Natural Wonders https://www.wdrt.org/series/natural-wonders/ In the summer of 1972, I wandered out of a newly rented farm house, looked up, and saw 2 red-tailed hawks soaring over woods and pasture. They were so beautiful, so other-worldly, I was overcome with a desire to know everything about them. Years later I became a wildlife rehabilitator and a falconer and was able to have close hands-on experience with them. Today that desire to learn about the natural world has only broadened and intensified. I'll read some of my favorite biologists' writings and occasionally include my own thoughts. Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:00:00 +0000 en-US © 2022 WDRT In the summer of 1972, I wandered out of a newly rented farm house, looked up, and saw 2 red-tailed hawks soaring over woods and pasture. They were so beautiful, so other-worldly, I was overcome with a desire to know everything about them. Years later I became a wildlife rehabilitator and a falconer and was able to have close hands-on experience with them. Today that desire to learn about the natural world has only broadened and intensified. I'll read some of my favorite biologists' writings and occasionally include my own thoughts. WDRT episodic In the summer of 1972, I wandered out of a newly rented farm house, looked up, and saw 2 red-tailed hawks soaring over woods and pasture. They were so beautiful, so other-worldly, I was overcome with a desire to know everything about them. Years later I became a wildlife rehabilitator and a falconer and was able to have close hands-on experience with them. Today that desire to learn about the natural world has only broadened and intensified. I'll read some of my favorite biologists' writings and occasionally include my own thoughts. WDRT toconnor@wdrt.org false https://www.wdrt.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/natural-wonders-logo.png Natural Wonders https://www.wdrt.org/series/natural-wonders/ toconnor@wdrt.org In the summer of 1972, I wandered out of a newly rented farm house, looked up, and saw 2 red-tailed hawks soaring over woods and pasture. They were so beautiful, so other-worldly, I was overcome with a desire to know everything about them. Years later I became a wildlife rehabilitator and a falconer and was able to have close hands-on experience with them. Today that desire to learn about the natural world has only broadened and intensified. I'll read some of my favorite biologists' writings and occasionally include my own thoughts. No yes 4e7bd223-83fe-50e2-80b3-76dffb25bd52 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 59922426 June 2nd, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/06/02/june-2nd-2026/ Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:04:39 +0000 102d9cc1-91f3-55d1-8cc6-87066bc0e592 The birds we see so many of in summer, the cliff swallows, fly long distances to come to North America to raise their young. They nest under bridges and culverts and have many fascinating secrets. I'll read from a wonderful book, Swallow Summer by the researcher who has studied these fascinating birds for many decades, Charles Brown.

]]> The birds we see so many of in summer, the cliff swallows, fly long distances to come to North America to raise their young. They nest under bridges and culverts and have many fascinating secrets. I'll read from a wonderful book, Swallow Summer by the researcher who has studied these fascinating birds for many decades, Charles Brown.

]]> false no 00:20:03 No no May 26th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/05/26/may-26th-2026/ Tue, 26 May 2026 12:31:36 +0000 c2d93917-79d0-5419-b8d9-de4c58190fb3 Neil Diboll of Prairie Nursery has a 600 plus page book, The Gardener's Guide to Prairie Plants. I'll read a review by Laurel Bennett,  

https://theprairieenthusiasts.org/book-review-the-gardeners-guide-to-prairie-plants/and I'll read about the nifty tool for quickly killing parsnip without chemicals, , the Parsnip Predator, invented and made by the Prairie Bluff chapter of TPE.I use mine more and more. It's very handy,,look out burdock too!~

]]> Neil Diboll of Prairie Nursery has a 600 plus page book, The Gardener's Guide to Prairie Plants. I'll read a review by Laurel Bennett,  

https://theprairieenthusiasts.org/book-review-the-gardeners-guide-to-prairie-plants/and I'll read about the nifty tool for quickly killing parsnip without chemicals, , the Parsnip Predator, invented and made by the Prairie Bluff chapter of TPE.I use mine more and more. It's very handy,,look out burdock too!~

]]> false no 00:12:57 No no May 19th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/05/19/may-19th-2026/ Tue, 19 May 2026 12:11:57 +0000 5c3f9302-69e9-5d23-81c4-deed351fde09 We will delve into the reasons for prescribed burning of various landscapes;  prairies, wetlands, sedge meadows and oak forests are fire dependent and will lose native species over time if fire disappears. Thanks to Mississippi Valley  Conservancy and The Aldo Leopold Foundation for information about their burning activities.

Fire is an essential tool to restore Wisconsin’s fire-adapted ecosystems.

from the WI DNR :

Prescribed fire is the intentional application of fire to a specific pre-planned area, under specific environmental conditions, to accomplish planned land management objectives. Without the use of prescribed burning as a management tool, Wisconsin could lose many of its native grassland, wetland and savanna plant communities.

And Brent Anderson has written on theprairieenthusiasts.org website, about a molecule found in the smoke of burned native grasses and forbs called karrikins.  These molecules trigger seed germination and enhance seedling development. Identified in 2004, these compounds act as signaling molecules at very low concentrations, acting as chemical cues that prompt "fire-followers" to emerge after wildfires

]]> We will delve into the reasons for prescribed burning of various landscapes;  prairies, wetlands, sedge meadows and oak forests are fire dependent and will lose native species over time if fire disappears. Thanks to Mississippi Valley  Conservancy and The Aldo Leopold Foundation for information about their burning activities.

Fire is an essential tool to restore Wisconsin’s fire-adapted ecosystems.

from the WI DNR :

Prescribed fire is the intentional application of fire to a specific pre-planned area, under specific environmental conditions, to accomplish planned land management objectives. Without the use of prescribed burning as a management tool, Wisconsin could lose many of its native grassland, wetland and savanna plant communities.

And Brent Anderson has written on theprairieenthusiasts.org website, about a molecule found in the smoke of burned native grasses and forbs called karrikins.  These molecules trigger seed germination and enhance seedling development. Identified in 2004, these compounds act as signaling molecules at very low concentrations, acting as chemical cues that prompt "fire-followers" to emerge after wildfires

]]> false no 00:18:07 No no May 12th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/05/12/may-12th-2026/ Tue, 12 May 2026 12:38:11 +0000 54a96115-66a3-5fd7-85db-25ace8532c4c I'm looking at The Prairie Enthusiasts website, theprairieenthusiasts.org and finding a wealth of stories, information, identification help, management tips and techniques, and have picked 2 to read, one about the timber rattlesnake by Brian Bielema, and the other about the carrot family host plants of the black swallowtailed butterfly, among that family is the problematic plant the wild parsnip. Should we worry when we try to get rid of the parsnip? We hear Dan Carter, the TPE Ecologist's,  response to this question. 

From Bielema's article, "One surprising benefit rattlesnakes provide humans is that eating their main food species, white-footed mice, reduces Lyme disease. Up to 90% of white-footed mice carry the Lyme bacteria, and tick larvae and nymphs become infected by biting the mice. If the mouse is consumed, both the disease carrier and its tick load is eliminated. It’s estimated a single rattlesnake may consume more than 1,000 ticks annually, thus reducing Lyme disease in rattlesnake inhabited areas."

]]> I'm looking at The Prairie Enthusiasts website, theprairieenthusiasts.org and finding a wealth of stories, information, identification help, management tips and techniques, and have picked 2 to read, one about the timber rattlesnake by Brian Bielema, and the other about the carrot family host plants of the black swallowtailed butterfly, among that family is the problematic plant the wild parsnip. Should we worry when we try to get rid of the parsnip? We hear Dan Carter, the TPE Ecologist's,  response to this question. 

From Bielema's article, "One surprising benefit rattlesnakes provide humans is that eating their main food species, white-footed mice, reduces Lyme disease. Up to 90% of white-footed mice carry the Lyme bacteria, and tick larvae and nymphs become infected by biting the mice. If the mouse is consumed, both the disease carrier and its tick load is eliminated. It’s estimated a single rattlesnake may consume more than 1,000 ticks annually, thus reducing Lyme disease in rattlesnake inhabited areas."

]]> false no 00:22:05 No no May 5th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/05/05/may-5th-2026/ Tue, 05 May 2026 12:46:13 +0000 fe997b34-4d5a-50d5-99d5-97782c510856 Two great stories, the first by Kenny Salwey, The Gray Shadow; we spend a year with a gray fox vixen; a beautiful written portrait, published Big River Magazine,  November December 2016.

www.bigrivermagazine.com

Then, the many trials, errors and successes of a man who bought a rundown farm in the 1950's and discovered many beautiful butterfly weeds with their bright orange blooms, seen brightly a quarter mile away. He became devoted to finding out how to get more of these plants, how to get the seeds to germinate?  He tackled spiderwort and lead plant propagation,,this before the internet--imagine that!  This was the beginning of Prairie Nursery in Westfield. I'm reading the fascinating introduction from The Prairie Garden 70 Native Plants You Can Grow in Town or Country, published in 1980 by University of Wisconsin Press.

Also mentioned; The Prairie in Seed, Identifying Seed-bearing Prairie Plants in the Upper Midwest, by Dave Williams, published by University of Iowa Press, 2016

]]> Two great stories, the first by Kenny Salwey, The Gray Shadow; we spend a year with a gray fox vixen; a beautiful written portrait, published Big River Magazine,  November December 2016.

www.bigrivermagazine.com

Then, the many trials, errors and successes of a man who bought a rundown farm in the 1950's and discovered many beautiful butterfly weeds with their bright orange blooms, seen brightly a quarter mile away. He became devoted to finding out how to get more of these plants, how to get the seeds to germinate?  He tackled spiderwort and lead plant propagation,,this before the internet--imagine that!  This was the beginning of Prairie Nursery in Westfield. I'm reading the fascinating introduction from The Prairie Garden 70 Native Plants You Can Grow in Town or Country, published in 1980 by University of Wisconsin Press.

Also mentioned; The Prairie in Seed, Identifying Seed-bearing Prairie Plants in the Upper Midwest, by Dave Williams, published by University of Iowa Press, 2016

]]> false no 00:28:33 No no April 28th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/04/28/april-28th-2026/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:39:38 +0000 5126abea-8479-5f91-a617-8d447a53f39c One of the most important topics for us to be aware of, the impact of the relatively new and pervasive insecticide, neonicotinoid seed treatment; persistent in our water, wind and soils.  Farmers have little choice, in the seeds they buy, to avoid it. This is the terrific article in Big River Magazine issue Jan-Feb 2025, "Where are the Mayflies" by John Lyons with a fascinating introduction my Reggie McLeod. Also we hear from Ellen Voss of the River Alliance of Wisconsin and her talk recently in Boscobel about neonics. She is the Climate Resilience Director with the River Alliance of Wisconsin and  co-coordinator of Wisconsin Neonicotinoid Workgroup.

]]> One of the most important topics for us to be aware of, the impact of the relatively new and pervasive insecticide, neonicotinoid seed treatment; persistent in our water, wind and soils.  Farmers have little choice, in the seeds they buy, to avoid it. This is the terrific article in Big River Magazine issue Jan-Feb 2025, "Where are the Mayflies" by John Lyons with a fascinating introduction my Reggie McLeod. Also we hear from Ellen Voss of the River Alliance of Wisconsin and her talk recently in Boscobel about neonics. She is the Climate Resilience Director with the River Alliance of Wisconsin and  co-coordinator of Wisconsin Neonicotinoid Workgroup.

]]> false no 00:23:38 No no April 21st, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/04/21/april-21st-2026/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:07:07 +0000 fb7bbd14-5661-5c5a-a666-27be0d540963 From the Xerces Society, and xerces.org  my favorite group of insect lovers, here are some fun things they suggest we can do to create some simple habitat for our native insects; make a rock pile, and a mud puddle!

These are great things to do with kids. Butterflies will love the water and mineral source, and many insects will hide out in your rock pile.

And "Leave the Leaves" 

Don't let our fastidious human nature have sway in your garden, let it be messy!  Learn more here!

]]> From the Xerces Society, and xerces.org  my favorite group of insect lovers, here are some fun things they suggest we can do to create some simple habitat for our native insects; make a rock pile, and a mud puddle!

These are great things to do with kids. Butterflies will love the water and mineral source, and many insects will hide out in your rock pile.

And "Leave the Leaves" 

Don't let our fastidious human nature have sway in your garden, let it be messy!  Learn more here!

]]> false no 00:20:44 No no April 14th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/04/14/april-14th-2026/ Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:13:28 +0000 474f288c-10f7-55e7-985f-c1ff6630872d I'm reading 2 columns by outdoor journalist Patrick Durkin. These are from March 2026 and found on his website, patrickdurkinoutdoors.com; the first about important issues we can address at the Conservation Congress Spring hearings, especially how to continue funding our state natural resource agency, the Wisconsin DNR, which has been severely underfunded for years. 

The WI DNR Conservation Congress Spring Hearings are right now, in fact the in person meeting  was Monday the 13th, but you can comment online until the end of Wednesday the 15th. Go to 

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/about/wcc/springhearing

A great idea is on the ballot;  to involve all citizens of Wisconsin in funding, rather than relying on declining hunting and fishing license fees, by instituting a 1/8 cent sales tax. We all benefit from an excellent, well funded natural resource state agency, we should all be part of funding it.

https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/our-blog

The second column by Durkin is a cautionary tale about the Avoca River in Ireland, continuously polluted for 7.5 miles along its course to the ocean, by an 800 foot tall sulfide mining tailings pile from many years ago. He compares this with the current threat of sulfide mining in the Superior National Forest in Minnesota.  Its water flows north to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and on north towards Hudson Bay, its toxins potentially affecting a vast area.

]]> I'm reading 2 columns by outdoor journalist Patrick Durkin. These are from March 2026 and found on his website, patrickdurkinoutdoors.com; the first about important issues we can address at the Conservation Congress Spring hearings, especially how to continue funding our state natural resource agency, the Wisconsin DNR, which has been severely underfunded for years. 

The WI DNR Conservation Congress Spring Hearings are right now, in fact the in person meeting  was Monday the 13th, but you can comment online until the end of Wednesday the 15th. Go to 

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/about/wcc/springhearing

A great idea is on the ballot;  to involve all citizens of Wisconsin in funding, rather than relying on declining hunting and fishing license fees, by instituting a 1/8 cent sales tax. We all benefit from an excellent, well funded natural resource state agency, we should all be part of funding it.

https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/our-blog

The second column by Durkin is a cautionary tale about the Avoca River in Ireland, continuously polluted for 7.5 miles along its course to the ocean, by an 800 foot tall sulfide mining tailings pile from many years ago. He compares this with the current threat of sulfide mining in the Superior National Forest in Minnesota.  Its water flows north to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and on north towards Hudson Bay, its toxins potentially affecting a vast area.

]]> false no 00:22:43 No no April 7th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/04/07/april-7th-2026/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:15:26 +0000 248dfb9a-2f22-518c-9aa4-d7c5af4807b9 Reading from one of Ken Lange's lyrical books about the Baraboo Hills, Song of Place, A Natural History of the Baraboo Hills; this chapter about amphibians; salamanders, frogs and toads.  I hope you are hearing deafening sounds of singing frogs from their wetland breeding areas. Song of Place is published by the Ballindalloch Press in Baraboo, Wi. in 2014. I have included some frog sounds for your listening pleasure.  For me, the sound of toads is one of the most stirring to the soul, of all the sounds of nature.

]]> Reading from one of Ken Lange's lyrical books about the Baraboo Hills, Song of Place, A Natural History of the Baraboo Hills; this chapter about amphibians; salamanders, frogs and toads.  I hope you are hearing deafening sounds of singing frogs from their wetland breeding areas. Song of Place is published by the Ballindalloch Press in Baraboo, Wi. in 2014. I have included some frog sounds for your listening pleasure.  For me, the sound of toads is one of the most stirring to the soul, of all the sounds of nature.

]]> false no 00:28:30 No no March 31st, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/03/31/march-31st-2026/ Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:56:52 +0000 70431c6b-9110-5ae4-80a0-223143b1cbb1 I'm reading  2 stories  from Big River magazine, and calling this a Big River Sampler; one, a thought provoking story of homelessness by Reggie McLeod,  and a story by Fritz Funk of maneuvering a ferry designed for summer work, during winter 30 degree below temperatures - running between Lansing and Wisconsin after the demolition of the bridge over the Mississippi River.

This beautiful magazine is one of my favorite things to see arriving in the mailbox. They have  been publishing stories about the Upper Mississippi River and the surrounding Driftless Area for 32 years and recently they have launched a non profit, Big River Voice  that will play a more diverse role in our communities in the future. Look for more info on bigrivermagazine.com and bigrivervoice.org.

Big River Magazine dot com has available many stories from older issues; check out Restoring Driftless Area Prairies, by Pam Eyden,  Effigy Mounds of the Wisconsin River Valley by Sara Millhouse, Nature Reawakens at Nahant Marsh, by Emily Styron and many many more.

]]> I'm reading  2 stories  from Big River magazine, and calling this a Big River Sampler; one, a thought provoking story of homelessness by Reggie McLeod,  and a story by Fritz Funk of maneuvering a ferry designed for summer work, during winter 30 degree below temperatures - running between Lansing and Wisconsin after the demolition of the bridge over the Mississippi River.

This beautiful magazine is one of my favorite things to see arriving in the mailbox. They have  been publishing stories about the Upper Mississippi River and the surrounding Driftless Area for 32 years and recently they have launched a non profit, Big River Voice  that will play a more diverse role in our communities in the future. Look for more info on bigrivermagazine.com and bigrivervoice.org.

Big River Magazine dot com has available many stories from older issues; check out Restoring Driftless Area Prairies, by Pam Eyden,  Effigy Mounds of the Wisconsin River Valley by Sara Millhouse, Nature Reawakens at Nahant Marsh, by Emily Styron and many many more.

]]> false no 00:20:35 No no