Accent on Natural Landscaping

Donna VanBuecken

Nice Surprises from the Storms

During the week of September 6, 2019, we had some terrible storms again. Thankfully only 35 mph winds, so we didn’t lose any more trees. Instead we had some nice surprises. See below.

First we saw this delightful sight.

Following the storms which hit the Fox Valley, I was filming Northland Creek overflowing its storm sewer edges when a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) flew east along the creek and stopped behind our house. It seems the rushing water was carrying along fish from adjacent ponds. So the herons and the egrets would fly east along Northland Creek, where they stopped to wander back toward the west and catch unsuspecting fish.

Then next we saw this delightful sight.

Here a Great Egret (Ardea alba) walks along Northland Creek behind our house heading back to the best fishing spot, just east of the culvert under Conkey Street.

And, then finally we saw this extra delightful sight. (I was really testing my zoom lens to get this shot, so please forgive the grainy appearance.)

Here we see a Great Egret (Ardea alba) successfully fishing along Northland Creek, just east of the culvert crossing under Conkey Street.

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Labor Day 2019

Labor Day is a good day to reflect on life and the work we put into maintaining our natural environment when sometimes people all around us seem to continue be so unconscious of its importance. Take the time to get outside today and just savor nature and the web of life of which we are so blessed to be a part.

There are a few Cupplant (Silphium perfoliatum) in my prairie which didn’t get knocked down by the fallen trees. Two Goldfinches are enjoying a late summer treat of seeds before they start shedding their bright yellow colors. The one to the right is kind of hidden by the Cupplant blossoms, but if you look closely you’ll see its tail pop out. Hope you’ve been enjoying your three-day holiday, just like these guys certainly are!

 

 

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On-Line Help Picking the Right Native Plant – Update

Chickadees feed 300+/- caterpillars to their chicks daily. Photo by Doug Tallamy.
Chickadees feed 300+/- caterpillars to their chicks daily. Photo by Doug Tallamy

There are good resources to help pick the right native plant for the right place on-line from nursery websites. There are also non-nursery on-line programs available to help with plant selection.

ON-LINE NATIVE PLANT SELECTION SOURCES

The newest on-line program I’ve stumbled across is the Ecoregional Planting Guides provided by the Pollinator Partnership entitled Selecting Plants for Pollinators. All you need do is enter your zip code. It’s a complete planting guide, but on page 16 begins a list of plant names that attract pollinators. There is also an smart app available for download. [Read more…]

Doug Tallamy & Mariette Nowak to Speak in Stevens Point April 12, 2019

Great news! Nationally known speaker and Wild Ones Honorary Director Doug Tallamy will be a keynote speaker for the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership Convention and Water Action Volunteers Symposium to be held April 10-12, 2019 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Stevens Point. Doug will speak on April 12th at 9AM.

Additionally, Mariette Nowak, Author of Birdscaping in the Midwest, Past Director of Wehr Nature Center, Milwaukee County and President of Wild Ones Kettle Moraine Chapter will be speaking later in the afternoon from 2:45-3:45PM. [Read more…]