Yesterday evening (11/16/23) an election was held at our November Chapter Meeting for officers for 2024.
The results are:
Secretary: Liz Wendland
Treasurer: Steve Fester
Members At-large: John Kramer and Eric Vehe
Yes, that’s right. We do not have a President or Vice-president. Any member interested in either of those positions, let us know at contact@bigriverbigwoods.org
Capitol Region Watershed District’s 2024 cycle of Partner Grants is now open for applications. Applications are due via our online application by 4:00 PM, October 31. All possible applicants are recommended to attend our Partner Grant Information Session on October 6 from 12:00 – 1:00. Please RSVP and select whether you’ll attend in-person or virtually. We invite organizational leadership, development, or program staff to attend.
We look forward to seeing another year of fantastic proposals come in.
Please reach out to Lindsay Schwantes if you have any questions about this process or your project idea. lschwantes@capitolregionwd.org
Miles for Monarchs is a twice-yearly event held by Wild One’s partner, Monarch Joint Venture (MJV) that corresponds to the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) fall and spring migration. Each fall, North American monarchs travel 3,000 miles from their summer breeding grounds to overwintering locations. Learn more about the migration with MJV’s interactive map.
Miles for Monarchs is more than just a run—it’s a movement aimed at raising awareness and funds for the conservation of these iconic pollinators. The event invites individuals and teams to log miles as a symbolic representation of the long migration journey that monarch butterflies undertake each year. The fall “migration” will be hosted from August 28 – October 1.
Register to Join Team Wild Ones.
Date & Time: Thursday, August 10th, 2023, 9 AM – 4:30 PM CT, Location: 1207 Seminole Hwy, Madison, WI 53711, Fee: $265, Conducted by NDAL, New Directions in the American Landscape
Our visit will begin at the Darrel Morrison-designed Native Plant Garden. This 4-acre planting provides a masterfully designed miniaturization of the prairie and savanna landscapes we will explore later in the day. These will include the 73-acre Curtis Prairie and the 47-acre Green Prairie, two of the most renowned achievements in the history of ecological restoration. There we will conduct an in-depth examination of how these stunning prairie landscapes were conceived, planted, and managed. We will also visit part of the Grady Savanna near Greene Prairie, where extensive restoration has been in progress over the past decade.
Here is the In the Field Sessions landing page where you can view more details about the program and register.
Another bill the legislature passed this year sets up Highways for Habitat.
“The commissioner must establish a highways for habitat program to enhance roadsides with pollinator and other wildlife habitat and vegetative buffers.”
State roadside managers will be mandated to use integrated vegetation management practices and plant habitat for birds, pollinators and wildlife, for erosion control and pollution buffers. Our hope is to extend this program in the future to allow county and local roadways to voluntarily apply for funding to install roadside habitat.
This year the Minnesota Legislature passed a law that requires cities to allow homeowners to install and maintain “a managed natural landscape”. This is good news for homeowners and other property owners who have been reluctant to landscape with native plants because they didn’t want a citation from their city.
View the presentation on Living Mulch that Kaitlyn O’Connor gave at our April 27, 2023, chapter meeting. Video link: https://youtu.be/t3BvMcjeW-s
Get your orders in soon. May 1 is the last day for plant sale orders.
Garlic mustard is a highly invasive plant that crowds out native plants. Join other volunteers to pull in areas of infestation.
Friday, April 28th, 9:30AM-11:30AM East Reservoir Woods, Roseville, MN
Meet/park in the circle (Reservoir Woods Circle) just southeast of Roselawn off McCarron’s Blvd. Near the McCarron entrance to Reservoir Woods where N. McCarron’s Blvd changes to S. McCarron’s Blvd.