Accent on Natural Landscaping

Donna VanBuecken

WCHF Announces 2021 Inductee – Gary Eldred

Gary Eldred at the Schurch-Thomson Prairie 2020. Photo by Tim Eisele.

The Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. (WCHF) has announced the selection of  the conservation leader for induction in 2021. The inductee will be Gary Eldred – citizen scientist extraordinaire.

“I had been a hunter, fisherman, and trapper since I was twelve. I deeply enjoyed these outdoor activities and spent as much time as I could pursuing them. In the process, I became a skilled amateur naturalist and developed a strong interest in conservation. While in my mid-twenties, I was fortunate enough to read Aldo Leopold’s Sand County Almanac. That new perspective on nature and conservation, especially the chapters on land ethics, began a subtle transformation of my thinking.” – Gary Eldred

Entirely as a volunteer, and teaching himself along the way, Gary Eldred has dedicated most of his life to the effort of identifying and protecting prairies. He is unique in being self-educated about prairie habitats and rare prairie species. Eldred has been instrumental in preserving and re-establishing thousands of acres of prairies in Wisconsin.

Eldred’s grassroots work became a conservation organization. In 1987, the local group he founded incorporated as a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating about, protecting, and restoring prairies and savannas. Networking by Eldred brought in two other nearby prairie groups and led to a change of name to The Prairie Enthusiasts (TPE). As of 2020, TPE has nearly 1,400 members and eleven chapters in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. It owns and manages over 2,100 acres and has worked with landowners to protect over a thousand acres of prairie through conservation easements. And the number of prairie acres protected continues to grow.

Four Conservation Champions at 2021 Virtual Ceremonies

Our Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame Ceremony will “go virtual” on April 24, 2021, as we honor our newest Inductee, Gary Eldred. In addition, our three 2020 Inductees – Stephen Born, Jens Jensen, and Stanley Temple – will be honored since the 2020 Induction Ceremony was cancelled last April during the pandemic. This year’s ceremony marks the induction of our 100th conservation hero along with three others. Everyone is invited to participate and help us celebrate this milestone.

To sign up, go to Induction Ceremony.

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WOFVA Chapter Plant Sale Orders Due March 31, 2021

Female monarch nectaring rough blazingstar (Liatris aspera).

Are you starting to get excited about spring and getting out in your yard? Digging in the dirt? Planting new plants, trees, and shrubs? Are you asking yourself what you can do for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators? Then you should know about the Wild Ones Fox Valley Area Chapter’s annual native-plant sale. Orders for native plants, trees, and shrubs are due Saturday, March 31, 2021.

Native plants are the host plants and food source for most native pollinators and insects. They evolved together, so it’s natural that they would rely on each other for their preservation. In this day and age of bee-colony collapse, monarch-butterfly loss, and insect eradication, it’s important for all of us to do our part by gardening for wildlife. Without bees and other insects, many of the foods we eat would not be pollinated naturally, which means our meals would be a different experience and would become more costly.

The Wild Ones Fox Valley Area Chapter’s annual spring native plant sale will be held at the WILD Center in Neenah, Wisconsin (2285 W. Butte Des Morts Beach Road, Neenah, Wisconsin), on May 22, 2021.

Chapter volunteers sorting pre-orders of native plants.
Chapter volunteers sorting orders of native plants.  Photo by Donna VanBuecken.

The plant sale order form identifies all plants, trees, and shrubs offered as to ecotype (shade, sun, mesic, etc.). There are also some pre-designed collections of prairie and shade plants available, and a listing specifically for monarchs and pollinators. If you need assistance in selecting native plants, see alternatives to non-native cultivars and nativars.

Plants are in 4-inch pots and are more than reasonably priced at $6 per plant. Trees and shrubs are individually marked. There is also special pricing available for non-profits purchasing plants for their outdoor learning centers and habitats.

Don’t forget to place your order!

Orders are due Wednesday, March 31, 2021.

Pick up is May 22, 2021, from 9AM to 2PM.

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The e-mail photo is by Robert Carlson.

http://www.accentnatural.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WOFVA-PlantSale-BackUp.docx

 

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It’s Time to Reauthorize Wisconsin’s Stewardship Program

In 1989, Governor Tommy Thompson and the Wisconsin legislature created the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to preserve valuable natural areas and wildlife habitat, protect water quality and fisheries, and expand the opportunities for outdoor recreation. Normally, the Stewardship Program is on a 10-year cycle, but it was only budgeted for three years until 2022. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has recommended that Governor Evers’ next biennial budget include 10-year reauthorization of the program through 2031. The Nature Conservancy was deeply involved in crafting this recommendation and will work with the governor, state legislators of both parties, and the WDNR to ensure that this recommendation is adopted in the next state budget.

We have time to get a coalition of partners from other conservation, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation groups to increase funding for the program, and reauthorize it for a longer period of time.

What Does the Stewardship Program Do?

One of the projects that was helped by the Stewardship Funds. This is the Guckenberg-Sturm Marsh on Little Lake Butte des Morts. Photo taken by Donna VanBuecken.

More than 90 percent of Wisconsinites recognize the importance of reauthorizing the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to protect our state’s lands, waters, and wildlife, fight climate change with natural solutions, maintain our mental and physical well-being, and grow our outdoor recreation and local economies. (The Nature Conservancy)

  • Clean Water — Protecting the forests, wetlands and grasslands that filter out pollutants in runoff before they reach our lakes, rivers, and groundwater.
  • Groundwater Protection — Protecting the lands that are essential to replenish the groundwater is critical to ensure a consistent supply of clean, safe water.
  • Flood Protection — Protecting grasslands, wetlands, and forests along rivers upstream to store water and help reduce the risk of severe flooding downstream.
  • Recreation Economy — Protecting hundreds of thousands of acres of land and hundreds of river miles for hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, and other types of recreation.
  • Urban Outdoor Opportunities — Providing outdoor opportunities near home for all Wisconsin residents, including more trails and parks for those living in cities and surrounding urban areas.
  • Wildlife Habitat — Protecting large blocks of wetlands, forest, and prairie for birds, waterfowl, pollinators, bats, small and large mammals, and other rare, protected, and endangered species to roam.
  • Working Lands — Protecting working forest, prairie, and rivers in Wisconsin, along with the jobs and products they provide.

Nonpartisan Program

The Stewardship Fund is a nonpartisan program. It was named after former governors Warren Knowles, a Republican, and Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat. It’s the right thing to do for Wisconsin’s land, water, and wildlife. We have to make sure our lawmakers know how important land and water protection is for our state.

Write the legislature today.

Please let them know what you think about it.

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The e-mail photo courtesy of WDNR.

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Bird/Pollinator-Friendly Garden

All I see is sparrows! Donna VanBuecken

As cold as it has been, the birds have nowhere to go other than to hunker down in the bushes and leaf piles. Just sparrows – this was a result of my bird count.

In general, bird are nature’s messengers. As populations of birds change, those fluctuations may indicate shifts in pollution levels, climate change, habitat loss, migration timing, and more. How will birds be affected by habitat loss, pollution, disease, climate, and other environmental changes? How will you change?

Bird/Pollinator-Friendly Garden

Plant a landscape in which birds and pollinators will have a chance of dealing with climate change. More native plants means more choices of food and shelter for native birds and pollinators. More native plants will be colorful, visually appealing, and more healthy for the landscape. The landscape will need no watering or fertilizer because of the deep roots. More than half of the birds and pollinators are threatened as a result of the changing world.

The National Audubon Society has some points for your native-plant garden:

Chickadees feed 300+/- caterpillars to their chicks daily. Photo by Doug Tallamy.
Chickadees feed about 300 caterpillars to their chicks daily. In the 16 days it takes to fledge, chicks can eat more than 9,000 larvae. Photo by Doug Tallamy.

557: Varieties of butterflies and moths are supported by native oak trees, as compared to only 5 butterfly and moth species supported by non-native ginkgo trees.

96: Percentage of land birds that rely on insects to feed chicks.

1,200: Number of crops that depend on pollinators to grow.

30-60: Percent of fresh water in American cities used for watering lawns.

40 million: Acres of lawn in the U.S. currently.

80 million: Pounds of pesticides applied to lawns in the U.S. annually. Native plants, on the other hand, support a balance of predator and prey, and thrive without pesticides.

17 million: Gallons of fuel used each year for refueling lawn equipment while polluting the air and groundwater.

800 million: Gallons of gasoline used annually by lawn mowers. This produces significant amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, driving climate change.

Easy Ways to Create Bird/Pollinator Friendly Gardens

Recommended native plants for sunny areas by designer Rosemary Eiden (WOFVAC).

Create native landscapes that will benefit birds and pollinators and you. This website provides practical, educationally sound information on native landscaping developed specifically for first-time native-plant gardeners. Included in the website is native-garden designs created by professional landscape designers for multiple ecoregions in the United States. The native-plant list takes into account the various light, soil, and moisture conditions. Read more at the Wild Ones.

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The e-mail photo is by Doug Tallamy.

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