May 16   Avian Marvels of Eastern Africa

               Hans Schabel

Avian Marvels of Eastern Africa

The African Rift Valley flyway, linking Europe, Asia and Africa, is one of the world’s most important bird migration corridors, and the most concentrated and species-diverse route for birds migrating between breeding and wintering grounds in Eurasia and Africa. Twice a year, five hundred million birds comprising 280 species follow this route of passage. This route manifests an array of ecosystems necessary for the birds’ life-cycles.

Hans Schabel will share his wealth of avian experiences from the Rift Valley countries of Tanzania and Ethiopia at the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society monthly presentation, “Avian Marvels of Eastern Africa,” at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 in the Lincoln Center at 1519 Water Street in Stevens Point.

Tanzania and Ethiopia are connected by the African Rift Valley, which contains magnificent freshwater and soda lakes, assuring a rich wetland avifauna. Notable wetland species found here include flamingos, storks, herons, darters, plovers, ducks, geese, thick knees, bishops, kingfishers, avocets, ibises and raptors. Both countries also have extensive woodland and savanna ecosystems, which boast the world’s heaviest flying bird - the Kori bustard, and the world’s largest non-flying bird - the ostrich. These “record holders” share their habitat with rollers, hoopoes, coucals, bee-eaters, ground hornbills, weavers, francolins and guinea fowl, among others. A trek into the highlands may reveal turacos, cranes, colorful starlings, sunbirds, ravens and chough, several of them Ethiopian endemics. Hans will take us on a full safari of these regions and present the birds and other wildlife as they appear along the route.

Born and raised in Germany, Hans Schabel received a BS and MS (1967 and 1969) in Forestry from the University of Freiburg in Germany’s Black Forest, and his PhD (1973) in Forest Protection from Duke University. He served as Professor of Forestry and Director of International Resource Management at the College of Natural Resources, UW-SP from 1973- 2006, interrupted by three years as Professor of Forest Biology at Sokoine University in Morogoro, Tanzania on behalf of the Norwegian International Development Agency. His authorship includes 65 papers dealing with forest protection, silviculture, wildlife management and international resource management and he published the first book on forest entomology in East Africa. His personal interests include adventure travel, photography, gardening and land stewardship.

Please join us for a fascinating East African safari. ALAS programs are free and open to the public and families are encouraged to attend.  

2011 - 2012

Programs in Review

Apr 18    Designing a Bird-Friendly Yard

               Craig Thompson

Many of Wisconsin’s most beloved migratory birds are in decline due to habitat loss. Add to that, millions of these birds burn their fat reserves every spring by flying thousands of miles from their wintering grounds in Central and South America to Wisconsin.  Many do not survive the grueling journey. “Birdscaping” your backyard habitat can provide real conservation benefits to these tiny, long-distance avian sojourners.

Craig Thompson will provide practical landscaping tips to help make your yard an oasis for migratory birds at the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society monthly presentation, “Designing A Bird-Friendly Yard: Lending Tweety A Helping Hand” at 7:00PM on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 in the Lincoln Center at 1519 Water Street in Stevens Point. Topics will include landscape design, use of native plant materials and yard maintenance considerations. The La Crosse resident and conservationist will also show what he has planted in his own backyard buffet of flowers, bushes, and trees to satisfy these hungry birds and why a well-planted backyard habitat can make a difference to the birds' survival.

Craig is a District Land Program Manager with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and coordinates the department’s international bird conservation program. He has also been featured in Wisconsin Public Television’s “In Wisconsin” Special titled, “Our Birds.” He has lead conservation birding trips to Latin America for the past 20 years, but has yet to see a Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo. 

For “Tweets” sake, please come. Bring your green thumb!

ALAS programs are free and open to the public and families are encouraged to attend.

Mar 21   Wisconsin’s Invasive Plants

                Kelly Kearns

                    "Wisconsin's Invasive Plants: Identification and Control"

Are some of your treasured terrains being taken over by alien invaders? UFOs (Unidentified Flowering Objects) such as spotted knapweed or Japanese knotweed? Or “Romulans” cloaked as Rhamnus catharticus and Rhamnus frangula – common and glossy buckthorn? Would you recognize “transformers” and “shape-shifters” such as hedge parsley or garlic mustard as it “morphs” through its two-year life cycle? Are you unknowingly spreading and dispersing “Klingons” – tiny seeds from a multitude of invasive plants that are carried off on clothing, shoes and vehicles? Has the new, “grand avatar” of Portage County – giant hogweed with leaves three feet across containing toxic sap that inflicts severe blisters and burns – infiltrated your property and placed your person in peril? If you answered “yes” to any of these, or if you are just curious about invasive plants, join the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society for their monthly presentation, “Wisconsin’s Invasive Plants: Identification and Control” at 7:00PM on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 in the Lincoln Center at 1519 Water Street in Stevens Point. Kelly Kearns, Invasive Plant Specialist with the WI Department of Natural Resources, will be showing us how to identify, control and dispose of both the common invasive plants in central Wisconsin and the new invaders that may show up at any time.

Kelly has a B.S. in Horticulture from Purdue University and an M.S. in Restoration Ecology from the Landscape Architecture Department of the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She has worked at the Bureau of Endangered Resources, WI Department of Natural Resources, since 1984. As the Plant Conservation Program Manager, she is primarily responsible for coordinating DNR activities regarding ecologically invasive plants. These responsibilities include education and outreach, policy and rule revisions, working with partners and researchers, sharing control information, and supervising the WI early detection project for invasive plants. 

The “nightmare” has already begun. . . . . Come and learn how to prevent alien, “intra-planetary” plant invaders from making it “their world.” ALAS programs are free and open to the public and families are encouraged to attend.

Feb 15    Galapagos Adventure

                Nancy Stevenson

GALAPAGOS ADVENTURE

 

"The natural history of these islands is eminently curious, and well deserves attention. Most of the organic productions are aboriginal creations (endemic species) found nowhere else; there is even a difference between the inhabitants of the different islands; yet all show a marked relationship with those of (South) America, though separated from that continent by an open space of ocean, between 500 and 600 miles in length."

                                                                         -Charles Darwin, Voyage of the Beagle, 18

 

The Galapagos Islands, where Darwin formulated his theory of evolution, are as magical today as in Darwin's time.  These "Enchanted Isles", with their stark volcanic terrain, lush highland forests, aquamarine lagoons and white sand beaches, are home to an amazing array of plants and animals.  Not only is the wildlife remarkable, but it is abundant and most creatures are extremely tolerant of visitors; they have no fear of humans.

 

In January 2011, Nancy Stevenson joined a small group of nature enthusiasts for an eight-day exploration of the Galapagos archipelago.  Through slides, she will share reminiscences of her “Galapagos Adventure” at the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society regular program on February 15, 2012.  This program will be held at the Lincoln Center on Water Street in Stevens Point at 7:00 p.m. 

Highlights of her trip include encounters with sea lions, iguanas, blue-footed boobies and giant tortoises; and impressions of the human impact on this fragile treasure, a World Heritage site.

 

Enthralled by birds since early childhood, Nancy studied biology at UWSP.  She is the former Director of Children's Programs at Jordan Park Nature Center.  For several years she operated The Birdhouse, a bed and breakfast for birders, and she is retired from the Portage County Public Library.  She has conducted birding workshops and taught Elderhostel classes in birding and nature study, and has been an instructor for the Spring Birds class at The Clearing in Ellison Bay for many years.  Nancy is a founding member of Aldo Leopold Audubon Society.

Join us for a fascinating glimpse into this magical and fragile natural treasure. ALAS programs are free and open to the public and families are encouraged to attend.  

Jan 18     Managing Nest Boxes for Prothonotary Warblers

                Andy Paulios

Dec 17   Christmas Bird Count

Nov 16  Return of the Prairie Bandit

              Travis Livieri

“Return of the Prairie Bandit – Black-Footed Ferret Recovery in North America” will be presented by Travis Livieri at the November 16th Aldo Leopold Audubon regular program.  This program will be held at the Lincoln Center on Water Street in Stevens Point at 7:00 p.m.  ALAS programs are free and open to the public and families are encouraged to attend.  

Travis will cover the history and conservation of black-footed ferrets, the only ferret species native to North America. They were once thought to be extinct until a ranch dog changed the course of conservation history. The ups and downs were dramatic and by 1987 only 18 individuals remained. Successful captive breeding has allowed restoration to the wild in 8 US States, Mexico and Canada.

Travis is a Wisconsin native and obtained a B.S. in Wildlife and Biology in 1993 and an M.S. in Natural Resources with wildlife emphasis in 2007, both at UWSP. He began working with black-footed ferrets in 1995 when he started a temporary position in South Dakota with the National Park Service. He fell in love with the species and the prairies and has worked with black-footed ferrets since that time. Over the years, he has worked for 4 different federal agencies and conducted his M.S. research on black-footed ferrets in South Dakota. His research interests include ferret population dynamics, resource selection modeling, and application of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to wildlife management.

In 2001, Travis founded Prairie Wildlife Research, a non-profit organization with the mission to conserve and research wildlife of the prairies. In his role as Executive Director, he states, “We are an on-the-ground organization that does field work on black-footed ferrets across their range. We work closely with federal, state, NGO, tribes, universities and private landowners and our extensive experience and flexibility has been a benefit to black-footed ferret recovery. Recently our work in Canada was featured in a 50-minute documentary.”

More information can be found at his website - www.prairiewildlife.org

Oct 19    Reptiles and Amphibians of Wisconsin

               Dan Nedrelo 

Sept 21 Chimney Swift

               Ron Windingstad

 

2010 - 2011

Programs in Review

May 18      

Look who is at the door now- Invasive insects in Wisconsin

Phil Pellitteri   

April 20        

The Baraboo Hills and Badger Army Ammunition Plant: Birds, History and Management of a Huge Forest and Grassland Ecosystem

Mike Mossman  

March 16        

Our Groundwater, Lake, Streams, and Pumping Connections:

Where do we go from here?

George Kraft      

February 16          

Mysteries of the Purple Martin

Don Grasse    

January 19          

Searching for Truth in the Confusion about Climate Change

Alan Haney  

November 17          

The Majesty of the Grand Canyon via Raft

John Munson

October 21  Note: THURSDAY EVENING at WAUSAU EAST HIGH SCHOOL

Orioles and Ocelots: Wisconsin's Costa Rica Connection

               Craig Thompson

Join us in Wausau for a spectacular program on Orioles and Ocelots at 7 p.m. at WAUSAU EAST HIGH SCHOOL. Members are invited to meet at 6:00 p.m. at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum to view the Birds in Art exhibit.  For more information contact Larry Graham at 344-0968.

Craig Thompson, Regional Land Program Supervisor of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources , will present “Orioles and Ocelots: Wisconsin's Costa Rica Connection” for the monthly program of the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society.  The program will be held at 7:00 p.m. THURSDAY, October 21, 2010 at WAUSAU EAST HIGH SCHOOL located at 2607 N. 18th Street in Wausau, Wisconsin  This free presentation is very informative and open to the public.

More than 1/2 of Wisconsin's 238 species of breeding birds spend the winter in Central and South America. Protection of Latin America's ever-diminishing tropical forests is vital for their survival. Craig Thompson of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will take us on a journey to Costa Rica to learn about a groundbreaking partnership working to protect the magnificent forests of Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula.

Considered a global conservation priority, "the Osa" provides vital winter habitat for 54 species of birds that breed in Wisconsin.  The peninsula's ancient forests also provide safe harbor for myriad tropical denizens, including five species of cats, four species of monkeys and more showy tropical birds than you can shake a stick at.

Join us for a fun, edifying adventure south of the border.  Passports and vaccinations not needed!

The photo, taken by Rick Stanley, is a view of the Pacific Ocean from Cerro Osa, a 1,500 acre property on the peninsula our Wisconsin partnership helped protect.

September 15

Remnants of the Rain Forest

Dennis Tlachac 

        

Dennis "Dino" Tlachac will present “Remnants of the rainforest” for the monthly program of the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society Live animals such as creepy crawly arthropods, amphibians, birds, mammals, lizards, turtles and snakes found in the rainforest's make up the animals of this program! The program will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, September  15, 2010 at the Lincoln Senior Center, 1519 Water Street, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. This free presentation is open to the public. 

Dino graduated from UWSP with an B.S. in natural resource management/environmentaleducation in 1991.  He has worked for various resource and wildlife agencies and in 1995 joined the Portage County Parks Department while working for the Central Wisconsin Wildlife Center. He  enjoys working for the Portage County Parks at the Jordan Nature Center as their Schools Naturalist providing fun, outdoor, interpretive programs from night hikes to education characters.

In 1995, "Remnants of the Rain forest"(tm) was created to teach about the pet trade, exotic animals, rain forest conservation, consumer purchase power and cultural impacts!  With the over whelming response for education programs and need for foster homes to exotic animals I began Nature's Niche LLC Environmental Education Services in 1999. Today we continue to give foster care, transport, and funds to local wildlife hospitals and humane societies. We also assist police, WI DNR, UWSP Herp Society and local parks departments with exotic and native wildlife calls.

2009 - 2010

Programs in Review

May 5          

Winged Wonders…A look at Raptors

Raptor Education Group  

Marge Gibson and/or Nicole Swanson

Raptor Rehabilitation will be presented by the Education Team of REGI (Raptor Education Group, Inc)  of Antigo. The monthly program of Central Wisconsin Aldo Leopold Audubon Society will be held at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at the Lincoln Senior Center, 1519 Water Street, Stevens Point, Wisconsin.  This free presentation is very informative and open to the public.

Originated in 1990 by Marge and Don Gibson, REGI is a nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation organization dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of injured and orphaned native bird species, and public education on wildlife issues. REGI’s goals are to create a safe haven for convalescing wildlife until release back into the wild, and to create a broader understanding among the public and scientific community of native birds and their habitat needs.  REGI has grown to be one of the largest wildlife rehabilitation facilities in the mid-west.

The education team will bring 5 raptors that range from a red-tailed hawk and gyrfalcon to a Great-horned or Barred owl and Screech Owl.  You are welcome to take photos. There will be time for questions after the program.  Come to find out more about raptor rehabilitation, how it relates to our lives, and how you can help wildlife, even if you have a busy life.

April 21       

The Poetry and Practicalities of Hiking Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Eric Hansen

Author Eric Hansen will present a slide tour of the U.P.’s best hikes and offer his thoughts on the land, its compelling themes, and its almost mythic place in the imagination of people throughout the Midwest for the monthly program of the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society.   The program will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, April  21, 2010 at the Lincoln Senior Center, 1519 Water Street, Stevens Point, Wisconsin.  This free presentation is very informative and open to the public.

Hansen, an award-winning conservation essayist, is the author of Hiking Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – A Guide to the Greatest Hiking Adventures in the U.P. Nine hundred miles of memorable hiking research went into that project.

His theme will be: “The Poetry and Practicalities of Hiking Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.”

He will highlight hidden gems like Shining Cloud Falls and the fabled Falls of the Yellow Dog as well as scenic viewpoints with knock-your-socks-off views like the Trap Hill’s Norwich Bluff and the Tip of the Keweenaw’s Bare Bluff.

"Eric Hansen, in his hiking book and in person, is an unusual mix of practicality and poetry.  He helps hikers to stay on elusive trails and he prompts all of us to think about the larger meaning of the traversed landscape. What exactly is special about the U.P.? What is the power of this landscape? I look forward to an evening of practical advice and thoughtful reflection, all presented with great photos." Jon Saari, president of the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition, in the Marquette Mining Journal.

Hansen has an extensive history of attracting overflow crowds to his slideshow presentations and keynote speeches. His talks illustrate the memorable landscapes of Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula, and the Grand Canyon.  His writing credits include extensive work for Backpacker Magazine, as well as other journals.

Widely traveled, he is a veteran of 29 treks to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and successful ascents of most of the high peaks of Glacier National Park. Eric walked a memorable 1,700 miles while researching his northern Michigan and Wisconsin guidebooks.

March 17                

The Upper Mississippi:  Stopover Habitat and So Much More

Jessica Larson

February 17         

Wisconsin Bat Monitoring Program

Dave Redell

David Redell will present the "Wisconsin Bat Monitoring Program” for the monthly program of the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society.  The program will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at Lincoln Senior Center, 1519 Water Street, Stevens Point, Wisconsin  This free presentation is very informative and open to the public.

There have been eight bat species recorded in Wisconsin representing 12% of the state’s mammal diversity.  Bats are nocturnal. They become active shortly after sunset as they emerge from their day roosts with peak flight activity observed during the first few hours while they forage for insects. Activity declines during the middle of the night while the bats find a night roost to digest their meals. Often, there is a secondary peak in activity prior to sunrise as the bats continue to forage and commute back to their day roost.

With growing monitoring demands, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has turned to the WI Citizen-Based Monitoring Network for assistance with monitoring bats. In the United Kingdom, using trained citizens to collect long-term bat data has proven a cost-effective solution with successful results for gathering large-scale inventory and monitoring data. The Wisconsin DNR is employing a similar approach by using Citizen-Based Monitoring Network Volunteers to monitor Wisconsin's bat population.

Join Wisconsin DNR Bat Ecologist, David Redell in exploring bat monitoring in Wisconsin.

January 20

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Dennis Yockers

November 18         

An Introduction to the Wood Warblers

Bill Volkert

October 21  

The Botanical Legacy of Wisconsin’s Ice Age

Bob Freckmann

Bob Freckmann, UWSP Professor Emeritus of Biology, will present “The Botanical Legacy of  Wisconsin's Ice Age” for the monthly program of the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society.  The program will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at the Lincoln Senior Center, 1519 Water Street, Stevens Point, Wisconsin  This free presentation is very informative and open to the public.

Bob taught vascular plant taxonomy and agrostology at UW-Stevens Point for 32 years and also founded the herbarium which now holds more than 200,000 specimens.  He is “semi-retired”, and continues working with the Wisconsin flora, aquatic plants, and grasses.  He has been a member of the ALAS Board for several years, and is currently co-chair of the field trip committee. 

An immense flow of glacial ice, as much as two miles deep, sculpted a landscape of remarkable beauty more than twelve thousand years ago. Geologic features include kames, kettles, drumlins, eskers, tunnel channels, basalt bluffs, dells, and rock-strewn terminal moraines and amongst these geologic features exists a botanical heritage.

Join us on this journey of stunning images in a collection of photographs as we explore the "Botanical Legacy of Wisconsin's Ice Age".

Sept 23 ***AT PORTAGE COUNTY LIBRARY

Graced by the Seasons: Fall and Winter in the Northwoods

John Bates