Among the Friends are many university scientists, naturalists, and citizen science advocates who share their knowledge with members and the public on field trips and in educational sessions. Here they are sharing their expertise and research on topics relating to the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. 

Research in the Preserve is conducted in coordination with the UW Preserve staff and through official permits.

Research and Science Reviews

BIRDS
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Preserve Breeding Bird Study 
Summary 2013-2014 
by Roma Lenehan
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Birds of Bill’s Woods - A survey of species, Spring 2019-2021
by David S. Liebl​, Emeritus Faculty, College of Engineering. Daily survey for three years, 2019-2021, of migratory, breeding and other birds.

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Biocore Prairie Bird Observatory
Established in 2001 managed by Jaqueline Sandberg
An all-volunteer research project that monitors bird populations in the Preserve. After the death of Mara McDonald in 2016,  administration of the Observatory has been transferred to Mark Berres in the Department of Animal Sciences. 
GEOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES
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Key to the Glacial Erratics in the Rockwall
at Picnic Point
​by Philip Brown, David Liebl, David Mickelson
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 Geology of Eagle Heights Woods
by David Mickelson
An introduction to the geology of the Preserve and Wisconsin.

Watch Dave Mickelson speak about the formation of the Madison Lakes in this (2:34 minutes): Blue Sky Science talk for the Morgridge Institute
​David was named Fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences arts & Letters in 2018
​
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Three Early Climate Research projects at the Preserve:
​• Wind Research at Tent Colony
• Energy Budget Research at Marsh Farm 
• Heat Budget Research of Lake Mendota
three accounts of early research by         
​John Kutzbach
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“Seeing” Climate Change: From Wisconsin to the World and Back”
by John Kutzbach 
See also newsletter Preserve!, Spring 2015
View and listen to the entire presentation at the Annual Meeting, 2015
FUNGI AND LICHENS
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Lichens in the Preserve: a guide for beginners – July 2021
by Susan Will-Wolf, Department of Botany emerita, UW-Madison
Illustrated with a rich collection of photos 
LAKE MENDOTA
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Class of 1918 Marsh in 
Winter 2012-2013: Ice and Snow, Habitat for Fishes and Road Salt    
by John Magnuson     [see also Fall 2014 Friends Newsletter, pp.4-5]
2017 Publication:
Dugan, Helmueller, Magnuson, Ice formation and the risk of chloride
   toxicity in shallow wetlands and lakes.
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Mirages over Lake Mendota
A fascinating double mirage across Lake Mendota toward Maple Bluff. View the photographs by Arlene Koziol and detailed physical explanation of this optical phenomenon by John Kutzbach.