Collect the seed before the pod opens up. Now (Mid-September) is an ideal time. It’s easier to separate seeds from fluff now, and you won’t have the fluff drifting all about the room. Open the pod along the lengthwise “seam.” Strip off the seeds with your thumb. Good seeds are brown and have some thickness […]
How to Harvest & Grow Common Milkweed Read More »
Welcome, Adrienne! Adrienne is our new Program Director at Friends of Lake Wingra. She is currently a graduate student at the Nelson Institute at UW earning her MS in Environmental Conservation. While not a Wisconsin native, she has spent nearly the last two years working in the Lake Wingra Watershed. First, she was a Canvass
Meet Our New Program Director Read More »
by Tim Campbell – UWEX, WDNR, WISG It is well known in the aquatic invasive species (AIS) world that recreational boaters are the primary pathway for new AIS to enter a lake or river. A combination of regulations that help prevent the spread of AIS and the “Clean Boats Clean Waters” boater education program has
How anyone can Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers and Protect Lake Wingra Read More »
1911 Plat Book Cantwell Printing by Jim Baumann Odana Pond, the other natural lake in the Lake Wingra Watershed, is one of a number of glacial kettle ponds on the west sides of Madison and Middleton formed by buried ice chunks in the last glacial period 10,000 years ago. Similar to Stricker’s, Tiedeman’s, Esser’s and
Odana Pond: Lake Wingra Watershed’s Other Lake Read More »
Photo by Erik Zimmerman: Cloe Zimmerman gets one last kiss from the monarch she raised, before it starts migration. It’s a magical moment when the fresh young butterfly spirals upward, then heads resolutely SW towards Mexico, 2,000 miles away. By David Thompson The migration of monarch butterflies is one of our greatest natural wonders. To
By Sandy Stark Four neighborhoods along the SW Path maintain native prairies, flower gardens, and wooded areas in the Lake Wingra Watershed. Work crews provide tools and treats, and you take what you learn to your own yards and rain gardens. Most have both regular and flexible schedules. Come meet and work with us for
Summer Gardening, Educational, & Service Opportunities on the SW Path Read More »
by Susan Frett Recently, Friends of Lake Wingra Board and staff have been applying for grants for different projects that we would like to implement around the watershed. Generally, grant applications ask for the mission of the organization. Our mission is to “promote a healthy Lake Wingra through an active watershed community”. This sparked an
What does an “Active Watershed Community” Mean? Read More »
Maintenance team at Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District learning from Connie Fortin and Craig Eldred Reducing the application of road salt is key to reducing chloride levels in Lake Wingra, which was identified as one of the three goals of the Lake Wingra Watershed Management Plan. The average chloride concentration in Lake Wingra was 115 mg/L
Friends of Lake Wingra hosts Road Salt Applicator Training Read More »
We know that a low salt diet is good for our hearts, it’s also good for our lakes! Winter has finally arrived and with winter comes the need for winter maintenance of streets, parking lots, sidewalks, etc. Road salts are often used by those doing winter maintenance and often over used as the above picture
A low salt diet for Lake Wingra Read More »
Friends of Lake Wingra has been involved over the last several months in an effort called Greening Monroe Street. The mission of Greening Monroe Street is that the Monroe Street Reconstruction be a sustainable process for the residents, businesses, the Wingra Watershed and the City of Madison. Our main partners in this effort have been
Monroe Street Reconstruction Alliance Read More »
(Overly salted parking lot – photo by David Thompson) Road salts are toxic to aquatic life in Lake Wingra and are virtually impossible to remove from the lake once they are put there. It is important to reduce the amount of road salts that are used throughout the Lake Wingra watershed. Many applicators use 5
Take Action about Road Salts Read More »
(Ho-Nee-Um Pond in Winter – photo by Richard Hurd) by Rex Merrill Anyone can walk on water, as long as it’s frozen. The real miracle is how the molecular structure of water makes life possible. The polar structure of water molecules allows them to stick together as a liquid over the wide range of temperatures
Life under the Ice Read More »
