, she’d like to use her journey as a platform to promote equality. “2020 started happening and unfolding itself and with the murder of George Floyd over in Minnesota and other stuff happening in other states, I’m just like man there’s got to be a way that I also can get my voice out there too for people of color and just continue to equalize the boundaries,” says Ford.</span></span></div><p class="text | article-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For more news on people doing great work connecting with the outdoors, check out the <a href="https://joytripproject.com/" target="_blank">Joy Trip Project</a>. Founded by James Edward Mills, a faculty assistant at the University of Wisconsin Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, the Joy Trip project serves as a "newsgathering and reporting organization that covers outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, and acts of charitable giving and practices of sustainable living." Mills is author of <i><a href="https://joytripproject.com/the-adventure-gap/" target="_blank">The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors</a></i>. Last summer, a group of men embarked on an important trip to the Wisconsin Northwoods. <a href="https://joytripproject.com/2021/01/from-the-barbershop-to-the-backcountry/" target="_blank">Mills and Aaron Perry, one of the group's organizers, recently shared more about their experiences in an interview</a>.</span></p><p class="text | article-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You should also check out <a href="https://outdoorafro.com/" target="_blank">Outdoor Afro</a>, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting Black individuals with outdoor experiences. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/549851315192836/" target="_blank">There's a Wisconsin and Iowa chapter connecting local folks with events and resources, and they have a Facebook community.</a></span></p><p class="text | article-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Wisconsin and the Midwest are full of great stories and exciting initiatives in Black lives in the outdoors. Additionally, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joesills/2020/12/11/black-ice-climbers-are-breaking-down-barriers-into-the-outdoors/?sh=1f2bdb47164d" target="_blank">read about ice climbers from Memphis</a>, and <a href="https://shop.mkefilm.org/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=137857~729c05ba-2787-4669-ac5a-5f9b6c935fed&" target="_blank">youth from Atlanta heading to the mountains of Colorado</a>.</span></p><p class="text | article-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Are you in the market for new outdoor gear as you contemplate the warming months ahead? While we can't stress enough the idea of finding secondhand gear and keeping it in use, consider <a href="https://slimpickinsoutfitters.com/" target="_blank">Slim Pickens Outfitters</a>, the nation's only Black-owned outdoor gear and apparel shop. Owner Jamicah Dawes is committed to sourcing sustainable brands and vintage gear and the mission of diversifying the outdoors.</span></p><p class="text | article-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/alexis-nikole-nelson-forager-tiktok-the-way-we-eat-23060470" target="_blank">Alexis Nikole Nelson</a> aka The Black Forager on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blackforager/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@alexisnikole?source=h5_m" target="_blank">Tik Tok</a> has become popular for folks who are curious about understanding what's available to eat on the land around them. During the pandemic, Alexis became a popular follow for thousands of people new to foraging. Her songs and posts not only celebrate the plants and fungi of her Ohio neighborhood, but they help followers understand the historical challenges faced by Black and Indigenous people who have been systematically separated from the land and sourcing their own food. </span></p><p class="text | article-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Speaking of history, spend some time learning more about the remarkable <a href="https://www.rei.com/blog/stewardship/betty-reid-soskin" target="_blank">Betty Reid Soskin</a>, who at 99 is the oldest National Park Ranger, and someone who has blazed many trails in her work and activism. Stationed at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Homefront park, Betty has spoken about the need for all Americans to understand our nation's complex history through experiences at all of our national parks and monuments, rural and urban, alike:</span></p><p class="text | article-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"We have created this system of national parks, where it's possible to revisit almost any era in our history. The heroic places, the scenic wonders, the contemplative places, the shameful places, and the painful places. In order to own that history. Own it, process it, that we may begin to forgive ourselves in order to move into a more compassionate future together." </span></p><p class="text | article-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On a final note, we encourage you to continue to learn about the history and support present day adventures of Black individuals and groups getting outdoors as we work together to ensure equitable access and justice for people who have been historically denied rights, opportunities, and resources. This is imperative for our next generation, too. <a href="https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/wheres-rodney/" target="_blank">If you have a young reader in your life, consider finding the book, Where's Rodney, by Carmen Bogan, and illustrated by Floyd Cooper.</a> While <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/05/the-lack-of-diversity-in-childrens-books-about-nature/590152/" target="_blank">the publishing world is dominated by white writers and illustrators</a>, this special book was created by two Black creatives who offer up the joy of a child's experience in the outdoors for all of us to celebrate.</span></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-10887522883974733332021-02-07T20:33:00.001-06:002021-02-08T05:49:41.910-06:00Summer Camp 2021<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVsJJtz-_0NiXVHdHt3zD18eXSiTFgRvcYn_chiFc0kkAivyBe5nQdCEsQjQQGIfZvhb7aJlmBDelDXGKIv_LUuklEAzNSrDtZHiNgQePs_W6-hV7xfsOhr6JE557i3iYDgr5Cnun6_M/s2048/Image-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVsJJtz-_0NiXVHdHt3zD18eXSiTFgRvcYn_chiFc0kkAivyBe5nQdCEsQjQQGIfZvhb7aJlmBDelDXGKIv_LUuklEAzNSrDtZHiNgQePs_W6-hV7xfsOhr6JE557i3iYDgr5Cnun6_M/w640-h480/Image-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Was summer camp part of your experience growing up? Do you have memories of the friends you made, the skills your learned, the food you ate? Maybe as an adult you have perspective now on the personal growth that happened for you at summer camp? You aren't alone. So many of us had wonderful and affecting camp experiences in our youth, and now KVR works to provide those same experiences for the children in your life. Whether as the youngest of our day campers or the seasoned teens hitting the KVR trails for several nights, there is summer camp magic waiting for all.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPUNuXZ6-Ho9sN7QyfLd3JDw9uqFJ2uAAOLyz6MaeNJXqaOGfBEbWJX1W6TQJGuXgiHZXy0O7pNVzZJwXvB8LuO7YGQF49ZR3ZAkqmV9r7cNd9ggAZKtB0iqCqnJyoITrtvkH0bVMnS4/s4896/DSC01148.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPUNuXZ6-Ho9sN7QyfLd3JDw9uqFJ2uAAOLyz6MaeNJXqaOGfBEbWJX1W6TQJGuXgiHZXy0O7pNVzZJwXvB8LuO7YGQF49ZR3ZAkqmV9r7cNd9ggAZKtB0iqCqnJyoITrtvkH0bVMnS4/w640-h480/DSC01148.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Summer camp provides children with so many important experiences and skills. We sure missed it in 2020. Summer camp at the KVR in 2021 will look much the same as it always has. We'll play in the water, and in the mud; we'll take long hikes, see incredible landscapes, and spot wild animals; we'll teambuild together and laugh together. We'll scrape some knees and high-five each other. We'll build resilience and self-respect while getting dirty and wet. We'll learn responsibility, communication, and leadership skills. We'll make new friends and gain new perspectives, all while being nurtured by a community of caring adults who are skilled in experiential education.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8K_MNT6Lfh6PE-MYijXyF3BgGwqPyaO89pn4q0Ylmgm4xjVCbdste4aUAu4xZCX68AJQfGutdhALXaJmEXfsqst43Qwm0RxxlbTaMWUbxZD6GLDHipHe3vXec1KxfXIN5eUL-VpCnL50/s4896/DSC01123.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8K_MNT6Lfh6PE-MYijXyF3BgGwqPyaO89pn4q0Ylmgm4xjVCbdste4aUAu4xZCX68AJQfGutdhALXaJmEXfsqst43Qwm0RxxlbTaMWUbxZD6GLDHipHe3vXec1KxfXIN5eUL-VpCnL50/w640-h480/DSC01123.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Summer 2021 will also bring increased Covid-19 safety precautions, like spending even more time outside, using masks when in proximity of each other, and extra hand-washing, to name few. We are getting the hang of these new measures and we know that being outdoors is a low risk environment for transmission, so that makes camp this year an easier <b><i>yes</i></b>.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2Xktktq5y6UcnWgsJGD2v9eQx6RI-w5OLKJChwDEfIlK9F0RNZ4kLNMQNshgjfx3XFXSeqJUqb7BeVn5KtVtmNMW0Dzu7nieMs66762uZ-WRWSOxj13tUNUiSnSJ9Jdg2Rer9yqyXow/s4896/DSC01157.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2Xktktq5y6UcnWgsJGD2v9eQx6RI-w5OLKJChwDEfIlK9F0RNZ4kLNMQNshgjfx3XFXSeqJUqb7BeVn5KtVtmNMW0Dzu7nieMs66762uZ-WRWSOxj13tUNUiSnSJ9Jdg2Rer9yqyXow/w640-h480/DSC01157.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This year's KVR summer camp roster is as full as ever! We have many of the old favorites and lots of new camps as well. Check out our new two-day mountain bike camps, a new Artdoors camp for ages 11-14, and a fun-filled week of Junior Ranger Camp where children will get a sampling of many of the treasured KVR activities that make favorite memories.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoyPmrR5MaQsfyQ7GPD0x0laC65Uuqxcib3Jwf8xLHY7BTjcvdubjRcjpjrgKu8FHHUHKrANtP6bz-LXsZ5WTngSNJCCSKU0pqDo6ZcmegDfJSAznOCTKftK7zLj0cuG6E-ftdFD2QfY/s2592/DSC05707.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoyPmrR5MaQsfyQ7GPD0x0laC65Uuqxcib3Jwf8xLHY7BTjcvdubjRcjpjrgKu8FHHUHKrANtP6bz-LXsZ5WTngSNJCCSKU0pqDo6ZcmegDfJSAznOCTKftK7zLj0cuG6E-ftdFD2QfY/w640-h480/DSC05707.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Camp registration is now open. <a href="https://forms.gle/7cWHEXFG1BxbqVFw7" target="_blank">You can see the full 2021 camp roster and register here.</a> For more information about the KVR summer camp program, <a href="http://kvr.state.wi.us/Education/Summer-Camp/" target="_blank">visit the Kickapoo Valley Reserve website page</a>. We hope to see old friends and new faces this year at summer camp! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkMvAwjr2r_VjakegY7ZpBj7enCGFsdnl5cJ8Cw5wIPGlLt9GUy7xOPNYhUEkyWA7LaEyiFtJEeykeE1uWiOdWEI1DQ5oEEqwy8fY-MeloXRaGjjbLoIQ5YN4FSK-r7kwtOiA2CO5EJQ/s4896/DSC00578.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkMvAwjr2r_VjakegY7ZpBj7enCGFsdnl5cJ8Cw5wIPGlLt9GUy7xOPNYhUEkyWA7LaEyiFtJEeykeE1uWiOdWEI1DQ5oEEqwy8fY-MeloXRaGjjbLoIQ5YN4FSK-r7kwtOiA2CO5EJQ/w640-h480/DSC00578.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmp5qlYAv1IaZRR9HqVSAIwWstz4zzPBd8Ql-cQnX7X16u5M-noKYl6DHuURkQm19-0xuFNVTlQIntF08f1XniaF9N4DRIjm9x3MOxN-DbyRqlG2DrClKlLltfA-DBxo2Lm5JHqgP1g80/s4608/DSC04701.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmp5qlYAv1IaZRR9HqVSAIwWstz4zzPBd8Ql-cQnX7X16u5M-noKYl6DHuURkQm19-0xuFNVTlQIntF08f1XniaF9N4DRIjm9x3MOxN-DbyRqlG2DrClKlLltfA-DBxo2Lm5JHqgP1g80/w640-h480/DSC04701.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGGvlL7nu1XV8c5sZrUgOGSjxNIXg3mqHSXmFZyMp9xJ9GoGBKuvis3goxnHpP0MlBB6XnhKXM0J1LtvUp1-FsYVDHr9gx5GrUhZgrBnwbmJDUux2g24i6okbHwMHOrDcyMjsigMeVWc/s4896/DSC00492.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGGvlL7nu1XV8c5sZrUgOGSjxNIXg3mqHSXmFZyMp9xJ9GoGBKuvis3goxnHpP0MlBB6XnhKXM0J1LtvUp1-FsYVDHr9gx5GrUhZgrBnwbmJDUux2g24i6okbHwMHOrDcyMjsigMeVWc/w640-h480/DSC00492.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fJXw-Rc0mrh8FcIivZiF94jmRbtkXI6LaUyqYoXqZvuGjX2Lyqe49iyCblzzjxOD2_XDvmh-GmauEmP_ozzGLvzyXjXkkXtsYLaK1RLecfvEv4BjnXYmo5YQmjxOHd20qBTZ88O-qGM/s4896/DSC00540.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fJXw-Rc0mrh8FcIivZiF94jmRbtkXI6LaUyqYoXqZvuGjX2Lyqe49iyCblzzjxOD2_XDvmh-GmauEmP_ozzGLvzyXjXkkXtsYLaK1RLecfvEv4BjnXYmo5YQmjxOHd20qBTZ88O-qGM/w640-h480/DSC00540.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-60603121656413378212021-01-19T21:22:00.000-06:002021-01-19T21:23:14.809-06:00A Saunter for the Senses<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0pXpxJxEUlazBMrD2k5ueyc1gB7HPQOWYdUYKDgoVbIvo5xQivKZNXEIH4A_wKUE5-_BkBzbJewOhjB5-HPNphJK9RoQzWIck-kA7MR9zUQ1niwGzB8VOeRhSTdV6UoTkVnOPgugdqo/s640/IMG_2038.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0pXpxJxEUlazBMrD2k5ueyc1gB7HPQOWYdUYKDgoVbIvo5xQivKZNXEIH4A_wKUE5-_BkBzbJewOhjB5-HPNphJK9RoQzWIck-kA7MR9zUQ1niwGzB8VOeRhSTdV6UoTkVnOPgugdqo/w640-h360/IMG_2038.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A guest post by KVR Educator Chuck Hatfield.</i></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s 3:30 PM as I stare out the window. The beautiful fairy-land of frost is gone,
but the gray hills in the distance are robed in snow—warmed by the afternoon
sun. I know these KVR hills. They are miles away; steep and
treacherous—covered in loose, new fallen snow and layers of slippery oak
leaves. I used to be a hiker…no, John
Muir disliked that word…I was instead a saunterer, one who “goes here and there”
like a pilgrim in the “holy land.” Then I had hip surgery, and my world got
smaller. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Recently I reread an article written 88 years ago this month
by Helen Keller, a remarkable woman who was both blind and deaf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wrote: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I
asked a friend who had returned from a long walk in the woods, what she had
observed. “Nothing in particular,” she replied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How was it possible, I asked myself, to walk
for an hour through the woods and
see nothing worthy of note?<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Healing, especially at my age, is frustratingly slow—bone
and tissue first, with muscle and conditioning lagging, requiring a commitment
to action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Snow shoveling was my
commitment for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I stare at
a small notch of dark hemlocks, low on the hillside far away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that place!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its mysterious beauty, its haunting history,
never fails to connect my soul to this amazing land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am called...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">In minutes I am following a wide, snowy trail, already packed
by hundreds of boots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I turn off the
main trail, finding my own path through the brush, now marked only by deer
tracks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It leads down into the steep
valley where the ice-skirted Kickapoo River flows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I cross the first small tributary, I stop
to listen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The woods seem empty and I am
expecting silence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wild cry of a pileated woodpecker echoes
among the bluffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A crow calls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>he river gurgles a response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Falling frost needles whisper past my ears.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I am now in a unique world where time has stood
still—holding within it the spirit of the ice ages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the last glacial ice sheet that
surrounded the Driftless Area melted its way north, the sunny hillsides and
ridges began a long transition to oak savanna prairies, mixed hardwood and pine
forests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the steeply cut, moist,
sandstone ravines—with cool, northern or eastern exposure—allowed a very
special community of plants adapted to life on the edge of a frozen world to
persist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEYh8eG84rjfRvXyF7jQ7Ht-Bo7PMLYQFsx9K6JdLhmuAHbVMcC-cEdOMldjHj9pI-2o4tVXGdrhQT6u-uS7ZmE4wThACK7W7wicAhvgCuIJFJKRbQ8sKzuvj1TqndAxbAJGxdKkX-uA/s569/Yellow-birch-bark-1024x617.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="476" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEYh8eG84rjfRvXyF7jQ7Ht-Bo7PMLYQFsx9K6JdLhmuAHbVMcC-cEdOMldjHj9pI-2o4tVXGdrhQT6u-uS7ZmE4wThACK7W7wicAhvgCuIJFJKRbQ8sKzuvj1TqndAxbAJGxdKkX-uA/w269-h320/Yellow-birch-bark-1024x617.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; text-align: left;">Yellow Birch Bark</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGntzIPARI_A_430i45w2X_zzECbTiErVlV9pC3L4qO0taPO2elGGW2DgwxNN80_XzPQ6f-fc3Dl87FLPRnnEN8FNSeK_FAlBh0LWQdgNob9joYwILS99Px9vPAxABxGqVUnmFyrblaKY/s640/Blue+bead+lily.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="528" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGntzIPARI_A_430i45w2X_zzECbTiErVlV9pC3L4qO0taPO2elGGW2DgwxNN80_XzPQ6f-fc3Dl87FLPRnnEN8FNSeK_FAlBh0LWQdgNob9joYwILS99Px9vPAxABxGqVUnmFyrblaKY/w264-h320/Blue+bead+lily.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; text-align: left;">Blue Bead Lily</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIK3M0CZtMdKGHYYXtBNG1BROC2FNtTZtjNonUyLKOWUpJq2dc1LqijhcrleC-Auh57lEANlds44JBV5DhyphenhyphenAMkOurIonBxyz6qiqvz_P4aD4wHXbNFu4y2eFPOsbt8k9b8ic8tTFIZ-U/s640/Partridge+berry.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIK3M0CZtMdKGHYYXtBNG1BROC2FNtTZtjNonUyLKOWUpJq2dc1LqijhcrleC-Auh57lEANlds44JBV5DhyphenhyphenAMkOurIonBxyz6qiqvz_P4aD4wHXbNFu4y2eFPOsbt8k9b8ic8tTFIZ-U/w320-h240/Partridge+berry.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Partridge Berry</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /><br /> </i></span><span style="font-family: arial;">These microclimates contain the
dark forests of hemlocks, interspersed with yellow birch, Canada yew, and
eastern white pine, along with wintergreen, partridge berry, blue-bead lily,
northern monkshood, and many other species that would normally be found
hundreds of miles further north.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">In front of me a rocky, lichen-encrusted cliff thrusts
itself into the river, seeming to block my passage beyond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I see that the deer tracks continue, and
I know their secret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A nearly invisible
ledge of rock skirts the base of the bluff, providing a safe path to a wild and
beautiful river woodland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Protected from
human traffic by the river to the east and a wall of rock on the other, the
snow is a newspaper of tracks and trails.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All manner of animals, small and large, roam this marshy woods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stand for a while, absorbing the stories around
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, today I have a goal: the ice
cave.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_psUL5b9uU2LzIu7Du61BQNHlm8bXLWGi6Zd0bacrf9ZJCR8fbXEdnw9m6zjtV46b_XhDwf_Bu5qmTAsOyPMCx4zaXjKg9BezXYvUu3NR4s9i4O5rPhmKaioeLYLM5iWVI1JFrtlPLg/s640/river+bend+in+winter+ice+cave+saunter+chuck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_psUL5b9uU2LzIu7Du61BQNHlm8bXLWGi6Zd0bacrf9ZJCR8fbXEdnw9m6zjtV46b_XhDwf_Bu5qmTAsOyPMCx4zaXjKg9BezXYvUu3NR4s9i4O5rPhmKaioeLYLM5iWVI1JFrtlPLg/w640-h360/river+bend+in+winter+ice+cave+saunter+chuck.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjt78ifz3l1p7d5JpGYkxsDMS9cITjqnNlyWkO0uaxCwX2-rftzJXXpgdJyFm7JWH3BqYZbaLLJMvNobqe-pbt5ZxArNHoPsF-25V7JVOiYXh3j1ozItCi1IRKqJLzj89ufVPc8mIK6Ic/s640/Ice+Cave-first+glimpse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjt78ifz3l1p7d5JpGYkxsDMS9cITjqnNlyWkO0uaxCwX2-rftzJXXpgdJyFm7JWH3BqYZbaLLJMvNobqe-pbt5ZxArNHoPsF-25V7JVOiYXh3j1ozItCi1IRKqJLzj89ufVPc8mIK6Ic/w640-h480/Ice+Cave-first+glimpse.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><span style="font-family: arial;">I reach a small valley that opens through the nearly
continuous wall of rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only a careful gaze
can see the bit of ice visible in a dark shadow above, not worth the effort to
climb. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Still, I hobble my way up to the
shadow and find that the valley abruptly ends in a shallow half-circle
cave.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">It is 5 to 20 feet in height </span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">and 10 to 15 in depth, the whole cave being
over 100 feet wide.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Short but beautiful
ice formations flank the sides, with several tall, magnificent ice columns
gracing the center.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">It has the
unsettling feeling of sacred space.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I
sit, my heart slows, and my senses reach out to explore…</span></div><div><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal"></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyatrdGTMD-HvlIae5R-6Jt3l_3szSTdWCDLJds9vpkG4pDw4mIJRlPIAT-Yd15-8vNWc4vTZtg8PPmR-J3pEIa6L0gtaeZoEBeIp9CUBLlwYFMz7fS9B2MaH-iMsMw_sQ6wsLf8Q5gA/s640/Fairy+Lace++Ice+Sculpture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyatrdGTMD-HvlIae5R-6Jt3l_3szSTdWCDLJds9vpkG4pDw4mIJRlPIAT-Yd15-8vNWc4vTZtg8PPmR-J3pEIa6L0gtaeZoEBeIp9CUBLlwYFMz7fS9B2MaH-iMsMw_sQ6wsLf8Q5gA/w225-h400/Fairy+Lace++Ice+Sculpture.JPG" width="225" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Weeping sandstone, dripping in frozen lacework on the back
wall…</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The steady patter of falling water, a melody echoing from
a hidden chamber within the column…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8gj9SBLKK4i36iO7Chb_8P5BQr7rZw8GZqWtGVs14XZyri4_IBTuDPGVw6iaHu817dULx9xKOZZpFVUX-q6ulp73ulKEw2qFL7H4NjoxN-ANRTt0FHMvOvJGBsVrd4CnlbCkP3WS3XU/s640/blue+window.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5L2FRTUd3wppV9nf0spuJ7cHsvs01J-btuRJDTEw_w7zA_mRY5_3H9CMn5su3AKzryeINZDhaJ-zQMU9I4UEzfBL3Rnti5qReI9Qoc3KHcYiX2V-0_80RnV8NL8rCiJ6Wzx5GQ13cpM/s640/ice+column.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5L2FRTUd3wppV9nf0spuJ7cHsvs01J-btuRJDTEw_w7zA_mRY5_3H9CMn5su3AKzryeINZDhaJ-zQMU9I4UEzfBL3Rnti5qReI9Qoc3KHcYiX2V-0_80RnV8NL8rCiJ6Wzx5GQ13cpM/w400-h300/ice+column.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pale blue-green light filtered through the icy veil…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The rattle of a small rock falling from the ceiling, the
cluttered floor a witness to a process ongoing for thousands of years…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">A feeling of safety and protection—a sense of history, of
quiet ghosts of those who may have occupied this snug haven ages ago…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The heady smells of damp rocks, decaying leaves, of muddy
soils…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tracks of a small animal, barely visible in the twilight, leading
to a dark hole in the far corner…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The ceiling, covered by the holes and impressions of 100s
of fossilized Paleozoic worms…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDfXPgkr3DoKHOIop-HUrktfdldm3ixSDRpDdgKITV7SiKGbqtZD-LWj9aDo8UwFbaMsFkP0q3p8lu0D1VKeq9chUGjIwTtYd_IgWFur2u09MTEna_nNTOS5iUBzcDSsSTbm-wYYncec/s640/Trace+fossils-worm+holes+and+casings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDfXPgkr3DoKHOIop-HUrktfdldm3ixSDRpDdgKITV7SiKGbqtZD-LWj9aDo8UwFbaMsFkP0q3p8lu0D1VKeq9chUGjIwTtYd_IgWFur2u09MTEna_nNTOS5iUBzcDSsSTbm-wYYncec/w640-h480/Trace+fossils-worm+holes+and+casings.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>The quiet, musical “clink” as I break off a tiny icicle,
its melting coldness caressing my tongue….<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I am enchanted by these lovely revelations and I admit that
I seldom give my senses such full access to my conscious brain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps I have more worthy things to think
about?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continue to recall the words of Helen
Keller:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I who cannot see find hundreds of
things to interest me through mere touch, feel the delicate symmetry of a
leaf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pass my hands lovingly about the
smooth skin of a silver birch, or the rough shaggy bark of a pine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In spring I touch the branches of trees
hopefully in search of a bud, the first sign of awakening Nature after her
winter’s sleep. […and, even as I think of smells, my nose is full of scents
that start awake sweet memories of summers gone and ripening fields far away].<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvJ7O27i5ds2rLXnbTaqKJ64RxwFojgaR2FsiHCsPyheNfJM7GMtm92OhWoASRyYpfcefUWxJ47FKeQ6OgAdgd0Dehzv9vzGFLC1odck8_znCCqvYjOGfp_QxQo_pGhusm8kU2bN8A8I/s1564/looking+outside+cave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1564" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvJ7O27i5ds2rLXnbTaqKJ64RxwFojgaR2FsiHCsPyheNfJM7GMtm92OhWoASRyYpfcefUWxJ47FKeQ6OgAdgd0Dehzv9vzGFLC1odck8_znCCqvYjOGfp_QxQo_pGhusm8kU2bN8A8I/w640-h420/looking+outside+cave.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Perhaps John Muir’s origin or definition of a saunterer was
not accurate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless, today I
sauntered to this sacred place, bringing with me my greatest gifts—my
senses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, it is awareness of these
sensual moments that calls me to explore the world around me more fully, more intimately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not just my healing leg that requires
exercise!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Need a little food for your senses and rest from your
emotions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saunter along the river
through the beautiful Kickapoo Valley Reserve and its sacred places; any day,
any season, just do it!!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="text-align: center;">***</div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>A note to our visitors...</b></span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">We encourage everyone who hikes to the ice formations at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve this winter to be mindful of the fragility of the ice in a season that could see more traffic than usual as folks seek opportunities to get outside. Please remember that the Reserve's intent is to conserve, restore, and maintain the ecology and biodiversity of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, while balancing access and recreation for visitors. Winter features like the ice formations are a part of this. Please avoid handling the ice and consider taking photos. We love to see photos shared on our social media pages. Thank you for being a part of the <b>community that cares</b> about the Kickapoo Valley Reserve and its many gifts. For more information, visit the <a href="http://kvr.state.wi.us/Recreation/Trails/WinterActivities/" target="_blank">Kickapoo Valley Reserve website</a> and consult the <a href="http://kvr.state.wi.us/Documents/Recreation/2020-21%20ice%20cave%20winter%20map_WEB.pdf" target="_blank">Winter Trails Map</a>.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxXoChMsBGRH1lxRUNj0dTXRJLx9BUE4xH-17j2bTNCIl5gnuViRzrFnlQFTQUx4RCFrjh2zQIXanGqVtcmnV6_S374RwxOjHkduPPKQ2zPTk12wfW_KBYxALaeOcs56KJ4hWkkCP03A/s2048/20180208_144057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxXoChMsBGRH1lxRUNj0dTXRJLx9BUE4xH-17j2bTNCIl5gnuViRzrFnlQFTQUx4RCFrjh2zQIXanGqVtcmnV6_S374RwxOjHkduPPKQ2zPTk12wfW_KBYxALaeOcs56KJ4hWkkCP03A/w640-h480/20180208_144057.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div><i><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i><p></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-11228507733098580132020-12-21T09:07:00.001-06:002020-12-21T09:07:10.877-06:00Solstice: Celebrating Winter<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYR-wY2t0zPaT7JNQmm-EJSlUA0OYWkuhhdqISvpUiEi5FMO9pOxz2VYORnPadJ4nYLTCuIOeD_FnepoVc4N2T_epjjctdo8HsUEyfAaCziSEXw5lFyVOXkywkcGebPTLOG17oeqXxObY/s2048/DSC_9639.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYR-wY2t0zPaT7JNQmm-EJSlUA0OYWkuhhdqISvpUiEi5FMO9pOxz2VYORnPadJ4nYLTCuIOeD_FnepoVc4N2T_epjjctdo8HsUEyfAaCziSEXw5lFyVOXkywkcGebPTLOG17oeqXxObY/w640-h426/DSC_9639.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mid-winter or Solstice (December 21) is upon us. Here in Wisconsin the sun is already setting at 4:30pm and not rising again until 7:30am.That's a loooong winter night! Winter Solstice, the time of nature's darkness, has long been celebrated by humans around the world. In Northern climates celebrations often include fire and light to signify welcoming back the sun, and turning toward the renewing days of spring.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhme4IGvUm3rhOxeyvG9sOuA9ODYddKLMzOyZ0xFeABhwdypSKQ1s-KOoWKxXcnTkrtsA3ZGoREEoE0cKibSRdF0K8sw-ydYP26slX_ZfzS4sODTUBOAjaqbHbYGMJlB_KGReTj5_ZADmA/s640/candle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhme4IGvUm3rhOxeyvG9sOuA9ODYddKLMzOyZ0xFeABhwdypSKQ1s-KOoWKxXcnTkrtsA3ZGoREEoE0cKibSRdF0K8sw-ydYP26slX_ZfzS4sODTUBOAjaqbHbYGMJlB_KGReTj5_ZADmA/w480-h640/candle.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3sCfESD-bTTgTf5NMTYQFNc-blqLAZed2YV0n4-FWmXLmTI5GeEOyAFHItrULog9cRuKzV90l9g33YeVLX4bbOXUkfUKL7WuOZSLiJCFzwfH4b88bR8n2D6WIJ4NYIPwr2YJZW7wmNQ/s2048/DSC_2630.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3sCfESD-bTTgTf5NMTYQFNc-blqLAZed2YV0n4-FWmXLmTI5GeEOyAFHItrULog9cRuKzV90l9g33YeVLX4bbOXUkfUKL7WuOZSLiJCFzwfH4b88bR8n2D6WIJ4NYIPwr2YJZW7wmNQ/w640-h426/DSC_2630.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While the nights are long, the days of mid-winter in Wisconsin are often sunny and bright. Taking long walks in the winter sunshine can be rejuvenating and so very interesting. What do you see, hear and find? Where are all the animals and what are they doing to stay warm? Where do they shelter and what do they eat? How are the trees living through the cold?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUM8Sbk-fCSZ0JahQq62CQPGxE8bnRis0jxL6wXqBkwS0Y-I3GU98d_u9nmaaQ6QENfeGFOncOQt5yGGk42OV0ng5S9cD7vvXOsMpDOPjBAn2rbmVqcxRsXoylIjqjzT2zMrJ8_vzwmI/s2048/P1011758.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1532" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUM8Sbk-fCSZ0JahQq62CQPGxE8bnRis0jxL6wXqBkwS0Y-I3GU98d_u9nmaaQ6QENfeGFOncOQt5yGGk42OV0ng5S9cD7vvXOsMpDOPjBAn2rbmVqcxRsXoylIjqjzT2zMrJ8_vzwmI/w640-h478/P1011758.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnii6w3CCaLJ6hECotvcfXYGv2krmTqAhu-vqWnG2-86a0yRt-W3YXxCeoYAxFCTpTKSz4XHq-WFGcDK26r-1YCu2vDcji46_mLu3CUmsHY2cgyDOZGl7Ig4HXq9raFq7rgisVRlPpb0/s2048/DSC_3112.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnii6w3CCaLJ6hECotvcfXYGv2krmTqAhu-vqWnG2-86a0yRt-W3YXxCeoYAxFCTpTKSz4XHq-WFGcDK26r-1YCu2vDcji46_mLu3CUmsHY2cgyDOZGl7Ig4HXq9raFq7rgisVRlPpb0/w640-h426/DSC_3112.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To supplement your winter wonderings (and wanderings) you might check out these amazing books. There are some for adults and some for children.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Winter-World-Ingenuity-Animal-Survival/dp/0061129070" target="_blank">Winter World</a> by Bernd Heinrich</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stokes-Guide-Nature-Winter-Donald/dp/0316817236/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=guide+to+nature+in+winter&qid=1608295966&s=books&sr=1-3" target="_blank">Stokes Guide to Nature in Winter</a> by Donald Stokes</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Longest-Night-Marion-Dane-Bauer/dp/082342054X" target="_blank">The Longest Night</a> by Marian Dane Bauer</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Rebecca-Winter-Craighead-George/dp/0064434273" target="_blank">Dear Rebecca, Winter is Here</a> by Jean Craighead George</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shortest-Day-Susan-Cooper/dp/0763686980" target="_blank">The Shortest Day </a>by Susan Cooper and Carson Ellis</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGsIg5NJYsLzl0ckX91GHjHO7omi5mwpAnymNrTdgzehOIuPqUsixtS5sB5vGqgWMyhfcPZtUDcsiwGAsN8Eg87EESFcMHkST0wOPGrjZROube7WRNM3mjYb3c8veYvxC2iZa2AYRejc/s2048/DSC_0248.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGsIg5NJYsLzl0ckX91GHjHO7omi5mwpAnymNrTdgzehOIuPqUsixtS5sB5vGqgWMyhfcPZtUDcsiwGAsN8Eg87EESFcMHkST0wOPGrjZROube7WRNM3mjYb3c8veYvxC2iZa2AYRejc/w640-h424/DSC_0248.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Indoors there are many ways to continue to observe nature. A favorite is feeding and watching the birds outside your window. Young children can have an up-front seat to bird observation in the comfort of their homes. Many hours can be spent observing the ways that birds use their beaks to eat seeds, how they preen their feathers and how they chase away intruders at the feeder! <a href="https://kvrlearningoutside.blogspot.com/2020/10/" target="_blank">KVR Instructor Barb Duerksen wrote a great post with tips and reminders about bird feeding back in October.</a></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZvUr7OrK2HEIDf8edmF66Yd9OjEq1XVai7LXmeEwERqwG-ASwX9Yf-ReYWBCfwrwrAqdJQpHJHfyw3kE3AxG8ocoj4GMYE7X3XMp_32R4DWkpyBEej3FOvInn1i2E21GXiJPFGMfu_8/s2048/DSC_0255.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZvUr7OrK2HEIDf8edmF66Yd9OjEq1XVai7LXmeEwERqwG-ASwX9Yf-ReYWBCfwrwrAqdJQpHJHfyw3kE3AxG8ocoj4GMYE7X3XMp_32R4DWkpyBEej3FOvInn1i2E21GXiJPFGMfu_8/w424-h640/DSC_0255.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaw4QlgCc7rESbee2bALGBjUl_5-u3_TfDuz6fIIiCezY8WolHOm4SRlrhwzlEAYUf13-KCcIURG9o2vEC5jOVS12TPWUukzYWlzcnWwwSy-UlV_WddIpfrlHAiWDxfckiPwtbu2hnHgM/s600/winter-nature-table-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="600" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaw4QlgCc7rESbee2bALGBjUl_5-u3_TfDuz6fIIiCezY8WolHOm4SRlrhwzlEAYUf13-KCcIURG9o2vEC5jOVS12TPWUukzYWlzcnWwwSy-UlV_WddIpfrlHAiWDxfckiPwtbu2hnHgM/w640-h514/winter-nature-table-4.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Collecting bits and pieces of nature and bringing them inside can be another wonderful way to observe and explore winter in the warmth of your home. Create an ever-changing seasonal nature table in your home! For more about creating nature tables, check out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Corner-Celebrating-Seasonal-Tableau/dp/0863151116/ref=pd_sbs_1?pd_rd_w=7SYg2&pf_rd_p=ed1e2146-ecfe-435e-b3b5-d79fa072fd58&pf_rd_r=4PFS7Z9G6REWZMVGRCRM&pd_rd_r=a5eca8c3-c7a7-4897-ab1d-e981e78990c2&pd_rd_wg=42pWT&pd_rd_i=0863151116&psc=1" target="_blank">The Nature Corner: Celebrating the Year's Cycle with Seasonal Tableaux</a> by M.V. Leeuwen and J. Moeskops.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Stargazing after the sun sets continues to delight during the winter season. Tonight, if the skies are clear from your corner of the world, <a href="https://astronomy.com/news/2020/12/jupiter-and-saturn-will-form-rare-christmas-star-on-winter-solstice" target="_blank">check out this rare event with Jupiter and Saturn that is happening on solstice</a>. If skies are cloudy in your area, there is a livestream available on the link. <a href="https://www.voiceoftherivervalley.com/driftless-dark-skies-26/" target="_blank">KVR Instructor and Astroeducator John Heasley also wrote about Winter Solstice Great Conjunction here</a>. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">***</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Learning Outside blog will take a break until the week of January 11, 2021. We wish our readers everywhere opportunities to notice and appreciate the light of the new season. Thank you for joining us in 2020.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFsWwpq7KsQ6e65MRgyaxXpvnfdmH1CxW9vPQuaOgIkGIFYgWy8OgU9jm3-acqu7ZJAM27b8hW2VyY3Fj2zcmZcenVvPIFo7_tfIp1Z6MPSDd9cDXuGBWUaQaoui9IsoUAt2RzEG5C64/s2048/DSC_2833.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFsWwpq7KsQ6e65MRgyaxXpvnfdmH1CxW9vPQuaOgIkGIFYgWy8OgU9jm3-acqu7ZJAM27b8hW2VyY3Fj2zcmZcenVvPIFo7_tfIp1Z6MPSDd9cDXuGBWUaQaoui9IsoUAt2RzEG5C64/w640-h426/DSC_2833.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUa_Vp37dJdV484Tio1p-50RoSXfNpYfmp_1qm6gw3rDCzSIUhuxYi7MZ3kZHRhaEy4pBS3HdtHIR2qdnqk78Rb3pneYDHVpA23wiK5I_TfEttTqAMt3oBF3BQEVbvb0nwFJyP3P7X_Ao/s1024/VQuOjbCiTROzazPuvCEktA_thumb_f232.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUa_Vp37dJdV484Tio1p-50RoSXfNpYfmp_1qm6gw3rDCzSIUhuxYi7MZ3kZHRhaEy4pBS3HdtHIR2qdnqk78Rb3pneYDHVpA23wiK5I_TfEttTqAMt3oBF3BQEVbvb0nwFJyP3P7X_Ao/w640-h480/VQuOjbCiTROzazPuvCEktA_thumb_f232.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div></div><p></p></div>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-16132240295711943782020-12-14T09:36:00.000-06:002020-12-14T09:36:39.370-06:00Weatherproofing Children (and Their Adults!) for Winter<span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiny1hZrcXuvgyHBOWDAzkdni2DRDPjpSQXj7vQdurP1XyYc_D6ktbXZXSfMfrHoUa00e7GatqvPdqjnvILSGbFvERcBF5oR36MBKINEUmtLMhjg71RpEYQndPaYScFGRHCKY_yQREZ4/s2048/20191220_094317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiny1hZrcXuvgyHBOWDAzkdni2DRDPjpSQXj7vQdurP1XyYc_D6ktbXZXSfMfrHoUa00e7GatqvPdqjnvILSGbFvERcBF5oR36MBKINEUmtLMhjg71RpEYQndPaYScFGRHCKY_yQREZ4/w480-h640/20191220_094317.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />Last week we posted about great local options folks have for winter activities. Part of getting geared up for winter is shifting our mindsets and being prepared. Norwegians have a term that's useful in considering weather-hardiness. It's <i>friluftsliv,</i> which means "free outdoor life." In Norway, there's a saying about there not being any bad weather...only bad clothes! </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So as the temperature drops and snowflakes begin to fly, we have some tips and ideas for not only getting your children ready to embrace winter's wonders, but for you, too.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://youtu.be/Miqu46nHecU" target="_blank">Kickapoo Valley Forest School Leadership Team members Julia Buckingham and Ximena Puig recently led a virtual roundtable focused on winter and weather resiliency.</a> Their presentation included the following great tips we'd like to share. Forest school students and their families will gain lots of experience in embracing all kinds of weather, and the guidelines we have for them work for everyone.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Embrace wonder.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Children absorb adults' energy and attitudes toward just about <i>everything</i>, and the weather is no exception. Be aware of how you talk about the weather and consider being open to the beauty of cold, the way the landscape changes, and the challenge of getting out to explore. Your excitement and wonder can spark the same enthusiasm in children, and this is an important aspect of developing winter resilience.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4YUinLENBk9k5gAdCLFv9i7RYwkOG_EUC6cQpQL3S9EEodidFJ-G6Q0d0tOV0spkKKu1Ka_kBZj6XvfYBRD4FGT95Cnsx-iHJC503Ol5jx4fhQRQFlLf0j8JpnqvCYsuymF9GhC0Lw8/s1240/snowperson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="1240" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4YUinLENBk9k5gAdCLFv9i7RYwkOG_EUC6cQpQL3S9EEodidFJ-G6Q0d0tOV0spkKKu1Ka_kBZj6XvfYBRD4FGT95Cnsx-iHJC503Ol5jx4fhQRQFlLf0j8JpnqvCYsuymF9GhC0Lw8/w640-h480/snowperson.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Dress in layers.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We can't stress this enough. Trapping heat in a base layer and middle layer can make a huge difference in comfort. Selecting an outer layer that repels water and wind is essential. You can always remove a layer, but adding one is difficult once you are out and about. Dressing appropriately helps children really explore without worry over getting wet and cold, and it can help you stay out longer if you've brought along snacks and a bottle of water. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tz2Ddwt950X9_cD_nx9bmsLynG_-Zg1TbQ5CtEnVWPseF6cuXTRO3qAcSEnBiXUq3x_jllW96Wuk_Q9c2k6f9i_vOcUhyphenhyphen6TY9Y1aM0z8THOIiV5il1-avfty1X2ESg0ISIoTihX6Iy8/s1240/tumbling+in+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="1240" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tz2Ddwt950X9_cD_nx9bmsLynG_-Zg1TbQ5CtEnVWPseF6cuXTRO3qAcSEnBiXUq3x_jllW96Wuk_Q9c2k6f9i_vOcUhyphenhyphen6TY9Y1aM0z8THOIiV5il1-avfty1X2ESg0ISIoTihX6Iy8/w640-h480/tumbling+in+snow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Wool is your friend.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Naturally moisture-absorbing and lightweight for it's warmth, wool is a great layer. For those who are allergic to wool, there are many alternatives made of synthetic materials or silk. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Create systems for caring for outdoor gear.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Be sure to make a plan for drying your outdoor gear, hanging it for next time, and dealing with the puddles, mud, and mess that is an inevitable part of coming in from the outdoors. Involving your children by having reachable hooks and spots for muddy boots makes learning to take care of our gear part of the whole process of enjoying the outdoors. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Julia and Ximena also shared great ideas for some activities you can do outdoors this winter including gathering treasure for ice suncatchers, making pinecone bird feeders, and telling stories based on animal tracks. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GFXsbU40jAaNsPfma5FOnUh6cjF4j2uZwGp5746Es7svZt0GrFSXYgptWXA28ixOn8PBOjwhCDXF-zdhCo3bBMfBNJ4zgmng4tKlAs3Wdv4RaQuiwh-9vxiEyGfZdQHd9vnPB606cc4/s1400/tree+play+in+winter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1400" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GFXsbU40jAaNsPfma5FOnUh6cjF4j2uZwGp5746Es7svZt0GrFSXYgptWXA28ixOn8PBOjwhCDXF-zdhCo3bBMfBNJ4zgmng4tKlAs3Wdv4RaQuiwh-9vxiEyGfZdQHd9vnPB606cc4/w640-h480/tree+play+in+winter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There was</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/12/11/944634690/how-to-retain-your-heat-and-stay-upbeat-while-socializing-in-winter" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">a great recent feature on NPR about weatherizing ourselves for winter</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. Interspersed with fantastic cartoons by LA Johnson about dressing like an onion and eating snacks rich in fat, calories, and protein (yay!), this article and accompanying audio has some excellent tips for adults as we embrace this new season. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When you come inside, don't forget to read books together about winter life and adventures to inspire your next outdoor day. <a href="https://www.maryhannawilson.com/winter-picture-books/" target="_blank">Here's a list of 100 picture books to read with children.</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Wishing you a wonderful winter season!</span></div><div><br /></div></div>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-50178369176209894082020-12-08T09:20:00.000-06:002020-12-08T09:20:26.376-06:00Winter Trails<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgMQXwlCrLFrPHF-kUSQW1f6PIa8CZlREo-Fki7brslz8QmvPh7d2orbXdIpguFNMjcOWMIAvZiQAR_uUGpsJHyAEDaIyls-W_HLLqlaxfA8xRsF7JLtbKU0xIV3Ss0Kkn2hJLXurr-U/s2016/cut+off+trail+jan+2019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgMQXwlCrLFrPHF-kUSQW1f6PIa8CZlREo-Fki7brslz8QmvPh7d2orbXdIpguFNMjcOWMIAvZiQAR_uUGpsJHyAEDaIyls-W_HLLqlaxfA8xRsF7JLtbKU0xIV3Ss0Kkn2hJLXurr-U/w480-h640/cut+off+trail+jan+2019.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While snow has yet to stay on the ground here in SW Wisconsin, those of us who love winter are getting ready. Skis are being waxed, snowshoes are getting dusted off, and the layers of fleece and wool are coming out to stay.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Although long-term forecasts can be dubious, I'm holding out that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Farmers' Almanac will be correct in their predictions for above average snowfall in Wisconsin this year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Winter is an exceptional time to get outside. There is nothing quite like a bright and sunny 10 degree winter day in Wisconsin. The ice crystals glint off every surface, the snow squeaks beneath your boots or skis and all the world is still. Perhaps a hawk cuts an arch above you in the blue sky or you notice the tiniest trail of a busy seed-collecting rodent, but it is evident that this is a time of rest for nature. A deep inbreath for us all.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyObOCNTIzzPb3IobHEPMebguRz2FMLGzTsFyzEzu8FDkCNpRbuGskcXzx788ZRlQASC8LrMA4vNuZ8QjkFeeUmhV02sl3arfILzfVkTDynlLE3AUkN0ACndFMQLelFcwH4DnkBc6DID0/s1024/ski+track.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyObOCNTIzzPb3IobHEPMebguRz2FMLGzTsFyzEzu8FDkCNpRbuGskcXzx788ZRlQASC8LrMA4vNuZ8QjkFeeUmhV02sl3arfILzfVkTDynlLE3AUkN0ACndFMQLelFcwH4DnkBc6DID0/w640-h480/ski+track.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As soon as there is enough snow on the ground, our crew will be out grooming those trails for cross country skiing. The Kickapoo Valley Reserve maintains approximately 10 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails for both classic and skate skiing. The five miles of the Old Highway 131 Trail provide an excellent opportunity to experience the solitude and beauty of the Reserve. Other groomed trails include the Dam Trail, Old Harris Road Trail and Star Valley Road. Additional trails may be groomed as time permits. The more adventurous are welcomed to make their own tracks into the wild. Please note: Skiers may not ski on the snowmobile trail.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even if you aren't a skier, there are so many ways to get out and enjoy the beauty of winter. Check out the KVR Winter Trail Map <a href="http://kvr.state.wi.us/Documents/Maps/RecreationMaps/VisitorGuideWinter.pdf">here</a>. On it you'll find trails marked for cross-country skiing, for fat-tire bikes, and snowshoeing. Before you come, visit our <a href="http://kvr.state.wi.us/Home">website</a> and Facebook page for current winter trail conditions.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Most years spectacular ice formations can be found in the deep valleys that are home to sandstone rock shelters. <a href="http://kvr.state.wi.us/Documents/Recreation/2018-19%20ice%20cave%20winter%20map_WEB.pdf" target="_blank">This map</a> marks they way to two of our favorite ice formation locations. Please always remember that ice and rock are fragile--never climb on the ice formations. Please take only pictures and leave only footprints.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7-Cp7GCriBQiC5RQoJ6AD3TzY6zuW50pStKePR9vFI3cVAqcbP2AfeyK6_ZKMVJMZtAkGcL0FoNQUqc6WJrBGmqtDb4doANMhUKAVjQUwTDvhMh-SLijZEwlfMENwsdJrJD3dpC6kcI/s2048/ice.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7-Cp7GCriBQiC5RQoJ6AD3TzY6zuW50pStKePR9vFI3cVAqcbP2AfeyK6_ZKMVJMZtAkGcL0FoNQUqc6WJrBGmqtDb4doANMhUKAVjQUwTDvhMh-SLijZEwlfMENwsdJrJD3dpC6kcI/w640-h480/ice.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSoYLKxKzQTIsYoqZijdvsSnWxsPi0tsx2HKKhq36gFdVGXwffQGWUWSd1v5MVcvaeeL1axAtOOXOH0WRPnmAdA9TxSvbjvsgK4RbC_PgjVMxHW4eWhSkyyzuFuQ7VEoGTZg_E0OHVSs/s1024/ice+tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSoYLKxKzQTIsYoqZijdvsSnWxsPi0tsx2HKKhq36gFdVGXwffQGWUWSd1v5MVcvaeeL1axAtOOXOH0WRPnmAdA9TxSvbjvsgK4RbC_PgjVMxHW4eWhSkyyzuFuQ7VEoGTZg_E0OHVSs/w480-h640/ice+tree.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are copies of the Winter Guide Map available at the public bathrooms in the KVR Visitor Center Parking lot. Snowshoes (adult and child sizes) can be rented, by the day, for use on the KVR. They are $5/day for adults and free for children. Visitors will still need a day pass or annual pass to use the trails. There are not designated nor groomed snowshoe trails, although the summer trail system is easy to follow in the winter. Please always snowshoe<i> along side</i> the groomed ski tracks rather than on them, snowshoeing on the groomed ski track makes them difficult for skiers to use.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.bluedogcycles.com/rentals">Bluedog Cycles</a> in Viroqua is a another great place to rent cross country skis and fat tire bikes, by the day or the week. Winter fat tire biking (FTB) is a popular activity at the KVR. Bikes must be non-motorized pedal bikes, tires 3.7-5 inches, and 10 psi or lower. There are approximately 8 miles of FTB trails on the Reserve. Located on the eastern side of the property, FTP trails are winter trails (Jan 1 - March 15) and are subject to closure during the season. The following criteria must be in place for the FTB trails to remain open: <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">1)The ground must be frozen. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">2) The temperature must be 25 degrees F or below. </span>Closures will be posted at FTB trail heads, our website, KVR Facebook page, and at the Visitor Center. A current year annual permit or KVR day pass is required to use the trails. Users must stay on designated trails or adjacent roads. The FTB trails on the Reserve are not groomed. They are considered backcountry trails, are narrow and winding, and are shared with snowshoers and hikers. Please be courteous and practice friendly trail etiquette when encountering other trail users.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-aOoec85oX-yeo6pVLiE1yQwi39s1iOu-FX2zwU_hG15MaU4lkw8JOZ_keozdHk1ZRnEoQHaLoo_iaugke4VAxO37YgULetsf3LmSarF4x9a59Zr9ed5NgdTYeDYRV0rJp7XuG-XKyc/s960/snowshoe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-aOoec85oX-yeo6pVLiE1yQwi39s1iOu-FX2zwU_hG15MaU4lkw8JOZ_keozdHk1ZRnEoQHaLoo_iaugke4VAxO37YgULetsf3LmSarF4x9a59Zr9ed5NgdTYeDYRV0rJp7XuG-XKyc/w640-h480/snowshoe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<p class="MsoNormal">Snowmobiling is a popular winter activity in our region, and a segment of
Wisconsin's self-funded snowmobile trail system winds its way through the
Reserve. A local snowmobile club grooms and maintains the trail from
December 15 through March 31, snow cover permitting. Enjoy the
Reserve's scenic ridges and valleys by snowmobile, the only motorized vehicle
allowed to operate on Reserve lands. Snowmobile enthusiasts are required
to stay on the designated snowmobile trail.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Star gazing is an excellent activity for clear winter nights. Visit the<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DriftlessStargazing/" target="_blank"> Driftless Stargazing Facebook </a>page for frequent updates on what's visible in our local night skies, then bundle up and get out with a thermos of hot cocoa. </p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Whether your goal is to get some exercise, find solitude, take photos or just notice the stark beauty that a fresh coat of snow brings to our landscape, you'll find fulfillment and rejuvenation along the winter trails of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. We hope to see you out there!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2W56Q1beT_FS6djtgEsHuoU_c2o9p-t26FgwLxf_6h1uXNJ_wMBRPMnuK3LoPihqsglIZwvwwtu50YIvR7I7QmDjCigJdkjfbx9ocSn-uqZN8Uh_FFOBvDWKL5n3zzmHIqqv05Y6p1zc/s1024/ski.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2W56Q1beT_FS6djtgEsHuoU_c2o9p-t26FgwLxf_6h1uXNJ_wMBRPMnuK3LoPihqsglIZwvwwtu50YIvR7I7QmDjCigJdkjfbx9ocSn-uqZN8Uh_FFOBvDWKL5n3zzmHIqqv05Y6p1zc/w640-h480/ski.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-67522543500108774532020-11-30T13:15:00.003-06:002020-11-30T14:59:51.224-06:00Tuning In and Keeping Track: An Introduction to Phenology<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dO7YgDP33Yh-0d4i8m0s8UtTyMkvH156BwPP0qsSsnXAFbG0Whvvp5xRiL77prWuulkrujUKHFzgSfLbf3aWaNQTHXTFK7SGKS3GXS4LsFg_eVnnZeQoiMyC0GLmoCu3Zi71igbGbv4/s2048/20201112_083124.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dO7YgDP33Yh-0d4i8m0s8UtTyMkvH156BwPP0qsSsnXAFbG0Whvvp5xRiL77prWuulkrujUKHFzgSfLbf3aWaNQTHXTFK7SGKS3GXS4LsFg_eVnnZeQoiMyC0GLmoCu3Zi71igbGbv4/w640-h480/20201112_083124.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Can you recall the last morning that wasn't filled with birdsong? Do you remember when you first noticed the buds emerging on maple trees in your neighborhood? Which day in April did your ears perk up to hear the spring peepers? When was the very first snowfall last year?<br /><br />If you find yourself noticing, contemplating, and wondering about the subtle shifts and patterns in seasonal happenings, phenology is your friend. There is comfort in marking time and tuning into our natural environment, especially in turbulent times like these, and phenology can offer a great way to do so. <br /><br />Phenology is a fancy term that means the study of cycles and seasonal natural events. The word is built of two parts: "pheno" (phaino in Greek), which means "to show, to bring to light, to make to appear" and "-logy" of the root "logos," which means "study, discourse, or reasoning." It was first used in a public lecture in Brussels by Belgian botanist Charles François Antoine Morren in 1849. <br /><br />However, phenological understandings have been fundamental to the human relationship with the land and environment. Indigenous peoples have used phenological knowledge in cultural, agricultural, and ecological practices for thousands of years. Here in</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> Wisconsin, the College of Menominee Nation has recently created a </span><a href="http://www.nicrn.org/phenology-trail.html" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">Phenology Learning Path</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> to honor the ways the Menominee have used nature's calendar to mark time and continue to track climate change impacts. </span><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In other locations, large scale changes over time have been tracked like in the Royal Meteorological Society's project that spanned 58 years of tracking of temperature and flowering events across the British Isles via 600 individual collectors from 1891-1948. Currently there are several networks collecting data via mostly volunteers in many countries, contributing to the understanding of climate change. The <a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/#">USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) maintains a database of observations</a> collected by over 5,000 people who logged information on over 20,000 organisms and over 15,000 plants in 2020. It's fascinating to scroll through the lists of top animals and plants observed, and other information collected like initial growth in plants and migrating behavior. This information is referred to as <i>phenophase </i>data. For folks who enjoy diving deeply into data and data visualizations, this website has an amazing data visualization tool. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTIWg5kZ8I2xMjIrWSd02iXv22L_W2oI8XAozqu5_lOqbQQv-qkNA6IcwJeV38Pq6Co4bZAUWhmtMrSkQbLGohWzyP4s7nLQ1VQnFeSpDAyqLU3YCCs4oCl4-HS4ikQK220CM0ee4nI0/s2048/20200220_081327.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTIWg5kZ8I2xMjIrWSd02iXv22L_W2oI8XAozqu5_lOqbQQv-qkNA6IcwJeV38Pq6Co4bZAUWhmtMrSkQbLGohWzyP4s7nLQ1VQnFeSpDAyqLU3YCCs4oCl4-HS4ikQK220CM0ee4nI0/w640-h480/20200220_081327.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />For those of us who might appreciate a less formal approach, phenology in your own local habitat can be greatly rewarding. It can also be a fun activity to do with children. Start small and manageable, and you might be surprised at where this activity will take you in observing natural phenomena.<br /><br />Here are some ideas to get started:<br /><br />1. Choose something to observe that's personally interesting and readily available. It could be a bird species that visits your yard, a favorite tree, or a corner of the park with plants.<br /><br />2. Set a plan to observe at least once a week. Daily would be ideal, but weekly observations will give you a great view of changes.<br /><br />3. Find out a little more about the thing(s) you have chosen to observe. Species identification is a great first step, and if you can't figure it out by an internet search, reach out to a local naturalist as they love answering questions and sharing information.<br /><br />4. Create a space to log your observations. This could be a file on your computer or phone, a simple notebook, or a blank calendar square. 5-year journals are easy to create using a <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qmdG_7TBiym1U_zMGR8iWJDlEImWj29n/view?usp=sharing">template like this</a> and a sturdy 2-inch, 3-ring binder. Since this calendar is organized by day, by the end of 5 years it allows users to see at a glance what was happening on that same date each year. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTnukBjsr0W_Pc4mz9gWZTUXyoFbpSLmJDC5N2_BVkpcwE3yjB3U1PD12gtNhx5OTCPd30ku9h8ip8sdnW09OUYD-zYI6-gngy9msv-eF1YQnk1uogA1ylILJDyOQ-VtOgqyojWVd5es/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="629" data-original-width="486" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTnukBjsr0W_Pc4mz9gWZTUXyoFbpSLmJDC5N2_BVkpcwE3yjB3U1PD12gtNhx5OTCPd30ku9h8ip8sdnW09OUYD-zYI6-gngy9msv-eF1YQnk1uogA1ylILJDyOQ-VtOgqyojWVd5es/w493-h640/image.png" width="493" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />5. Record your observations and some details about the weather or other important conditions you notice like time of day, activities around your focused area, and any changes you notice. If you have time or the ability to photograph or sketch your observation, this can add to your record. <br /><br />6. Consider joining with others to share observations. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/#">The Nature's Notebook website hosted by the USA-NPN has several campaigns including monitoring bats, pollinators, and pests.</a> Individual data is personally meaningful, but sharing it as a citizen scientist has the potential to create a volume of data that is relevant in tracking change over time. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.aldoleopold.org/post/life-long-passion-for-phenology/" target="_blank">Aldo Leopold, widely considered to be the Father of wildlife ecology, was an avid phenologist.</a> The Aldo Leopold Foundation creates a phenology calendar every year. <a href="https://www.aldoleopold.org/teach-learn/phenology/" target="_blank">Visit their resources more information about the 2021 calendar and the role that Leopold himself played in promoting phenology as a way of connecting with our environment. </a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We are all phenologists to varying degrees in our own lives, noticing subtle changes across time in ourselves and in our environment. In a time where so much has changed and shifted in sudden ways, tuning our focus to the rhythms and patterns of the natural world can offer a steadying respite. The simple practices of phenology might provide new, welcoming, and interesting insights in the year ahead. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2OryfxDaPACvxDGn71Kdq2BJRrsMAgxDmNR9ZF6kYpYhXX3A0n0EqJmIbEWN1VyRNw8EaImetX4K8rlItmv1CbEtwlSlDuvkdBofODevAwo4WMib8I4MQnqPLsoOINLERkbYnW6Qq6k/s1024/11A_1073.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="1024" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2OryfxDaPACvxDGn71Kdq2BJRrsMAgxDmNR9ZF6kYpYhXX3A0n0EqJmIbEWN1VyRNw8EaImetX4K8rlItmv1CbEtwlSlDuvkdBofODevAwo4WMib8I4MQnqPLsoOINLERkbYnW6Qq6k/w640-h428/11A_1073.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-47859822195233199772020-11-23T10:56:00.002-06:002020-11-23T12:34:34.738-06:00Animals Toughing It Out: Resisting the Stresses of Winter to be Active, Part 2<p><i style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: arial;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Guest post by KVR Instructor, Cathy Chybowski</span></i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFU7Ho7swGReebb4QAbSoYJffshKka6IosWb44jqY31W8ozRlefIZ89OAFGn2Gn41EMLv5PRQ4vVbKIcFWXok-CkOrw1j7ZIpD-sauVPfX4SJCt83kDRhmNq0e7tGp5KTCvQG6kwZf3o/s600/ruffledgrouse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="600" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFU7Ho7swGReebb4QAbSoYJffshKka6IosWb44jqY31W8ozRlefIZ89OAFGn2Gn41EMLv5PRQ4vVbKIcFWXok-CkOrw1j7ZIpD-sauVPfX4SJCt83kDRhmNq0e7tGp5KTCvQG6kwZf3o/w640-h354/ruffledgrouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"> Photo of Ruffed Grouse Courtesy of EEK! Wisconsin: Environmental Education for Kids <a href="http://eekwi.org">eekwi.org</a> </i><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">Like animals
that migrate or hibernate, animals that are active in the winter have evolved key
adaptations that help them avoid or confront harsh conditions.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">An adaptation can simply be making use of
fur, fat, or feathers.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Mammals grow heavy
undercoats and long hollow guard hairs to trap air for better insulation.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Birds can fluff out their feathers or tuck
their heads under their wings for warmth.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">A grouse spends the day foraging and filling its crop with food.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Then it dives or burrows into deep snow,
slowly digesting its food, warm beneath a blanket of snow.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 105%;">Animals living
farther north tend to have larger bodies and smaller appendages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A large body loses heat more slowly than a
small body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shorter appendages radiate
less heat than longer ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many animals
living in the north turn white in winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The obvious advantage is camouflage for both predator or prey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But another advantage is that white feathers
and fur contain more air than pigment so provide better insulation than fur or
feathers with color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In summary, it is
better to be big and white in winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think polar bear!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has a large
body, short ears, tail and legs, and white fur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is perfectly adapted for living in a cold, snowy landscape.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 105%;">Snow is a
mixed blessing. For small mammals like
voles, it can provide both insulation and protection from predators. For animals like deer, it can make travel
difficult. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 105%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The meadow vole, sometimes called a field
mouse, spends most of the winter under the snow in a system of tunnels leading
to a communal nest. It is an exception
to the “better to be big and white” rule.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 105%;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6SZjEL3ZRqo-mGvG77hZHrVOPXl8uS2GUUKbazyd9RPIIVvQzf-_Ugi8oEbjUBWWEl5fcLHBxcLTtGBoqJL7h4gRgjYb6EiX4lqirk6tTxnb9rqnwpcQcoHhn8j87PjDWdJunIKsSMY/s500/meadowvole.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="500" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6SZjEL3ZRqo-mGvG77hZHrVOPXl8uS2GUUKbazyd9RPIIVvQzf-_Ugi8oEbjUBWWEl5fcLHBxcLTtGBoqJL7h4gRgjYb6EiX4lqirk6tTxnb9rqnwpcQcoHhn8j87PjDWdJunIKsSMY/w640-h424/meadowvole.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Photo of Meadow Vole courtesy of EEK! Wisconsin: Environmental Education for Kids <a href="http://eekwi.org">eekwi.org</a> </i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 105%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 105%;">To
compensate for its small size and brown color, it actually loses weight before
winter in order to reduce its need for food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because it is an important part of the food
web, it seldom ventures above the snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, foxes and coyotes hear voles moving under the snow, jump up and
down to collapse their burrows, trapping them and then retrieving them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two to three months before the snow has
melted, still snug and protected, voles begin to reproduce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A young female can mate at one month of age
and produce as many as 17 litters per year with 5 or more young per litter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look for the tracks of these small mammals on
top of the snow or the quarter-sized entrance holes to their tunnels beneath
the snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the snow melts, the topless
tunnels reveal well-traveled runways beneath.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 105%;">The white-tailed deer is an energy
conservation specialist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever
possible, it does not expend more energy than it takes in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I</span>t grows a thick, woolly underfur and an
outer fur with long hollow guard hairs for insulation and it relies on fat
reserves built up in the warm months to fuel its activities in the winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the snow is deep, deer yard up and
follow well worn paths to evade predators and conserve energy. Their digestive system changes to accommodate
a change in diet—grazing in the warm months to browsing in the winter months
due to the snow cover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you are
outside, look for deer browse, tracks, scat, beds, buck rubs, or antlers
usually shed in late winter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZV6cJhsIYfPIs03RyUYUOxXKWWKiKVN5uJCJlKlwM9Hm7GUKY1JtL4T05E0NKe9DNgTZj_xSAkdq93rFhhdHgmZG75Zt36j-xeTp913SJahySXs53h4MUW23mQmuxvENAV7wCPfyJglM/s768/white+tailed+deer+winter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZV6cJhsIYfPIs03RyUYUOxXKWWKiKVN5uJCJlKlwM9Hm7GUKY1JtL4T05E0NKe9DNgTZj_xSAkdq93rFhhdHgmZG75Zt36j-xeTp913SJahySXs53h4MUW23mQmuxvENAV7wCPfyJglM/w640-h426/white+tailed+deer+winter.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: small;">Photo of White-Tailed Deer Courtesy of EEK! Wisconsin: Environmental Education for Kids <a href="http://eekwi.org">eekwi.org</a> </i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 105%;">As a group, birds face three obstacles to winter
survival: cold temperatures, starvation, and predation. Birds have a higher metabolic rate and a
higher body temperature than mammals, therefore making surviving the cold more
difficult.The food supply is diminished and often unreliable. Snow can limit access to otherwise available
food. Predators are ever present. Small birds like chickadees, nuthatches,
kinglets, brown creepers and titmice join mixed flocks. More eyes reduce the possibility of a
predator attack and broadens the search for food. Sometimes these flocks even roost together in
a tree cavity, bluebird nest box, or other shelter. Some birds like blue jays, chickadees and
nuthatches store food for later consumption and many birds frequent our feeders
when the weather turns harsh or there is deep snow cover.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 105%;">The black-capped chickadee is another exception
to the “better to be big and white” rule. In order to maintain its body temperature in winter, it requires 20
times more food than in the summer. How
do they do it? Among the chickadee’s
amazing physical feats is its ability to forage while hanging upside down and
moving every which way, foraging for eggs and larvae of insects in bark crevices. Could this acrobatic method be an adaptation
for winter feeding when snow covers the tops of branches, chickadees can still
gather food from beneath?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFBNxss0jnTMQwAvE5nmI86VAYcq_kEYMbhKY7k9akdZeBeKgDzxDwdf8cMO5PxVf6iXZh5yz_Ii00BTgmovS3dPJ6MW-xQxaegFHoh1rc5aPu4hconMmWwb4cPptLXcfPITh_bAgves/s432/black-capped_chickadee.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="432" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFBNxss0jnTMQwAvE5nmI86VAYcq_kEYMbhKY7k9akdZeBeKgDzxDwdf8cMO5PxVf6iXZh5yz_Ii00BTgmovS3dPJ6MW-xQxaegFHoh1rc5aPu4hconMmWwb4cPptLXcfPITh_bAgves/w640-h448/black-capped_chickadee.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: small;">Photo of Black-Capped Chickadee courtesy of EEK! Wisconsin: Environmental Education for Kids <a href="http://eekwi.org">eekwi.org</a> </i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 105%;">Unlike
mammals, birds do not grow extra feathers for warmth in the winter. Instead, they fluff their feathers to trap
more air for added insulation, often tuck their heads under their wings, and
huddle together under an evergreen bough with a snowy canopy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 105%;">Aldo Leopold
writes in <i>A</i> <i>Sand County Almanac</i>: “I suspect that in the chickadee Sunday School
two mortal sins are taught: thou shalt not venture into windy places in winter,
thou shalt not get wet before a blizzard.” Apparently a chickadee survives a frigid 16-hour night by doing lots of
little things just right. As these tiny
creatures wake with the sunrise, they begin foraging and this becomes the order
of their day. By late afternoon they are
“bulging with fat” which provides insulation. As the sun sets they lower their temperature as much as 15 degrees,
settling into a nightly hypothermia, fluffing, tucking, and huddling till
sunrise again, when the fat is depleted. Repeat. Repeat every 24 hours; it is a matter of survival. When you are out, listen for the chickadee’s
voice and watch for their quick movements.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 105%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 105%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next time you reach to turn the thermostat
up, think about the challenges that animals face for winter survival and some
of the amazing adaptations and strategies they have evolved to deal with them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 105%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">***</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBTR_00mq5awMwu4eStbAAZT5E8v5lZ8QNeUJ0QF2hjUozTIkBJX3tM2ECdd3DWZBEUKN3G4mvwv7ViyaIWLhf_TDWCO_1Wv2bM8mL6ncL-dXBO3N7kQ3TvYDMAKCpuuniIAXpZog8es/s1080/Under+the+Mud.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBTR_00mq5awMwu4eStbAAZT5E8v5lZ8QNeUJ0QF2hjUozTIkBJX3tM2ECdd3DWZBEUKN3G4mvwv7ViyaIWLhf_TDWCO_1Wv2bM8mL6ncL-dXBO3N7kQ3TvYDMAKCpuuniIAXpZog8es/w400-h200/Under+the+Mud.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />We love the resources at <a href="https://www.eekwi.org/" target="_blank">EEK! Wisconsin, Environmental Education for Kids</a>. They are hosting a live reading on December 2, 2020, at 10 AM CT, by author Laureanna Raymond-Duvernell from her book,</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Under the Mud, </i><span style="font-family: arial;">about 10 different animals and their winter survival adaptations. For more information or to register visit </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/story-edventure-read-aloud-under-in-the-mud-tickets-127366770439">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/story-edventure-read-aloud-under-in-the-mud-tickets-127366770439</a> This event would be great for students in grades 3-8, and it is free. Educators are encouraged to register for their classes. Homeschooling and schooling-at-home families might enjoy this, too!</span><p></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-42071033566411936072020-11-18T09:05:00.044-06:002020-11-23T10:56:55.009-06:00How do they do it? Part 1<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: arial;">Guest post by KVR Instructor, Cathy Chybowski</span></i></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 105%;">As the days become shorter and the temperature
drops, animals have three options in order to survive: migrate, hibernate or
remain active. These strategies along
with essential adaptations help animals to survive the cold season. </span><span style="line-height: 105%;"> </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13prCgCZhvj2aw-9A7Drkr-0vrnG5890NbNb2ZaBf0bx6_UwXssxiExSuleeq1MXlSs0JpG4TOpD40FkjtaDzV4A3pApWxZLT9Gg6szHI-3bdrXyDcPa6wGeMSw6jrhSuRbiUUV-4fYc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="313" data-original-width="626" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13prCgCZhvj2aw-9A7Drkr-0vrnG5890NbNb2ZaBf0bx6_UwXssxiExSuleeq1MXlSs0JpG4TOpD40FkjtaDzV4A3pApWxZLT9Gg6szHI-3bdrXyDcPa6wGeMSw6jrhSuRbiUUV-4fYc/w640-h320/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span><span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">p</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">hoto credit: freepik.com</span></span></i></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 105%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Migration: An Easy Out?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 105%;">Migration
can be quite risky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The energy cost of
migration is high and there can be many obstacles along the route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most animals spend time in a feeding frenzy
prior to migrating. This added fat will fuel their movement to an area with
sufficient food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For hummingbirds, warblers,
flycatchers and other birds that lose their food source with the onset of
winter, migration is a necessary risk. Large
bodies of water, a changing food supply, predators or hunting can make the trip
challenging. </span><span style="line-height: 105%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 105%;">Did you ever
wonder why it is mostly birds that migrate?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why so few mammals?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to
<a href="https://www.upne.com/1611684285.html" target="_blank">Peter Marchand in his book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Life in the
Cold</i></a>, a mammal would expend ten times more energy moving a given distance by
running than would a bird of equal weight flying that same distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bats and caribou are exceptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://kvrlearningoutside.blogspot.com/2020/08/to-everything-there-is-season.html" target="_blank">For more information on bats and insects that migrate see a previous post I shared in August.</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 105%;">Hibernation? Dormancy? What is the difference?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 105%;"><span>Dormancy is
one of the three strategies animals evolved for winter survival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a period of inactivity in which an
animal’s bodily functions are slowed down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By definition, hibernation is an extreme form of dormancy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Woodchucks, bats and jumping mice are among the
few mammals in our state to hibernate. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 105%;"><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3dgquOdJz74bmkelyIXlwuW8BnkBkgODTw6ldUHUq2tBO-kToznnXGZNfR06bmNIMhSe7yIkmqa5R68FQIbla-EfvcRNe7tlL4_Trvg8goW6aa381ovp5gN4FwhO8AWnnMb-2CibJQKw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="288" data-original-width="432" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3dgquOdJz74bmkelyIXlwuW8BnkBkgODTw6ldUHUq2tBO-kToznnXGZNfR06bmNIMhSe7yIkmqa5R68FQIbla-EfvcRNe7tlL4_Trvg8goW6aa381ovp5gN4FwhO8AWnnMb-2CibJQKw/w640-h426/image.png" width="640" /></a><i style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo credit: WI DNR</span></i></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 105%;">As an
herbivore, the woodchuck’s life is centered on the availability of plants. Feeding heavily during late summer into fall,
it accumulates thick rolls of body fat and then retires to its burrow usually
by the end of October. While hibernating,
its heart rate drops from 75 beats to 4 beats per minute, its body temperature
drops from 90 to 38 degrees, and it breathes once every 5 to 6 minutes. If the woodchuck can maintain this state of low
metabolism for several months without freezing to death, it will usually emerge
from its burrow during the first week of March (not like Punxsutawney Phil on Feb.
2). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 105%;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 105%;">There are
degrees of dormancy, from the true hibernation of the woodchuck at one extreme,
to the deep sleep of bears and chipmunks, and to the short term sleep of skunks,
opossums and raccoons. In all forms of
dormancy, the metabolism slows down in order to conserve energy at a time when
food is scarce.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 105%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-zjZT9mYAd6nf34oN5OjnXJGbhnbtLsXBIE10TR1HXWcfqEHYnf3-ji2cimvs-7bpc44ZYq0tNXLMOimx2JTJFhlMDpgBPV7oMiQeVzevUPQfCe98uYiV-f7RDWbBbs_AV3Ae6fiqsQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="427" data-original-width="618" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-zjZT9mYAd6nf34oN5OjnXJGbhnbtLsXBIE10TR1HXWcfqEHYnf3-ji2cimvs-7bpc44ZYq0tNXLMOimx2JTJFhlMDpgBPV7oMiQeVzevUPQfCe98uYiV-f7RDWbBbs_AV3Ae6fiqsQ/w640-h442/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span> </span>photo credit: bearstudy.org</span></i></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 105%;"><span>Research
shows that the black bear does not hibernate; its body does not undergo the
drastic changes of a true hibernator. In
order to prepare for its deep winter sleep, bears spend the fall in a feeding
frenzy putting on several inches of body fat and growing a thicker fur. While in the den, the sow gives birth to 2-3
cubs which do not hibernate either. During
this state of dormancy, the bear does not eat or drink, it does not produce
waste and it does not lose bone or muscle mass despite the lack of exercise. How do they do it? These
unique adaptations are of interest to medical science. There is more to learn
about black bears—how is it that they can survive a 5-month rest and fast and
emerge from their den with a 99% survival rate?
Apparently there are few people willing to crawl headfirst into an
active bear den in the winter to see just how cozy everything is in there!</span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 105%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZuxPLKY-w8XWr07GYAJHpJgbtqm_mDK6H9hDa5FWWhUKnQB6tjrMR55QyyHAr29A7JJdiKk5SCAH2oSleOh1Tc5T12StnEudNcw_lHkpnWePfzDBc28W9P4LCLTyl6OkP3mU-iAV_qU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="420" data-original-width="600" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZuxPLKY-w8XWr07GYAJHpJgbtqm_mDK6H9hDa5FWWhUKnQB6tjrMR55QyyHAr29A7JJdiKk5SCAH2oSleOh1Tc5T12StnEudNcw_lHkpnWePfzDBc28W9P4LCLTyl6OkP3mU-iAV_qU/w640-h448/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><span> </span><span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><i>photo credit: WI DNR</i></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 105%;"><span>Chipmunks
spend much of the fall collecting seeds and nuts for storage in their underground
burrow where they spend most of the winter in dormancy. The stored food gives them the option of waking
and being active for a time; I was surprised to see a chipmunk out and about
during a January thaw. No true
hibernator could do this.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 105%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmkwGBE7byX_ct82qTpHb3ImC5sEdfw4jbLLymR8SznKfWy_MXS_IUv1Eh5qgXWJY4w3HhadKlmlSUkGxEMSQt2Tl1LgKwQiJ1rze_0LqkcHyiAG4QJ2CPQtyMxwO910K46kpMG3DIqc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmkwGBE7byX_ct82qTpHb3ImC5sEdfw4jbLLymR8SznKfWy_MXS_IUv1Eh5qgXWJY4w3HhadKlmlSUkGxEMSQt2Tl1LgKwQiJ1rze_0LqkcHyiAG4QJ2CPQtyMxwO910K46kpMG3DIqc/w640-h426/image.png" width="640" /></a></div></div><span> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">p</span></i></span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: right;"><i>hoto credit: WI DNR</i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Unlike mammals, reptiles and amphibians are cold-blooded. Their options for winter survival are few. Since their body temperature drops with the outside temperature, they will freeze to death if they do not hibernate or go dormant in some form. Most frogs and turtles hibernate in the mud at the bottom of the pond or lake. Wood frogs are an exception, burrowing under damp leaves and into the soft soil of the forest floor. The wood frog produces an antifreeze which prevents its cells from freezing. Much of the body fluids outside the cells will freeze as will the frog’s eyes and brain. Its heart and lungs will stop. This “frogsicle” looks lifeless, but with the arrival of spring, it thaws quickly and is the first frog to emerge from hibernation. It is no wonder that the first frog we hear calling in the early spring is the wood frog. When the ice recedes and the water warms to 46 degrees, these frogs begin to call for a mate.</span></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Snakes, cold-blooded reptiles, generally hibernate in dens or burrows of other animals, sometimes in groups of mixed species. These are called balls of snakes and it is an amazing thing to see in the spring as these reptiles emerge from their hibernaculum. I witnessed dozens of garter snakes emerging this way one time in southeastern Wisconsin. I happened to be in the right place at the right time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Stay tuned for Part 2, Animals Toughing It Out, in the weeks to come!</span></i></p><p></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-50434728048496011032020-11-09T14:49:00.003-06:002020-11-13T15:50:49.852-06:00Risk and Play<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4h4ZEeE7ireR9FYtesjEy-OM2V62d4IXBp8pQqMDTqGxOuWZeT14JW0Wdz-tN-GkCuMAD_OpGhBN-13cU897FzgAfILe9SBXhhiqz63M84plgY0H9dgp3FT6xCvH66EivqtG6yWijZ2s/s2048/20191108_094235+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4h4ZEeE7ireR9FYtesjEy-OM2V62d4IXBp8pQqMDTqGxOuWZeT14JW0Wdz-tN-GkCuMAD_OpGhBN-13cU897FzgAfILe9SBXhhiqz63M84plgY0H9dgp3FT6xCvH66EivqtG6yWijZ2s/w480-h640/20191108_094235+%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />The Kickapoo Valley Forest School Leadership Team and Governance Council members recently attended a professional development training on risk and play in early childhood with Ross Thompson, M.Ed., an early childhood educator and teaching specialist. Ross shared some important perspectives and considerations for our team as we build the culture of forest schooling in our region. We have a few highlights that we'd like to share with our outdoor learning community.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>When it comes to defining risk and play, everyone has their own internal risk calculator.</b> As Ross pointed out, "Risky play depends on <b><i>who</i></b> is playing and <b><i>how</i></b> they feel." </span><span style="font-family: arial;">One person may think climbing a tree feels risky, while another person may think speaking out loud in front of a group feels like a big risk. For those of us who work and care for children, considering risk from the standpoint of how we personally view risk is an important first step. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">How did you play as a child? What experiences did you have that involved risk for you? Were they physical, social, emotional? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As we consider how our own experiences inform how we work with children, it's important to understand that our concern for the risks of a particular situation may be tied more directly to our own experiences than to the reality of our children's experiences. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveo6AM6Ir55R7MZS1WfsIrbxWoQjYxN1rSJZunsVZpAKZ6KqYkNaxGza4Wz2SSKrNkgR1UmsJr-CMFtUANRa90OBTrVb4GA1OCATYv2Nd-dhcxfy2Vc2qw8C9KuGAgZevOVG83foykLk/s2048/20200207_103744.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveo6AM6Ir55R7MZS1WfsIrbxWoQjYxN1rSJZunsVZpAKZ6KqYkNaxGza4Wz2SSKrNkgR1UmsJr-CMFtUANRa90OBTrVb4GA1OCATYv2Nd-dhcxfy2Vc2qw8C9KuGAgZevOVG83foykLk/w640-h480/20200207_103744.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Creating an environment where children can safely explore is essential to building strong bodies and critical thinkers.</b> When the environment is controlled to eliminate any or all risks, children may lose some of their ability to weigh, ponder, and consider their actions and decisions. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This doesn't mean that anything goes! In fact, it requires the adults in a caregiving environment to be vigilant and engaged in assessing risk but to do so in collaboration with children. Forest schooling is an amazing opportunity to provide children with natural risk-taking opportunities through lots of opportunities to watch, try, practice, and master many things that might be considered too risky in other learning environments. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For example, many children love to climb and experience height. Rather than telling them it isn't safe to climb a tree or to rely on the common refrain of, "Be careful!" how might we help them consider the finer points of climbing? We could try asking questions like, </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"How can you check that the branches will hold you?" </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"What's your plan for climbing down?"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Another important point Ross shared is that while risky play often challenges our comfort zones, it should never be dangerous, terrifying, anxiety-provoking, or forced. Children thrive in environments that allow them to take their time and approach a challenge on their own terms. For some children, this might mean watching other children for an extended amount of time before feeling ready to try. Ross shared a great example of a variety of stumps placed in a learning space. Some children feel ready to jump off the tallest stump, and others need lots and lots of practice on the lower stumps. The benefits of having multi-age groups exploring and learning together reinforces the need for some children to play with more risk, and others to watch and observe on their own time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">During our training session, we learned more about how play that involves risk helps develop motor skills, social and emotional frameworks, creativity, and cognitive capacity in young children. We look forward to sharing more about how risk, play, and forest schooling intersect at an upcoming KVFS Virtual Roundtable event on November 17, 2020</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. Visit our website at </span><a href="http://kickapoovalleyforestschool.org" style="font-family: arial;">kickapoovalleyforestschool.org</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> for <a href="https://www.kickapoovalleyforestschool.org/o/kvfs/events/#6324283" target="_blank">the link</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For more information about Ross Thompson's work, check out his podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-with-the-body-in-mind/id1211456019" target="_blank">Teaching with the Body in Mind</a>, and visit the associated <a href="https://www.facebook.com/teachingwiththebodyinmind/" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. </span></p><p><br /></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-43010450330411114002020-11-02T14:35:00.000-06:002020-11-13T15:50:27.540-06:00Outdoor Learning Highlight: La Farge Schools<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Outdoor Learning Highlight: <a href="https://www.lafarge.k12.wi.us/">La Farge Schools </a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This fall our current context has highlighted the benefits of outdoor learning in new ways. For La Farge Schools students and teachers, incorporating the natural world into academic pursuits is nothing new. Inspired by our beautiful surroundings, LFS teachers frequently make opportunities for students to apply new concepts within our local context. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlgNy_cUt9JuaMmtca-9b5c1fjS49jOiwBtKcatDqNAreeqhCqiBa-NkspJiqV9gXGQr7Y6rfg7gDuTBBjVtdr6lHch2Kg_FEj-xvqjZ3c4wXIfnic9QHOKhYcRGudhrTr9LRbnpL_5Y/s2048/Lf+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlgNy_cUt9JuaMmtca-9b5c1fjS49jOiwBtKcatDqNAreeqhCqiBa-NkspJiqV9gXGQr7Y6rfg7gDuTBBjVtdr6lHch2Kg_FEj-xvqjZ3c4wXIfnic9QHOKhYcRGudhrTr9LRbnpL_5Y/w640-h640/Lf+1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">Learning outside spans a variety of different content areas within our 4K - 12th grade school. We've shared some highlights here in the spirit of getting outdoors to build context and experiential learning for students.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><b>Early Literacy (4K - K)</b>
One of the primary components of becoming a reader is learning letter names and sounds. LFS early childhood teachers often embed these skills within outdoor learning. Attention to shapes and the differences among them is a great introduction to the alphabet and helps children learn how to distinguish between letters. La Farge Schools’ early literacy teachers have embedded these skills within outdoor learning experiences in several ways. Teachers take young children outside to look for letter shapes in natural items, such as forked stick shaped like a Y, or a smooth rock reminiscent of an O.</span></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-ded8c917-7fff-8771-8534-e58c01128291"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBJflDggSQAdLcaWTfn0L0lXCT0cOE4thbJwWco53DVieMUPBUsHo5cJ8LjfhnBITjhxHYCsqe_8m49WqiaxuKCPQSjTIDt0kiiXqI51nA2d-0vP9xpkgOcWSd74FG5Gy0U8wU5KoWeA/s1600/stick.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="905" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBJflDggSQAdLcaWTfn0L0lXCT0cOE4thbJwWco53DVieMUPBUsHo5cJ8LjfhnBITjhxHYCsqe_8m49WqiaxuKCPQSjTIDt0kiiXqI51nA2d-0vP9xpkgOcWSd74FG5Gy0U8wU5KoWeA/w640-h362/stick.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zJjkLl5_Tujv_4pIjWondaAtaXqIkdsB_VwD0KXvCknaJjenQyQVlKRqkbh7IddGF85NLAQ7qGxvGPXlOJ322FFP38wMFjQB_t6TXLGuNgCs3kIw-CE2LzLin2NWA34VJs4UHdIYh7o/s1600/ice.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="905" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zJjkLl5_Tujv_4pIjWondaAtaXqIkdsB_VwD0KXvCknaJjenQyQVlKRqkbh7IddGF85NLAQ7qGxvGPXlOJ322FFP38wMFjQB_t6TXLGuNgCs3kIw-CE2LzLin2NWA34VJs4UHdIYh7o/w362-h640/ice.png" width="362" /></span></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Recently, our preschool teacher, Mrs. Greenwood, took young learners outside to collect leaves, which they glued onto a line-drawn L. These “L is for Leaf” pages will be combined with other letter/contextual item pages to make a real-world alphabet book for each child.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; font-family: arial; height: 392px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468.00000000000006" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/e_Tbg89qXdSXcuMFFoyFcBgf06TKPAfwRTHj5bTD1QVelPgqRgb3lojQ1ZPQuvSIZk3nsW_XlBWS9hFDNaf_Ge4uXcGDEZ4j3TXcjHzUHauGsk093tTB9vtJng1k6Vj1zsq4zMpR" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -76px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>High School Agricultural Education: Natural Resources</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mr. Fowell regularly visits the La Farge School Garden to plant and harvest with his agricultural science students, as well as to identify weeds. Additionally, he and his classes often travel to the nearby Kickapoo Valley Reserve for class-embedded activities such as bird identification, duck house maintenance, pheasant release, tree identification, and more. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>High School Social Studies</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">History teacher Amy Lund regularly has her students practice outdoor surveying, and her classes go on walking tours of the town. As a part of her Local and/or Wisconsin History courses, she takes students on walking field trips of the local cemeteries and frequently relies on the expertise of local historian Brad Steinmetz pictured below with students this week on a visit to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve dam site.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeWbF8bWyZTfQexbg_345kBFXd7o7m6DbVHTNnW7ZfkmboLMz-qY7CtFmKkIL12iv42-zpW4jA1CtjVkBh4TrBQqGg7V2_kUz8w5vlqTj4ZRA8mv8Zh-vaGmgP9TACm_d97kBs-cuR1Q/s640/brad+dam.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="640" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeWbF8bWyZTfQexbg_345kBFXd7o7m6DbVHTNnW7ZfkmboLMz-qY7CtFmKkIL12iv42-zpW4jA1CtjVkBh4TrBQqGg7V2_kUz8w5vlqTj4ZRA8mv8Zh-vaGmgP9TACm_d97kBs-cuR1Q/w640-h492/brad+dam.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><span><br /></span></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Middle School Math</span></b></span><div><span><span style="font-family: arial;">Mr. Chroninger often takes his students on "fraction walks" where they look for collections of items with the natural world around them to practice mathematical concepts. For example, he may ask students to find the ratio of oak trees to pine trees in a particular section of the park adjacent to our school. Taking students outside to collect, measure, compare, and graph gives students real-world applications.</span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUtdJRbtnLdjDn0k-ow1sddPoe1j4r2Zu00crNFWBeMUfToH8GG_N6NBPUhDN6owg8PMLlMFUEyMWPmONUVwUGnxuKN5bK8tupMyBHDiiiLvEcefHWEVsKnq24G_oZvpj4BcezNAXOWk/s2048/math.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUtdJRbtnLdjDn0k-ow1sddPoe1j4r2Zu00crNFWBeMUfToH8GG_N6NBPUhDN6owg8PMLlMFUEyMWPmONUVwUGnxuKN5bK8tupMyBHDiiiLvEcefHWEVsKnq24G_oZvpj4BcezNAXOWk/w640-h640/math.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-88519125014282415592020-10-26T11:23:00.002-05:002020-10-26T11:23:20.767-05:00Fall Bird Migration: Sighting, Care and Feeding<p style="text-align: center;"><i> <span style="font-family: arial;">Guest post by Barb Duerksen, KVR Instructor </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DgfnfngVlHSBhD59up9ykXtfVxK3hP4SsXUw8jOCFVAPbu58CM49l6YxDrfzcwJ2SIvoytbXfbxZ3G5C_ese2VtppSWr5yI35MvPohAR4k8F4cK0ZyGDUzzcKO2A_7Nxz-HA06P_fh0/s639/Ruby-crowned+KingletBartholmai.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="639" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DgfnfngVlHSBhD59up9ykXtfVxK3hP4SsXUw8jOCFVAPbu58CM49l6YxDrfzcwJ2SIvoytbXfbxZ3G5C_ese2VtppSWr5yI35MvPohAR4k8F4cK0ZyGDUzzcKO2A_7Nxz-HA06P_fh0/w640-h426/Ruby-crowned+KingletBartholmai.bmp" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Jack Bartholmai.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;">It’s fall and birds are on the move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cold weather means fewer insects, so the
birds that depend entirely on insects for staying alive must migrate–they fly
south to find enough to eat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;">October and November are exciting months for people who enjoy
seeing birds that are flying in from farther north.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are species that we can find only during
the time of migration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a migrant that I’ve seen along
the roadsides recently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are
olive-colored with white wing bars and a white eye ring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are small and energetic, flying quickly
through the shrubs, weeds, and trees, searching for food and flicking their
wings almost constantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fall the
kinglets are quiet, except for a soft two-noted “jidit” call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ruby-colored spot on top of the male’s
head is usually hidden in fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
they come back through in the spring, the males display that bright red spot,
and sing a sweet warbly song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<a href="http://kvr.state.wi.us/Natural-Features/KVR-Birds/KVR-Bird-List/Rubycrowned-Kinglet/" target="_blank">Listen to
the song and call here </a></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://kvr.state.wi.us/Natural-Features/KVR-Birds/KVR-Bird-List/Rubycrowned-Kinglet/" target="_blank">by clicking on the Audio button.</a>)
Most Kinglets will be gone by the end of October.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will spend the winter in the southern
United States and Mexico.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyGM1jK-WVU2HjPs-OrmPp-tJImAk97NkaFoDqbm9eDvtRvq2-PfwJC75wm36jWKloP7Ba0uBDYZWEWsPkhOErxPmtH2dApcmLmDaP36-ecWXAYYtdVajjB-r7YzhFM7hGGOTDQM48jE/s1024/Tundra+SwanJackson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyGM1jK-WVU2HjPs-OrmPp-tJImAk97NkaFoDqbm9eDvtRvq2-PfwJC75wm36jWKloP7Ba0uBDYZWEWsPkhOErxPmtH2dApcmLmDaP36-ecWXAYYtdVajjB-r7YzhFM7hGGOTDQM48jE/w640-h480/Tundra+SwanJackson.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tundra Swan. Photo by Dan Jackson.</span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;">Waterbirds are another group of birds that migrate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They live on or near water, so when it gets
cold enough for the water to freeze, they fly south to warmer places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Late October through November is a good time
to find geese, swans, and many different species of ducks on ponds and
rivers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tundra Swans are huge white
birds with long necks that nest in the far north Arctic tundra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the weather turns cold, many of them fly
south and east, some stopping at resting places like the Mississippi River for
a time while they tank up for the rest of the flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many spend the winter in the Chesapeake Bay
area on the east coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goose Island and
south along the Mississippi River are good places to find hundreds of these
swans in November and sometimes into early December, depending on when freezing
temperatures arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They call
constantly during migration, a high musical “hoo hoo” sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you hear that, look up, and you’ll see a
flock of big white birds heading south east.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes they migrate at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;">(<a href="http://kickapoovalley.wi.gov/Natural-Features/KVR-Birds/KVR-Bird-List/Tundra-Swan/" target="_blank">Listen to their call here by pressing the</a></span><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://kickapoovalley.wi.gov/Natural-Features/KVR-Birds/KVR-Bird-List/Tundra-Swan/" target="_blank"> Audio button</a>.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpG7_xnjti-AecA6uYPDUfyp2VSFm3BaUG6Ci2YyM2LdJDBuEK17mWKrys1RzhgFj5xs59z2S7_AaHZR1PPJ3DUmGDnnblCPAjZsCHbM3VAvlnbphm0zS87AqGDe1t171c-b2-PlowXUs/s2048/Dark-eyed+Junco+Jackson.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1463" data-original-width="2048" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpG7_xnjti-AecA6uYPDUfyp2VSFm3BaUG6Ci2YyM2LdJDBuEK17mWKrys1RzhgFj5xs59z2S7_AaHZR1PPJ3DUmGDnnblCPAjZsCHbM3VAvlnbphm0zS87AqGDe1t171c-b2-PlowXUs/w640-h458/Dark-eyed+Junco+Jackson.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Dark-eyed Junco. Photo by Dan Jackson.</div></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;">The birds that can stay alive eating seeds don’t need to
leave when the insects disappear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
can usually find food all winter. These birds stay here year-round and are appropriately called
resident birds. Black-capped Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatches, cardinals,
Blue Jays, goldfinches, some sparrows, and many of the woodpeckers are
residents who stay here through the winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some birds like Dark-eyed Juncos and Purple Finches fly here from the
north and stay for the winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Putting up
a bird feeder in the yard is a good way to enjoy the familiar birds and learn
about the new species that arrive for the winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Birds do have a harder time finding food when
there is lots of snow on the ground and it gets very cold. It is important when
there is nasty weather to keep the feeders full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;">Here are some things to consider when you set out to feed birds:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">Placement: </b><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">Keep the feeder within 3 feet or farther
than 30 feet from your window to avoid birds crashing into the window.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>Cover: </b></span><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">P</span></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">ut
the feeder near some cover, so the smaller birds have a place to hide when
predators come along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you put a post
in the ground near the feeder now before the ground freezes, you can tie your
used Christmas tree to the post</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>Sanitation</b></span><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">: </span></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Keep
your feeders clean so birds don’t get diseases.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>Safety/Predators:</b></span><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">If
you live where there are lots of outdoor cats, it’s really not a good idea to
put up a feeder.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>For more information about feeding birds</b></span><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">: <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/browse/topic/feeding-birds/" target="_blank">Visit </a></span></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/browse/topic/feeding-birds/" target="_blank">Cornell Laboratory of
Ornithology’s <i>All About Birds </i>site</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>What to
feed the birds?</b></span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">A simple way to start is
to put out black oil sunflower seeds and a suet feeder.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">Most of the birds we have here in the winter
like the sunflower seeds.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">Woodpeckers
especially like suet.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Y</span><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">ou can buy suet
blocks at the feed stores, or raw suet from a meat locker.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">You should only use the raw suet when the
weather is cold, as it can get messy and turn rancid in warn weather.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 32.25pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 32.25pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yN_ixZ5oEdizUEfYXZqSCOPOk-JVrzHLxLMhdnovigEuVuD0G0iURoojeW8wR_KqnXapEi8TstbS8QGzuQsLt9K9YEON3MyPPd9dJtDCi6L1ALs-U3TiARKeLRnEz5a50hZAACPHbL8/s2048/Red+Bellied+WoodpeckerJackson.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yN_ixZ5oEdizUEfYXZqSCOPOk-JVrzHLxLMhdnovigEuVuD0G0iURoojeW8wR_KqnXapEi8TstbS8QGzuQsLt9K9YEON3MyPPd9dJtDCi6L1ALs-U3TiARKeLRnEz5a50hZAACPHbL8/w512-h640/Red+Bellied+WoodpeckerJackson.JPG" width="512" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Red-bellied Woodpecker. Photo by Dan Jackson.</div></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Here are some birding activity ideas to inspire you to get out as we move through the fall season.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;">Spend a little time outdoors on a walk or sitting still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen for bird calls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you hear chickadees, look nearby for other
species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes migrant birds follow
the chickadees on their feeding routes.</span> </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;">After the leaves are gone and before there’s snow on the
ground, the world can seem drab and gloomy. Maybe it’s time to celebrate drab.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bundle up, go out, find 10 things that you would consider drab, and take
another look.</span></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Spend some time learning about </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #404040;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count" target="_blank">Audubon's 121st Christmas Bird Count that will be conducted between the dates of Monday, December 14, 2020 through Tuesday, January 5, 2021</a>. This is a great way to get involved in citizen science. </span></span></li></ul><p></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 50.25pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 50.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-8936672734265597752020-10-19T11:44:00.002-05:002020-10-19T12:59:12.413-05:00Driftless Dark Skies: Autumnal Stargazing<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Guest post by John Heasley, KVR AstroEducator and owner of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DriftlessStargazing/">Driftless Stargazing</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Photo of the Milky Way by Stephen Deutsch</i></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">We enjoy awesome starry skies in the Driftless. Late fall is
an excellent time to be amazed by them. The skies darken earlier and the nights
are longer. The Sun sets before 5pm and the sky is fully dark by 6:30pm.
Mosquitoes are gone. Humidity is lower. The stars are brighter in the crisp
skies. And it’s such a safe outdoor activity. Yes it’s colder, but we know how
to dress for the weather. Kiddos lose heat at a faster rate, so bundle them up.
You won’t be moving much, so layer for about 20 degrees cooler than the
temperature.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">You can stargaze wherever you are. If you want darker skies,
check out our many public areas such as Kickapoo Valley Reserve, Lower
Wisconsin State Riverway, Wildcat Mountain, Wyalusing, Sidie Hollow, and Duck
Egg. We can be awed by the starry skies so much much more away from the glow of
artificial lights. Remember that there are simple steps we can take to preserve
this heritage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.darksky.org/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">International
Dark-Sky Association</span></a> has done the research and makes it easy to do.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Telescopes are wonderful, but you really don’t need one.
There’s much to see with our unaided eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many of us already have binoculars, and we can see even more with them.
They really bring out the color of stars. It’s fun to track the Moon as it
rises a little later each evening and goes through all its phases during the
month. Binoculars let you explore its craters and plains and mountains even
better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Venture into the sights and
sounds and smells of the nocturnal world by walking when the Moon is full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Full Frost Moon lights up the landscape
on <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/full-moon-faint-eclipse-november-29-30"><span style="color: #1155cc;">November 29-30</span></a> and the Full Yule Moon shines
down on us <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/last-full-moon-of-the-decade-on-december-29-30"><span style="color: #1155cc;">December 28-30</span></a>. If you’re out early the
morning of November 30, you might even notice a little dimming of the Moon as
it passes through the shadow of the Earth in a penumbral eclipse. NASA has
excellent activities such as keeping a <a href="https://moon.nasa.gov/resources/12/moon-observation-journal/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Moon Observation Journal</span></a> and sharing <a href="https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=642"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Moon Myths from Around the World</span></a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtq2bw9X2T0DPVC2oZDyFKxvdeYpoH2qJteHaHrS1K2nkYD4Zxw9T0x3ZdN3hi09_z9XzYZG053N9gAX0RLBtbe24v8aJAAJx1f5GHpqkLTV8p7MWIAmV9kF-8W-ySGnJ34pOT6T3cReU/s1280/stargazing+crew.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtq2bw9X2T0DPVC2oZDyFKxvdeYpoH2qJteHaHrS1K2nkYD4Zxw9T0x3ZdN3hi09_z9XzYZG053N9gAX0RLBtbe24v8aJAAJx1f5GHpqkLTV8p7MWIAmV9kF-8W-ySGnJ34pOT6T3cReU/w640-h480/stargazing+crew.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Planets are easy to spot. They are generally brighter than
the stars, and they don’t twinkle as much. They can be found somewhere along an
arc that rises in the east, passes high in the south, and sets in the west.
Venus “the morning star” is brilliant in the east before sunrise. It’s lovely
with the Waning Crescent Moon on <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-venus-mercury-before-daybreak"><span style="color: #1155cc;">November 12 and 13</span></a> (when you might see Mercury
below it) and again on <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/spectacular-moon-and-venus-before-sunrise"><span style="color: #1155cc;">December 12 and 13</span></a>. Jupiter and Saturn are
close together in the southwest after sunset. Jupiter is the brighter of the
two and Saturn is to its left. Watch as they draw closer together until they
meet in a Great Conjunction on December 21, the evening of the winter solstice.
This happens only every twenty years. The Waxing Crescent Moon passes by them <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-jupiter-saturn-after-sunset"><span style="color: #1155cc;">November 18 and 19</span></a> and again on <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/young-moon-to-swing-by-jupiter-saturn"><span style="color: #1155cc;">December 16 and 17</span></a>. Mars is especially bright
this season and glows like an ember in the southern sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Waxing Gibbous Moon meets up with the Red
Planet on <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/watch-for-the-moon-and-mars"><span style="color: #1155cc;">November 25</span></a> and <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-mars-uranus-december-22-24"><span style="color: #1155cc;">December 23</span></a>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">When we think of meteor showers, most of us think of the
Perseids in August. But there are two great showers yet this year: the Leonids
on <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/leonid-meteors-before-dawn-november-17"><span style="color: #1155cc;">November 16/17</span></a> and the Geminids on <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/december-geminid-meteor-shower"><span style="color: #1155cc;">December 13/14</span></a>. No moonlight interferes with
them in 2020. Bundle up, bring a warm beverage, get comfy on a lounge chair,
and look up. These bright streaks of comet dust can show up in any part of the
sky. They peak after midnight, but there are quite a few to see in the evening
an hour or so after sunset.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">When you’re gazing at stars, it’s fun to “connect the dots”.
Humans from many cultures all over the planet have seen different people,
animals, and things in the sky. You should feel free to create your own and
tell their stories. In the last century, the International Astronomical Union
has recognized 88 constellations, about 60 of them visible from Wisconsin.
Some, such as Orion the Hunter, look like their namesakes. Others, such as
Aquarius the Water Bearer, require much more imagination. Use your sky map to
learn one a week, and you’ll know the sky in just about a year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">There’s much more to see in the sky including galaxies and
clusters and nebulas. And plenty of guides to help us. <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight"><span style="color: #1155cc;">EarthSky
Tonight</span></a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DriftlessStargazing/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Driftless Stargazing</span></a> give daily updates. Sky
and Telescope’s <a href="https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/sky-at-a-glance/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">This Week’s Sky at a Glance</span></a> gives a great
overview. <a href="http://www.skymaps.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Skymaps.com</span></a>
has a free map to print off every month. Bring it outside, turn it so the
direction you are facing is at the bottom, and have fun identifying
constellations and discovering galaxies and star clusters. Consider connecting
with your local astronomy club such as <a href="http://www.starsplitters.org/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Starsplitters of Wyalusing</span></a> or <a href="http://www.lcaas.org/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">La Crosse Area
Astronomical Society</span></a>.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwnaPTTe7Qtn1Vb-l_BJ4YFLGPrQ4UJITKPkL3RUW4vUuYc4sr1XkHFQuMONt6WRAVCC1SFdpbvKyhdRYklFUvyqFj6Nnr2YkMS7pKIGsllxi2p2dGZHNnvEW0UkFgHUFAuGsQynXHuM/s1280/KVRAstroEducators.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwnaPTTe7Qtn1Vb-l_BJ4YFLGPrQ4UJITKPkL3RUW4vUuYc4sr1XkHFQuMONt6WRAVCC1SFdpbvKyhdRYklFUvyqFj6Nnr2YkMS7pKIGsllxi2p2dGZHNnvEW0UkFgHUFAuGsQynXHuM/w640-h480/KVRAstroEducators.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">KVR AstroEducators</span></i></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">One thing I especially miss in 2020 is sharing astronomy
programs and star parties at KVR.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
reassuring to know that folks can still be looking up together even as we keep
safely apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Head out and enjoy the
skies of fall and winter,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a
whole cosmos to discover.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;">John Heasley is an astronomy educator and stargazer who
enjoys connecting people with the cosmos. He volunteers with NASA/JPL as a </span></i><a href="https://solarsystem1.jpl.nasa.gov/ssa/biography.cfm?US_ID=732"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Solar System
Ambassador</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"> and the International Astronomical Union as a </span></i><a href="https://darkskies4all.org/users/profile/john-373052/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Dark Sky
Ambassador</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;">. For more information about stargazing in southwest WI,
like </span></i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DriftlessStargazing/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">Driftless
Stargazing LLC</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"> on Facebook and find out whenever there's something awesome
happening in the skies. Driftless Dark Skies appears monthly in the </span></i><a href="http://voiceoftherivervalley.com/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">Voice of the River Valley</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></span></p><p></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-24927226889616402452020-10-12T12:17:00.002-05:002020-11-23T11:13:03.538-06:00Indigenous Peoples' Day 2020<span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GdnZ9bqSa90z8jYKilXWwhFA7OLEKNEjmtpJ63JANx52GZlOqKX01VV6S8XQOgkG1rqmQHSjTb1bzrWcRuDRw0WF5PKE2Du_qWzaOXLl6CV4pik_PAPw93NUoPkCXybqtxtQwpOYekM/s663/Tribes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="620" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GdnZ9bqSa90z8jYKilXWwhFA7OLEKNEjmtpJ63JANx52GZlOqKX01VV6S8XQOgkG1rqmQHSjTb1bzrWcRuDRw0WF5PKE2Du_qWzaOXLl6CV4pik_PAPw93NUoPkCXybqtxtQwpOYekM/w598-h640/Tribes.jpg" width="598" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://evers.wi.gov/Documents/EO/EO050-IndigenousPeoplesDay.pdf" target="_blank">Today in Wisconsin we honor Indigenous Peoples' Day</a>. We encourage you to learn more about the sovereign nations in our region. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://wisconsinfirstnations.org/" target="_blank">Wisconsin First Nations</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A collection of resources with accurate and authentic educational material for teaching and learning about the American Indian Nations of Wisconsin, including links to each of the websites for each nation. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://theways.org/map.html" target="_blank">The Ways</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">An ongoing series of stories and resources about the Native communities around the Great Lakes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://pbswisconsin.org/watch/tribal-histories/" target="_blank">Tribal Histories - PBS Wisconsin</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Tribal storytellers share the culture and oral traditions that have shaped their communities across generations. Stories from each of the eleven federally recognized tribes and bands in Wisconsin, plus one tribe seeking to regain its federal status.</span></div>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-53856538857647244332020-10-05T12:09:00.000-05:002020-10-05T12:09:16.620-05:00Outdoor Learning Highlight: North Crawford Schools<p>Teachers and students around the country (and world!) are getting outdoors during school hours to do some of their work. And while we've known for years (long before this pandemic) that <a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_surprising_benefits_of_teaching_a_class_outside">learning outdoors has many benefits</a>, it is always so inspiring to see it first hand.</p><p>This week's outdoor learning highlight: <a href="https://www.northcrawford.com/"> North Crawford Schools</a></p><p>Perhaps no one says it better than North Crawford Art Teacher, Brandie Myhre. "As a PreK-12 art teacher, I love taking all of my students, from varying ages and classes, outdoors to learn. It is amazing to watch nature provoke curiosity, and how observation becomes the forefront of learning. The world is limitless, and we are free to be gobbled up by nature. Taking a big, deep breath becomes easier, and life is less about the work that we have to do, and more about the work that we want to do. There is more joy, more laughter, and more time for unstructured play."</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwcc7AOrKHICdwkUV_NLKs1liv0_cT4AkCkKNq-pYRhmIyHmAiy7ntpeZ1EMztFmJNCgIRbWqyYvHrioCleW31Drfo7xTpVenRaU9YiBUicD5V9qGNKfdQ5NxmlP8NZKRqQ2NB2gP92Y/s1920/BlindPhotographyHighSchool.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwcc7AOrKHICdwkUV_NLKs1liv0_cT4AkCkKNq-pYRhmIyHmAiy7ntpeZ1EMztFmJNCgIRbWqyYvHrioCleW31Drfo7xTpVenRaU9YiBUicD5V9qGNKfdQ5NxmlP8NZKRqQ2NB2gP92Y/w480-h640/BlindPhotographyHighSchool.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>Here is one way Brandie is engaging her high school students outdoors. Blind Photography! High school students taking photography
class have been spending time outside in the school garden, using their senses
to capture images. Inspired by the work of Pete Eckert, students closed their
eyes and used touch, smell, and hearing to find objects to turn into compelling
captures with their iPads. In this photo, a student is slowly moving
around the garden, using his hands to guide him to an interesting subject. This photography class will continue to utilize the outdoor spaces for shooting macro
and landscape photography in the coming months. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqqBaLrdJtxZ6lxminKrVo4VJnz0NPaUg5noMCGKFNHA6kpB4pEuJOG851QZZATDepWO0gBF__gkn3B0_YjJE4bmKaNzXDZYAQ2SEYTG_-mNeYUeKTsw64mSkb91WrJizzEujYIqmUjc/s2048/PreKWindSock.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqqBaLrdJtxZ6lxminKrVo4VJnz0NPaUg5noMCGKFNHA6kpB4pEuJOG851QZZATDepWO0gBF__gkn3B0_YjJE4bmKaNzXDZYAQ2SEYTG_-mNeYUeKTsw64mSkb91WrJizzEujYIqmUjc/w480-h640/PreKWindSock.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">North Crawford's Pre-K class consistently utilizes the outdoor space and sets up daily in the school garden to conduct class. In this photo, Pre-K students in art class are using crayons as a resist to make designs on a sheet of paper. The following week students will use watercolors to paint over the crayon, and attach streamers, and roll their paper to create a windsock! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzpdENSIpFKgtC4vrYpMxzZ-5qBuVjN_wrMRzm1Q5pZQ3FX0mhkt0NOBAscYkBdwsGVoX5S_0hdff_K1iAFtmeGPPKnTiE3E8yuBp6tCxIlSLP12c2b9_R2yuQcXdP0LDljVSEQG6-20/s2048/2ndGradePlantID.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzpdENSIpFKgtC4vrYpMxzZ-5qBuVjN_wrMRzm1Q5pZQ3FX0mhkt0NOBAscYkBdwsGVoX5S_0hdff_K1iAFtmeGPPKnTiE3E8yuBp6tCxIlSLP12c2b9_R2yuQcXdP0LDljVSEQG6-20/w480-h640/2ndGradePlantID.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">2nd Grade Plant ID </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Mrs. Kruizenga's 2nd grade class talked about chlorophyll in the leaves and why they change colors, after which the class spent time in the school forest using the Seek app to identify plant species.</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8yIqGSEdajaTfZzru5AnTWRUIpG5LksyXhVEPLC7hp3-6Iun1EEg04cVY5f_RNOSs_Cr6-1Ya_XCx5_n2-qpfCGVN3oK2s4Kl-vup8xEMMU3FphyphenhyphendD_BBy93MzMlARS-MxgRSc3Shk0/s2048/2ndGradeHillRolling.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8yIqGSEdajaTfZzru5AnTWRUIpG5LksyXhVEPLC7hp3-6Iun1EEg04cVY5f_RNOSs_Cr6-1Ya_XCx5_n2-qpfCGVN3oK2s4Kl-vup8xEMMU3FphyphenhyphendD_BBy93MzMlARS-MxgRSc3Shk0/w480-h640/2ndGradeHillRolling.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">2nd Grade Hill Rolling</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">And best of of all? After plant identification, students enjoy unstructured play! <br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Students and teachers everywhere are experiencing the joys of learning outdoors. </span></div></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Teaching outside allows kids to experience the natural
world in an authentic way, to inquire about, explore and answer their own
questions. They experience joy, comradery and a level of comfort not always
found in a building. The outdoor classroom lends itself to children not having
to depend on the teacher entirely to present a subject or topic, explain how to
explore it and ask questions that may otherwise seem arbitrary and meaningless
to a young mind. They are free to learn in their own way." Jamie Bearrows
- North Crawford Interventionist - Reading Specialist </p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-74502145605544718312020-09-28T11:42:00.000-05:002020-09-28T11:42:39.629-05:00Fall Foraging in the KVR<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Guest Post by KVR Instructor Nicholas WazeeGale</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The vibrant colors, shorter days, and cool nights signal to all our senses that Autumn is here. It may seem that with all the plant life fading away, nature’s abundance is going with it, but the truth is just the opposite to the forager. As many plants are readying for the cold they create so many of the best and most hearty foods of the seasons. Roots and tubers, nuts and some seeds, certain greens, a fruit or two, and many mushrooms all offer us much to look forward to.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many folks do some foraging at one time or another during the year. Morels, black raspberries, that asparagus patch down the road, or perhaps hickory nuts get us out there to seek nature’s bounty in the woods and fields. And though this activity has gained much popularity in recent years, it is obviously nothing new to folks of older times, be they Native Americans who originally held these lands or older farm families of the area. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are just a few local plants and fungi that you may want to be keeping an eye out for in the weeks to come.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Elm Oyster Mushroom</b></span></div><p><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f1eb0dc0-7fff-9786-7380-78b8ccbccfef"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cddxhTh5c0_xCvnrPQVzWmFpWFj3QxyeGjj0cwjOauv7ysVQ1_SqZNSITs9F38-WRRDvUltwwb1HvSZlei1TPiXP9mzl1yID3DqvJPw7n3O78_QmviIFHW2XsIN7o41tYHTD9TiuXUo/s5184/nicholas+oyster.JPG" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cddxhTh5c0_xCvnrPQVzWmFpWFj3QxyeGjj0cwjOauv7ysVQ1_SqZNSITs9F38-WRRDvUltwwb1HvSZlei1TPiXP9mzl1yID3DqvJPw7n3O78_QmviIFHW2XsIN7o41tYHTD9TiuXUo/w480-h640/nicholas+oyster.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are more mushrooms coming out than you c</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">an shake a stick at, but I would hope we have outgrown that behavior. Wondrous though they are they can seem overwhelming to sort out, especially if you are looking to identify and confirm one for edibility. As with many things there are some that are unique enough for beginners to take on. One that I teach during this season is the Elm Oyster, a robust white mushroom that sprouts from wounds on live trees this time of year. You can come to know this mushroom well, for it has some good recognizable features like a tough stalk and gills that stop just short of the stalk. Between these features and it’s growing habits, many come to find it comfortable to identify. Mushrooms are definitely a more difficult aspect of foraging, but with proper education they can safely add much diversity and richness to your cuisine, and a great deal of enjoyment to your walks!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Jerusalem Artichoke</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KftmOWMMdPfJIbcWOQgSA9nbL2FBn2hbQggcadMDsGapq4Of-0nsfmPH4PlZizakOsX231zNaNwx31wIdlyvv9Qbd5tbMynhtGio13D3T-M_AELKhHloOiVdOv3sw7AxJwJzndmtlTA/s5184/nicholas+artichoke.JPG" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KftmOWMMdPfJIbcWOQgSA9nbL2FBn2hbQggcadMDsGapq4Of-0nsfmPH4PlZizakOsX231zNaNwx31wIdlyvv9Qbd5tbMynhtGio13D3T-M_AELKhHloOiVdOv3sw7AxJwJzndmtlTA/w480-h640/nicholas+artichoke.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jerusalem Artichoke is a tall and robust stalked plant of creek-side meadows. It is one of many wild sunflowers of our area, and looks not unlike a slender version of our garden sunflowers with multiple smaller yellow flower heads. It is now wrapping up its flowering, but the stalks are still there and the trick to confirming that you have found this fine friend of the forager is in the more slender but sunflower-like lanceolate leaves and the distinctly rough stalk. The edible treasure is underground around the base of the stalk. This plant grows elongated segmented tubers that taste earthy, nutty and sweet. They are formed now, and tasty, but get more digestible as the plant dies back.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Walnuts</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFSW3cpgz3fKSnejgYEXn1S5piApNQK4NUQUiJAWDUx1FJMYvM34koW1aexcC3S3Do6DA7w5c2RlQZsLYQ0EKNNyY42hnsMHOJGcDx_kO6xlBSrVx_oqzIqqWNjFD0FCA4QwQOcLcuJs/s5184/nicholas+walnut.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFSW3cpgz3fKSnejgYEXn1S5piApNQK4NUQUiJAWDUx1FJMYvM34koW1aexcC3S3Do6DA7w5c2RlQZsLYQ0EKNNyY42hnsMHOJGcDx_kO6xlBSrVx_oqzIqqWNjFD0FCA4QwQOcLcuJs/w480-h640/nicholas+walnut.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Black Walnut trees have a reputation as a nuisance for the mess the nuts make or the chemical alterations to the soil they make to reduce competition. However if you are looking for something that is relatively easy to identify and stock up on for the winter months, here’s your willing guide. With tall stature, long divided leaves turning yellow, and soon to be piles of round green hulled nuts, you should be able to find a walnut tree nearby. Many may have had their flowers nipped by frost this year, but some ought still to produce nuts. This nut needs to be hulled (all unprotected hands will be stained dark brown), rinsed, dried and cured for later cold season cracking. Drying must be done in a single layer of nuts in a sunny, airy, yet squirrel free spot for a week or two, and then the curing can be done with them in boxes, two or three nuts deep for at least a month in an indoor location. Walnuts need a hard crack but have a large meat and a distinctive flavor and richness.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Foraging is a connecting, rewarding, and hab</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">it-forming outdoor activity, but it comes with some serious responsibility. Always know with certainty what you are harvesting and consuming, and cross reference between field guides when learning something new. Make sure those who teach you are knowledgeable and eat what they teach. Always eat small amounts of any wild food, particularly mushrooms, the first time you try them. Harvest responsible amounts of these plants and fungi as some species are uncommon or reproduce slowly, and we must respect these organisms, their natural communities, and others of our kind who forage. After covering these cautions it is also very important to have fun and enjoy the adventure of foraging! What better way to participate in nature and get to observe and learn so much of what is out there than a lifelong natural world treasure hunt! We were literally made for it. And I truly believe that those who forage with care inevitably become some of the most aware and concerned advocates for wild places.</span></p></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVza6FGC91Gkdh9wnFbEs799T2M8XU9W1_fdA7rlgRS1poyP1EJT0niInd8HxH6m2iz2MVho4aS4Lw5CQf8ld9EL5tyw1R4AJcOkQIiZ8tRIJvLiWkx1Wso4b7LzVmtlCdtMzQIf__jTc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVza6FGC91Gkdh9wnFbEs799T2M8XU9W1_fdA7rlgRS1poyP1EJT0niInd8HxH6m2iz2MVho4aS4Lw5CQf8ld9EL5tyw1R4AJcOkQIiZ8tRIJvLiWkx1Wso4b7LzVmtlCdtMzQIf__jTc/w480-h640/image.png" width="480" /></a></div></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are interested in learning more there are many directions to go. You can get some good guides, like <a href="https://www.foragersharvest.com/our-books.html#/" target="_blank">Sam Thayer’s books</a> on wild edibles which are filled with great stories and information. You can find credible edibles classes near you, <a href="https://www.driftlessfolkschool.org/calendar/fall-wild-edibles-identification-collection-and-processing">like my upcoming class with the Driftless Folk School</a>. Also, seeking out groups in your area that do foraging is potentially a good way to learn from knowledgeable and experienced foragers. And feel free to check out my Instagram posts that are frequently edibles-related during these seasons @nicholas.wazee.gale</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-12939179582359924992020-09-18T15:40:00.000-05:002020-09-18T15:40:31.922-05:00Outdoor Learning Highlight: Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8r38pP0i1flLK6Y7pmsZVq9__ZnyvWTYykA_t7O0uZ_nZdjLhxyP7nGMxZ6ckfxjgmrVBMbzaSQ6rmu-QcFi2vncdE2ZuDZZke5wasQdJ3tp7neh9nH-K1BREDrMz9zAjxGojvMwBo-M/s1728/PRWS1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1728" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8r38pP0i1flLK6Y7pmsZVq9__ZnyvWTYykA_t7O0uZ_nZdjLhxyP7nGMxZ6ckfxjgmrVBMbzaSQ6rmu-QcFi2vncdE2ZuDZZke5wasQdJ3tp7neh9nH-K1BREDrMz9zAjxGojvMwBo-M/w640-h426/PRWS1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Photo by </span><a href="https://www.drewshonkaphotography.com/" style="font-family: "times new roman";" target="_blank">Drew Shonka</a></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div>With school now in session and a couple of weeks under students' and teachers' belts, we thought it would be exciting to highlight some of the great outdoor learning we know schools in our community are embracing. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our first stop: <a href="https://pleasantridgewaldorf.org/">Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School!</a></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This fall students at Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School (PRWS) meet with their classmates and teachers in fully outdoor open-air classrooms based at the school's Growing for Good greenhouse facility </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(formerly the Flower Basket), on their playground, in their outdoor kindergartens or</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> their one-acre woodlot, all right in the city of Viroqua. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When schools closed last spring in response to the coronavirus pandemic parents and faculty at PRWS formed a back-to-school task force that worked all summer to find safe and effective ways to bring students and teachers back to the classroom.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Robin Kottke, PRWS Development Director says, "Our primary goals this year include in-person learning and
doing our part to keep our school and broader communities safe and well. Meeting outdoors is a great way to do both! The opportunity to add open-air classrooms and integrate outdoor education more fully into our curriculum has no doubt been a silver lining of these challenging times. We hope to sustain our outdoor learning commitment well beyond these pandemic times."</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3o_ZVgO1tq1ello8OEEevCio-7G81W1DTaJPIMdzxXsOvQlASLdX53OqnsKFAFu9IpXNeGKBv02nDQMgu-cGf3zpS4XXM_DcCEnbuyfCkwMKV6U8qQxIWX4fbrv9oS9D8rQWEAQ33Rg8/s1728/PRWS2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="1728" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3o_ZVgO1tq1ello8OEEevCio-7G81W1DTaJPIMdzxXsOvQlASLdX53OqnsKFAFu9IpXNeGKBv02nDQMgu-cGf3zpS4XXM_DcCEnbuyfCkwMKV6U8qQxIWX4fbrv9oS9D8rQWEAQ33Rg8/w640-h428/PRWS2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><span style="text-align: right;">Photo by </span><a href="https://www.drewshonkaphotography.com/" style="text-align: right;" target="_blank">Drew Shonka</a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Learning outdoors can take many shapes, from a free-reading hour sitting in the grass to doing third grade science in the local park, to spending entire days learning outdoors, we know that one thing is always true: the impact on children's <span style="color: #04ff00;"><a href="https://naaee.org/eepro/research/library/mental-physical-and-social-health">health and well being</a></span>, <span style="color: #04ff00;"><a href="https://www.childrenandnature.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/EducationsynthesisMarch2010FINAL.pdf">academic performance</a> </span>and <a href="https://naaee.org/eepro/research/library/do-experiences-nature-promote-learning">development</a> are overwhelmingly positive. Now, in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, parents and educators are calling for schools to take class outdoors. And PRWS is doing just that!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0s3sEC8Zu9gOgQRqIPaLJgFGCK3U9MXZRmz8nVc7FV-DHD4BCTPlWbWWbmXCavYutemfnW-YYofISHj_b27RGhbX7r4R7QDPtsgoI3QvmTYP-jSQ_s-mi-C8WbpGp43jEix4b-290Tk/s1728/PRWS3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1728" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0s3sEC8Zu9gOgQRqIPaLJgFGCK3U9MXZRmz8nVc7FV-DHD4BCTPlWbWWbmXCavYutemfnW-YYofISHj_b27RGhbX7r4R7QDPtsgoI3QvmTYP-jSQ_s-mi-C8WbpGp43jEix4b-290Tk/w640-h426/PRWS3.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><span style="text-align: right;">Photo by </span><a href="https://www.drewshonkaphotography.com/" style="text-align: right;" target="_blank">Drew Shonka</a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Carrie Treviranus, PRWS Grade 5 Teacher, reflects on the first two weeks, "What
I like about outdoor learning is the way we enter into our activity, deeply and
fully, because that is what we have prepared for and gathered for. There is
actually less distraction. We do less darting about here and there, doing a
little bit of this and a little bit of that. We open our books, unroll our
pencil rolls, and settle in for a steady go of it. This is what we have
nourished ourselves for, carefully dressed and packed our bags, and arrived at
these remote spaces to do. It’s game on, and this is our work: to be present.
Nature invites us to be awake."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkF9jWY9YDek64Xn_fu5rKpbue3X3XAMUnBgxScsSGmETHt5U6kD8JEOg-1jQlhBcXeI1yDJfZmkEN-Wti8UWAqthaKpiWlh2WhP-nJ0YXw5GZ_8UB8WPiAlVa1pawqbZGnl4bJ4MiVc/s1728/PRWS4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1728" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkF9jWY9YDek64Xn_fu5rKpbue3X3XAMUnBgxScsSGmETHt5U6kD8JEOg-1jQlhBcXeI1yDJfZmkEN-Wti8UWAqthaKpiWlh2WhP-nJ0YXw5GZ_8UB8WPiAlVa1pawqbZGnl4bJ4MiVc/w640-h426/PRWS4.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><span style="text-align: right;">Photo by <a href="https://www.drewshonkaphotography.com/" target="_blank">Drew Shonka</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEged5zmlL387QRmz3nbG8baVkAS-dVfys4XWCcGpK03FVUb6OvuJezj6MT4UQYf3tfDcCW_ZRWV-tpGE7U51SoUC5HcOF6v49-gPBw2UgeOxlH6Ypu0Q6OE49f_LZwlBR8GssXNpHoSUPA/s2048/dc9KxnEzi.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="49" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEged5zmlL387QRmz3nbG8baVkAS-dVfys4XWCcGpK03FVUb6OvuJezj6MT4UQYf3tfDcCW_ZRWV-tpGE7U51SoUC5HcOF6v49-gPBw2UgeOxlH6Ypu0Q6OE49f_LZwlBR8GssXNpHoSUPA/w64-h49/dc9KxnEzi.png" width="64" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSN1mjjNH7Rb4m4hW-_IF302ZSfaeJU8IrZNuMiLNXRKpupVpBhhCXopsT5ml_4TGT5VTDofhYqioIWFZf63Q32zK8xe5uxN_5Ln2g60nVxEFCrw94tB3mupK5nlrDFXyjStgo_JaEpE/s2048/dc9KxnEzi.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSN1mjjNH7Rb4m4hW-_IF302ZSfaeJU8IrZNuMiLNXRKpupVpBhhCXopsT5ml_4TGT5VTDofhYqioIWFZf63Q32zK8xe5uxN_5Ln2g60nVxEFCrw94tB3mupK5nlrDFXyjStgo_JaEpE/w63-h47/dc9KxnEzi.png" width="63" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEged5zmlL387QRmz3nbG8baVkAS-dVfys4XWCcGpK03FVUb6OvuJezj6MT4UQYf3tfDcCW_ZRWV-tpGE7U51SoUC5HcOF6v49-gPBw2UgeOxlH6Ypu0Q6OE49f_LZwlBR8GssXNpHoSUPA/s2048/dc9KxnEzi.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="49" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEged5zmlL387QRmz3nbG8baVkAS-dVfys4XWCcGpK03FVUb6OvuJezj6MT4UQYf3tfDcCW_ZRWV-tpGE7U51SoUC5HcOF6v49-gPBw2UgeOxlH6Ypu0Q6OE49f_LZwlBR8GssXNpHoSUPA/w64-h49/dc9KxnEzi.png" width="64" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you are an educator or community member who would like more information about how to connect your school with KVR's education outreach program, please send an email to kickapoo.reserve@gmail.com</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. We can customize support to meet your needs during this challenging time. </span></div><div><br /></div>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885061540674922738.post-86501873078392313932020-09-14T10:31:00.001-05:002020-09-14T11:31:54.124-05:00What's NEW at the Forest School?<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMzDH_cz5JlbQ0KuvPB45MfgXUaqapIifdtWIi9_X_jBIM7jGBWpKihVxttr_FFafHRXbdFaTSmzW6MEqDdojVg1L9-WisIZNQF1yi76CiSRf4-A4V_jIVUMXkDHsRVewKwXqOrCi_B0/s1400/kids+on+a+branch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1400" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMzDH_cz5JlbQ0KuvPB45MfgXUaqapIifdtWIi9_X_jBIM7jGBWpKihVxttr_FFafHRXbdFaTSmzW6MEqDdojVg1L9-WisIZNQF1yi76CiSRf4-A4V_jIVUMXkDHsRVewKwXqOrCi_B0/w625-h469/kids+on+a+branch.jpg" width="625" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br />The Kickapoo Valley Forest School team has been working to bring some great informational events to the community this fall. There will be monthly opportunities to learn more about forest schooling online via Zoom and in-person at the KVR.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Join us on the following dates:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Tuesday, September 22, 7:30 pm. </b>Email kvfs@lafarge.k12.wi.us to register and you will be sent a link to the virtual roundtable discussion with the KVFS leadership team on the topic, <i>What is a Forest School?</i> There will be a Q & A to follow a brief presentation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Saturday, September 26, 10 am - 1 pm at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve</b>. Visit the KVR for a fun self-guided/self-paced tour and opportunity to meet Julia Buckingham, our lead teacher, at a point along the trail. She will be available from 10 am - 1 pm, but you are welcome to complete the tour at any time. Email <a href="mailto:kvfs@lafarge.k12.wi.us">kvfs@lafarge.k12.wi.us</a> to register and you'll be sent a map and directions. This event is free if you attend during the 10 am - 1 pm time and park at the Visitor Center parking lot (S3661 State Highway 131, La Farge, WI 54639). If you and your family decide to visit another time, there is a self-registration station in the building by the Visitor Center. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In other news, <a href="https://www.lafarge.k12.wi.us/o/la-farge/page/kickapoo-valley-forest-school--3" target="_blank">KVFS has a website</a> in-progress and social media spaces for you to follow. Visit us on Facebook and Instagram @KickapooValleyForestSchool and on Twitter @KVForestSchool We appreciate all the follows, likes, and shares as we work to get the news out about KVFS. We encourage you to send us your email for upcoming newsletters about KVFS and forest schooling.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Finally, we will reveal our new logo this week, and we'd love for you to guess which forest animal we chose! Visit our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kickapoovalleyforestschool/?hc_ref=ARQ7mvl-PavM9Fgb5ujfDLioSOP2SGmUodcVLDw6YjpRLbAHtpeiPyBwEsNjpMvoVrk&fref=nf&__tn__=kC-R" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> for daily hints and the big reveal later this week. Stay tuned! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWs4beg2YXWZm8OKG1-ds424JdNM0dqw9DpG4y4Z7coKgC_W0bAWBiwvGKdlmC7_wEZsqbwzU2Y9Vrgzrmd95Am23QEMEP6Pul-t4eYS8yXT1XfgbT0jDcaWQ76mkqRYAgz2hpXYuxrEU/s2048/KVFS+fall+outreach+v3+wo+logo+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="781" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWs4beg2YXWZm8OKG1-ds424JdNM0dqw9DpG4y4Z7coKgC_W0bAWBiwvGKdlmC7_wEZsqbwzU2Y9Vrgzrmd95Am23QEMEP6Pul-t4eYS8yXT1XfgbT0jDcaWQ76mkqRYAgz2hpXYuxrEU/w586-h781/KVFS+fall+outreach+v3+wo+logo+.jpg" width="586" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-h4H5ep1fM4I8TVQRMGf8VPNdycy7Qs-AffS2jXkz5pF0LunZeiQ1hfMjb3BgGW67AVfiYJhPw8Z-lKRDIT_tJ-zrd4b7iX3xlSY0XurzQeiq13D0F8eUIlcTEG0TlbsEaH8LlUZu33U/s640/hike+and+go.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-h4H5ep1fM4I8TVQRMGf8VPNdycy7Qs-AffS2jXkz5pF0LunZeiQ1hfMjb3BgGW67AVfiYJhPw8Z-lKRDIT_tJ-zrd4b7iX3xlSY0XurzQeiq13D0F8eUIlcTEG0TlbsEaH8LlUZu33U/w625-h469/hike+and+go.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p>Kickapoo Valley Reservehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13085924583378746160noreply@blogger.com0