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On Saturday, November 4, 2023, the Friends of Lakeshore Nature Preserve hosted a tour of the Ho-Chunk Effigy Mounds that are still visible and discussion of those that were destroyed on campus. We met at the Washburn Observatory and the weather was perfect, crisp, and clean with a blue sky and bright sun.  Picture of group standing in front of the Observatory Our tour had approximately 45 participants and was guided by Amy Rosebrough, a State Archeologist with the Wisconsin Historical Society. Dr. Rosebrough is the leading expert on Wisconsin Effigy Mounds and their cultural significance to the Ho-Chunk and other tribes of the state of Wisconsin. Having studied effigy mounds of Wisconsin for her PhD here at UW Madison in the Department of Anthropology, she has amassed a lifetime of knowledge that she gladly shares.  Picture of Dr. Rosebrough She is author of two books on Effigy Mounds of Wisconsin. Her first is a 2003 book, “Water panthers, bears, and thunderbirds: Exploring Wisconsin’s Effigy Mounds”, which is for young readers with suggested activities to encourage students to engage with the effigy mounds of Wisconsin in every county. Her second, is co-authored with retired effigy mound expert, Robert Birmingham in 2017, “Indian Mounds of Wisconsin”. For those of you who missed the tour, I found this great video of her explaining much of what we learned from her. This video is almost a decade old, but the information is just as valid (https://www.c-span.org/video/?322375-1/native-american-effigy-mounds.) She also gave a Wednesday Nite at the Lab in 2018 (https://youtu.be/JDn_frvo_i0?si=QFl-F6_yrTkEgqdy). Dr. Rosebrough told many stories of discovery and archeological logistics, including the wonders of LiDAR, and the recent findings of the 1,000 and 3,000 year old canoes that were pulled from Lake Mendota. She shared with us the significance of the four lakes region to the Ho-Chunk, the glacial drumlins that were perfect for effigy mound positions overlooking the water, and some of the history of Ho-Chunk village life right here on UW Madison campus. She passed around a hand-held replica of one of the canoes, along with many other photos, maps, and timetables, as she talked to us with an amplifier. The highlight of the tour was a visit to the newly installed bird-shaped effigy sculpture “Effigy: Bird Form” made in 1997 by Professor Emeritus Truman Lowe, memorializing the loss Indigenous burial mounds on campus but still celebrates Indigenous traditions. You can read more about the history of this particular sculpture and how it came to be installed on campus this year: https://facilities.fpm.wisc.edu/truman-lowe-sculpture-event-on-sept-15/. After stopping by a partially intact eagle-shaped mound near the greenhouses of Soil Sciences, we continued down the hill towards the west of campus to large partially intact crane effigy mound that sits between the new student Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center and Lake Mendota and the trail.  Photo of group with Lake Mendota behind them There she explained to us the difficulty in how to preserve, yet respect, the effigy mounds. What kinds of signage is appropriate? How to take out the current historical marker? What kinds of landscape management does it require? Prairie or turfgrass? How do we let people passing by know what exists there while also respecting its purpose of a burial mound to blend into the natural world and only show itself in the spring after a prairie burn? Our guests were full of questions, concerns, and generally deeply grateful for the chance to learn so much about the effigy mounds right here on campus from such an expert. After what seemed only like 30 minutes, our two-hour tour came to an end at the new Ho-Chunk clan circle (https://news.wisc.edu/ho-chunk-clan-circle-dedicated/), which has a statue for each of the Ho-Chunk clans and sits between the new recreation center and Lake Mendota.  Picture of group at the new circle There she thanked us for our attention, but more importantly thanked the Ho-Chunk for sharing their knowledge with us. She reminded us all about how important it is for us to go forward working together with the Ho-Chunk nation here on UW Madison campus as it is literally their sacred burial grounds that we have our offices, classrooms, labs, and fitness centers.
Report and photos by Ingrid Jordon-Thaden.
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With the last remaining hues of fall drifting away, field trip leader Paul Quinlan, Madison Parks Conservation Resources Supervisor, led a group on a tree walk around the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Before setting foot on the trail, Paul painted a vivid picture of the layers of ecological history in the land we stood on. He then led us from one tree to another, showing us how to tell different types of trees apart. Examining the bark and the shape of the leaves are two ways for identifying trees. Did you know that white oak has rounded leaves and red oak has pointed tips on their leaves (like a hook!). Our attention shifted to the encroachment of invasive species. Paul pointed out the menace of Buckthorn and the ominous signs of Emerald Ash. As the trip concluded, participants were encouraged to continue exploring with a reminder that one doesn't have to be an expert to start identifying trees.
Report and photos by Diana Tapia Ramon
A NATURAL SPIRAL OF WORDSAbout a dozen people including a number of UW students participated in the October 22 "Poetry in the Preserve" 4th Sunday of the month Bird and Nature Adventure at the UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Stunning Fall colors with a blue sky and bright sunshine created a perfect day for a meditative nature walk along University Bay. Friends of the UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve FLNP Chairperson Will Vuyk led the group to several scenic spots where volunteers read aloud some of the beautiful and thoughtful poems collected from the Friends' "Its In Our Nature" Poetry Nights and used the new Poetry Trail signposts where people can stop anytime and scan a QR code to view and listen to the poems. Along the way a pair of Bard Owls sang their sonorous poetry from the woods and rafts of Coots thrashed the water into sparkles as people jotted poetic words they liked on post it notes. After the walk everyone gathered around a campfire to weave their words together and collectively created a special spiral shaped poem in honor of a magical day at the Preserve Report and photos by Paul Noeldner.
On Sunday, October 8th, we embarked on a forest bathing journey led by Seth McGee. Our adventure began at the Frautschi Point parking lot, the gateway to the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Seth encouraged us to let our curiosity guide the way as we ventured deeper into the preserve. He shared insights about the origins of the practice of forest bathing, explaining how most recently, in the late 1970s, Japanese government scientists formalized the intentional and widespread practice of immersing oneself in the healing embrace of the forest, known as "Shinrin-yoku." As we walked through the preserve, we discussed the connection between humans and nature and the myriad benefits of being in natural environments. The collective energy of the forest enveloped us as we walked. Our group embraced the essence of forest bathing by intentionally slowing down, cultivating calmness, and observing the forest with a heightened sense of awareness. Seth's guidance encouraged us to experience the forest deliberately, appreciating the subtle wonders that nature had to offer. Seth expertly engaged our senses, inviting us to explore the forest's rich tapestry. We savored the earthy scent of walnut seeds and tasted the seeds and leaves of native plants. The forest, once a passive backdrop, became a multisensory experience, heightening our connection to the natural world. Throughout our journey, we were serenaded by the songs of countless birds, from warblers to finches.
As our forest bathing excursion neared its conclusion, Seth handed each of us a guide sheet and we all individually ventured into the forest on our own. This solitary experience enabled us to practice forest bathing philosophy and techniques learned during the trip.
Our forest bathing field trip led by Seth McGee was a truly enriching and transformative experience. Through intentional mindfulness, sensory engagement, and a deeper connection with the forest, we experienced the healing power of nature, reminding us that in nature, we find not only beauty but also solace for our minds and spirits. Report and photos by Yara AL-Rayyan On Sunday September 24, 2023 from 1:30 to 3:00, 53 folks on the Fall Fungi Fieldtrip led by Marie Trest of the UW Department of Botany, and starting at Picnic Point Stone Gate. We gathered at 1:30 at the kiosk; the weather was sunny and 76. I collected a list of names. The participants included several families with young children, clusters of UW students, and retirees. Marie noted that the drought over the past couple of months meant that the variety and number of mushrooms on the forest floor might be low relative to a normal year. She explained that collecting in the Preserve is not allowed unless one has a permit, which she has. Her approach was to allow participants to search for mushrooms for 10-15 minutes, and then we would gather together and she would talk us through the samples the group had found. We did this at two different places, both within 100 yards of each other, both along the roadway leading into the Preserve from the Stone Gate. With 50-some people that meant we had 100 eyes and 500 fingers looking and probing for fungi on or in the soil, on fallen logs, and on branches & leaves in the trees & shrubs. This approach yielded an array of examples.
These included fleshy fungi (in both ascomycota and basidiomycota) and woody ‘shelf fungi’. The size or distribution of mushrooms is not a reliable indicator of how extensive the fungus mycelium spreads in the soil. By one reckoning, an Armillaria fungus growing in forest soil in Oregon is the single largest organism found so far on Earth. One way to help identify fungi is to take a spore print, but this technique requires several hours and is usually done in the lab more than in the field. Some participants found slime molds growing on dead wood; biologists consider the slime molds to be protists rather than fungi. In the woods, some fungi are saprophytes—they breakdown and rot dead wood and leaves in the forest or grasslands. Other fungi can be pathogens that attack the leaves, stems or roots of living plants. Significant examples of fungal diseases that have transformed our landscape include the Chestnut Blight, the Dutch Elm Disease (both are introduced pathogens) as well as Oak Wilt. Other pathogens cause mostly just leaf lesions without much harm, such as the Tar Spot fungus of maple. If we were collecting at night, we would likely see that some fungi are bioluminescent – the phosphorescent ones can give off light called foxfire—and others are fluorescent – if you shine UV light on these, they reflect a glow at a wavelength different from the UV light you shine on them.  Friends President Will Vuyk holding a white mushroom he found in the Preserve Forest In addition to the fungi that make fruiting bodies we call mushrooms, other fungi can produce spores (including asexual spores) directly from the hyphae or ‘threads’ of the mycelium. Mycologists can collect airborne spores using air-sampling traps (see timepoint 6:15 of this video) followed by identifying the spores using microscopes or even by molecular techniques.
Furthermore, the mushrooms include yeasts, and while yeasts don’t make hyphal threads or mushroomy fruiting bodies, on occasion you can see yeast growing extensively on the cross-section wood of freshly-cut stems or trunks of pruned branches or stumps; the yeast feast on sugars that exude from the phloem of the stubs of the lopped-off branches. Finally, one participant found what at first appeared to be long white mushroom, but proved to be the flower & curved stalk of Indian pipe, which is a parasitic, colorless plant. Report and photos by Tom Zinnen.  Searching for migrating birds in the Biocore Prairie The September 17, 2023, Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve Fall Bird Field Trip was amazing because a rain shower the previous night had caused a group of night-migrating neotropical birds to "fall out." A "fall out" is an unusual event that is exciting for bird watchers. Hundreds of birds were migrating and suddenly they ran into rain and were forced to the ground, leaving hundreds of birds wherever they landed in the dark. The birds seen on the field trip were lucky to land at a migratory stopover in the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Jill Feldkamp and Roma Lenehan led the group, looking up at shadowy birds in the trees near the first oak. They proceeded along the Big Oak Trail to the Second Oak and the Biocore Prairie edge and then to the Eagle Heights Gardens. Even in these open areas, warblers were everywhere - in the little oaks and other bushes, the native plants, and even in the non-native grass near the water utility. In addition to warblers, there were many flickers and other larger birds flying around  Roma Lenehan pointing out a sneaky bird hiding in the trees When not looking at birds, Ingrid Jordon-Thaden, Friends Board Host, explained about autumn seed dispersal of Great St. John’s Wort as well as about Black Knot, a disease found on fruit trees. Participants enjoyed learning about these plants when not watching birds. Several UW grad and undergrad students enjoyed the birds they saw, especially several hummingbirds feeding at cannas. They said that they liked the time outside away from their books and computers. At least 40 bird species were found. Highlights included good views of flying Redtailed Hawk, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Flicker, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Eight warbler species were seen multiple times by various people including multiple Black-and-white and Palm Warblers. Many Tennessee, Nashville, and Magnolia Warblers flitted everywhere. Four Chipping Sparrows and 2 Lincoln's Sparrows were found in the Eagle Heights Gardens. A couple of very lucky people saw the Merlin, a small swift falcon, fly across the grassland, possibly looking at the many warblers.  Roma Lenehan and group members searching for migrating birds in the forest The leaders hoped that everyone enjoyed this rare phenomenon which dramatized the abundance of our migrating birds. Report by Roma Lenehan and Jill Feldkamp, photos by Ingrid Jordon-Thaden.  Leader Ben Klementz displays a vial full of pseudoscorpions! On the evening of Friday September 1st, arachnid specialist Ben Klementz led a group of 18 of us on a search for the Preserve’s many many-legged inhabitants. Ben is a PhD student in the Prashant Sharma Lab studying arachnid evolution and shared with us his deep interest in spiders, harvestmen (daddy longlegs), mites, ticks, and psuedoscorpions. What is a pseudoscorpion? To demonstrate, Ben had brought some specimens from his lab. We’d normally be able to find them out in the Preserve’s damp leaf litter, but it’s been a very dry summer. Preserved in alcohol, Ben introduced us all to the pseudoscorpion. They are pudgy little creatures with two scorpion-like pincer arms. While the pseudoscorpion does not have fangs like spiders and does not have a tail like a scorpion, it does have a venom gland located in its pincers! Fascinatingly terrifying. Though, to be fair, three of these critters could fit comfortably on your pinky nail, so they are no danger to humans. Just an important member of our native ecological community.
The first spiders we encountered were Agelenid funnel-weaver spiders in the joints of the Picnic Point entrance fence. Unlike other web-weaving spiders, funnel-weavers do not add glue to their webs. These spiders instead use their speed to dart out and grab any prey that touches their web lines. Orb weavers and sheet-web weavers, on the other hand, do use glue. Spider silk glue is a fascinating substance that acts like a non-newtonian fluid, Ben informed us. Similarly to cornstarch and water, when an insect traveling at high enough speed hits the glue, the glue acts like a solid and the insect bounces off. When an insect traveling at the right speed hits the web, the glue acts as a liquid and captures them. Different spiders use different formulations of glue that speed-select their preferred prey, while preventing fast, dangerous insects like wasps from getting stuck. Silk glue chemistry also allows for the glue to be effective in wet and humid conditions, unlike most human adhesives. The most common orb weaver we encountered was the furrow spider, named after a furrow that runs down the top of its abdomen. We even had the opportunity to watch some of these furrow spiders building their beautiful webs. Web-building spiders use their own body proportions to precisely measure out the spacing of their web strands, allowing them to make such amazingly complex-yet-standard webs in a variety of places. It turns out that the spiders that have taken up residence behind my car’s side mirrors are also furrow spiders! How they can make webs between my mirrors and doors that withstand highway speeds mystifies me. We also encountered a number of sheet-web spiders, which make more abstract net-like webs than the typical circular “orb” webs of their counterparts. Additionally, we spotted two harvestmen (or daddy longlegs) on the trip. These arachnids are not spiders, do not make webs, and only have one body segment. Ben was able to identify one as being a juvenile of an introduced European species. We found very few ground-dwelling arachnids like harvestmen, wandering spiders, and pseudoscorpions likely because of the dry conditions, though we did find one millipede!  Sheet web weaving spider of undetermined species found on swamp white oak. As the sun set and it grew darker along the paved path up towards the Biocore Prairie, the spider webs became much easier to spot in the beams of our lights. We saw tiny intricate webs between leaves and huge multi-foot webs that were strung from sturdy ground anchors. Luckily spider size does not correlate proportionally with web size! Near the end of our trip we looped back down towards the Picnic Point entrance to look at the flowers in the rain garden and along the sumac boundary of the grass lawn at the base of Picnic Point. There we encountered a number of crab spiders! Crab spiders lie in wait on flowers to ambush unsuspecting insects. Their body shape is roughly reminiscent of a crab, which gives them their name. On our way back out we had one more chance to observe the Agelenid funnel-weaver spiders in the gate fence before we dispersed.
Many thanks to our leader Ben Klementz for this wonderful trip! Report and photos by Will Vuyk.  Field trip leader Brandon Corder displays a liverwort. Photo by Will Vuyk. UW Department of Botany doctoral candidate Brandon Corder ([email protected]) attracted 26 participants for this fascinating walk. As Brandon’s research is now focused on the relationship of orchids with fungi, Masters student Nkosi Evans, who is actively studying mosses, assisted him. After introductions by Hosts Will Vuyk and Doris Dubielzig at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, we walked to a shady, wooded spot where Brandon pointed out moss growing on the bark base of a white oak tree. After looking carefully at mosses growing on the logs lying on the ground around us, Brandon explained that mosses are primitive plants that have neither flowers nor seeds. Moss ecology causes different species to occur in layers on logs and at different heights on tree trunks. They are difficult to identify, because
Consequently, genetic analysis is now used to identify moss species. Brandon pointed out the glossy green seductive entodon (Entodon seductrix). The less shiny, filmier, Leskea grows on higher, drier parts of tree trunks.
On the ground below a maple tree in Caretaker’s Woods, Brandon showed us a large patch of Anomodon that exhibited the moss lifecycle, which has two distinct stages. The green, leafy tissue produces the gametes – the eggs and sperm. After fertilization (the union of the egg and sperm), an elongated red capsule forms that contains the spores. After the spores scatter, they create more of the green, leafy tissue. In addition to sexual reproduction, Anomodon has asexual, vegetative reproduction.  Amomodon green leafy tissue and red spore capsules. Photo by Doris Dubielzig. On Frautschi Point, Brandon introduced us to fern anatomy and three kinds of ferns. Because they have vascular systems for transferring water and nutrients, ferns are generally larger than mosses. Ferns have two essential parts: 1) the leaf = “frond” and 2) the stem = “rhizome,” which is usually underground. The Wood fern has a large leaf (“frond”) which is subdivided into leaflets (pinnae) and subunits (pinnules). On the underside of the frond are many spots or “sori” which contain the spores. Brandon showed us a large patch of Ostrich fern, which has the sori all grouped together on a special fertile frond. He also described the Interrupted fern, that has some sterile pinnae and some fertile pinnae.
Finally, Brandon showed us a sample of liverwort. This relative of mosses usually has a flat plant body (“thallus”). Liverworts have high moisture requirements, which prevented us from seeing them in their habitat. I have seen them from a canoe on the rock wall rising above Lake Mendota’s surface, west of Raymer’s Cove,.
Thank you, Brandon Corder, for your thoughtful preparations and clear explanations. Report by Doris Dubielzig, photos from Mary Prior, Doris Dubielzig, and Will Vuyk On Sunday, July 23rd, UW Emeritus Limnology Professor John Magnuson guided 9 attendees around the Class of 1918 Marsh. Throughout the tour, John provided historical context of the marsh. For example, the marsh was once an experimental corn field - an unexpected origin for such an ecosystem! First on our trip was heading to the boardwalk lookout. This provided a great view of the pond hidden behind all the cattails. The lookout also boasted an intriguing feature: a sign displaying a phone number to call and listen to topics about the marsh. John encouraged attendees to dial the number and so we listened to a few tracks. The last stop on our trip was visiting the spot where a giant snow pile lays in the winter. Professor Magnuson explained that they are closely monitoring the sodium concentrations and salt levels resulting from the snow melt caused by this massive snow pile. This sparked a range of conversations within the group, as we were all curious to learn about the current data.
Report and photos by Diana Tapia Ramon
On a bright Sunday afternoon, leader Anne Pearce guided two of us (one participant and myself) on a walk from the Picnic Point Entry Kiosk up and around the Biocore Prairie. We discussed the Friends’ ongoing citizen science projects (including the Bluebird Trail, PUMA House, Clean Lakes Alliance Monitoring, and the Friends of Amphibians network). More information about these projects can be found here on our website. The joe-pye weed booms floating like purple clouds over the prairie, however, you have to see with your own eyes. They are especially prominent walking north towards Caretaker’s woods, standing out above the prairie in midsummer bloom. We were also surprised by a docile purple martin chick in the middle of the path by the house. The chick appeared unhurt, but also would not move out of our way! We appreciated the opportunity to see a normally athletic and fleeting bird up close, and then acceded to the worrying cries from up above and gave the fledgling its space.  A fledgling purple martin demands we calculate its airspeed velocity before allowing passage down the trail.  The little PUMA didn’t move an inch, therefore its airspeed velocity was zero! It probably noticed our lack of coconuts and took pity on us. Report and photos by Will Vuyk
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Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve
P.O. Box 5534 Madison, WI 53705 UW-Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve website Documents |
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