Dear Members and Friends,
Good news! Conservation Education is now the owner of 27 pairs of snowshoes. We applied for a Forward Grant and through it we were able to purchase snowshoes. Snowshoeing will be offered on February 20th – there should be enough snow and the weather will cooperate. James Downey will take you on your adventure. Check out our Facebook page for more information https://www.facebook.com/Neustadter-Nature-Center-at-Collins-Marsh-140052786074932
This March we will begin to do a Frog and Toad count. As you might know, amphibians are disappearing. Working with the Department of Natural Resources we will be monitoring frogs and toads near Lost Lake at Collins Marsh. Twice a week for the months of March, April, and May (weather dependent), we will be listening for the songs of the various frogs in the area and recording on paper what we hear. To prepare for this activity, please go to https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/WildlifeHabitat/herps.asp?mode=table&group=Frogs Their songs may sound confusing at first, but with practice you will be able to distinguish one from another. More information will be coming as the weather warms up.
At one time there was a Purple Martin house located at Collins Marsh – the pole is still standing, but the Purple Martin house is not. Cheryl Gorsuch is working on making sure we will have one on the property this spring. It is not easy to attract Purple Martins – this I know, as Dave and I have put one up every year for 12 years on our property, but we still have failed to attract purple martins. Cheryl has enlisted an expert to help us out in our endeavor. We are so grateful for his willingness to assist us. The following website shows highlights the nesting behavior of Purple Martins. https://www.purplemartin.org Once you are there, click on The Secret Life of Purple Martins. More information to follow.
This summer, Janet will again be gathering monarch eggs and caterpillars to raise monarchs in the nature center. If you wish to help find monarch eggs, Janet will be offering a workshop on just what to look for. You can either raise them yourself or bring them to the nature center. In September the butterflies will be tagged before being released. There will be more news regarding this project this summer.
Also, in September, we will be offering a workshop on building bat houses. Bats are one of nature’s best mosquito eaters. Although they begin their migration or hibernation in about November, they return in spring and the bat houses we make in September of this year will be ready by March 2022. You might want one or two for your property as well. More on information on this topic will be offered in August.
Until we have the ability to safely open the nature center, stay healthy and hope to see you on the 20th snowshoeing.
Joan Estes
President, CEI
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