In the right season joggers, bikers, walkers, other self-locomotors, and even animals enjoy bright displays of native plants along the Southwest Path. Many undoubtedly enjoy the scenery and take it for granted. The Southwest Path did not always have these gorgeous views and prairies! Since 2001 volunteers have passionately transformed these weed beds into beautiful […]
How is the Southwest Path More Than Just a Path? Read More »
The Friends of Lake Wingra asked each candidate five questions about their connection to Lake Wingra, District 13’s unique environmental challenges, their approach to watershed management, and strategies to understand and represent Lake Wingra’s needs. Candidates Tag Evers info@tagevers.comwww.tagevers.comFacebook: Tag EversTwitter: @TagEvers What does Lake Wingra mean to you?Lake Wingra is the reason I moved to this neighborhood.
Madison Alder District 13 Q&A Read More »
By Roger Bannerman Every Fall the leaves accumulating in our residential streets contribute to making Lake Wingra turn green in the summer. Rain water running through the fallen leaves can release nutrients, such as phosphorus and carry it to the lake. If the leaves are left on the street for the few weeks of the
How Brown Leaves Help Turn Lake Wingra Green Read More »
The Department of Natural Resources has a new and improved rain garden manual for your use! Rain Gardens: A Guide for Homeowners and Landscapers, the new manual, discusses the three main steps to designing a rain garden for your home: Step 1 – sizing and siting, Step 2 – constructing, and Step 3 – Planting
A Statewide Accomplishment: A New DNR Rain Garden Manual Read More »
A lot has happened around our watershed this year, both on the surface and behind the scenes. What new things are you most excited about? We completed our second year of frog and toad citizen science monitoring! Our volunteers heard six different species. See when we heard them and how it compares to last year
Big Changes in 2018: Friends of Lake Wingra Year in Review Read More »
by Grace Graham, WI Master Naturalist Volunteer for UW-Madison Arboretum Just as we are experiencing the transformation to winter, the lakes around us are facing their own seasonal changes. During spring and fall, the water column experiences a process called turnover, the mixing of water from different depths, and a redistribution of oxygen and nutrients.
Under the Ice: How Organisms Survive Lake Wingra in Winter Read More »
Happy New Year, Lake Wingra Friend! The winter is a great time to enjoy the treasures of Lake Wingra. As you’ll see in this newsletter, there are lots of interesting things happening below the ice, and above. I hope you get an opportunity to get out in the watershed or on the Lake this winter
Happy New Year Lake Wingra Friend! Read More »
May 29,2018 By Roger Bannerman Recent warm weather has produced water temperatures in Lake Wingra that are the same as a swimming pool! At all depths the temperature of the water is around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. A temperature that can refresh on a hot day. Only 3 weeks ago it was a more stimulating 67
High Temperatures and Clarity Make Wingra Waters Inviting Read More »
By Roger Bannerman The Friends of Lake Wingra (FoLW) have been cooperating with the city of Madison for over four years to determine how selected leaf control efforts in the fall can reduce the amounts of phosphorus reaching Lake Wingra. Results from the fall of 2016 are especially exciting. By increasing the leaf
Fall Leaf Control Study Continues in the Lake Wingra Watershed Read More »
Friends of Lake Wingra is happy to introduce our new program manager, Casey Hanson. She is a UW-Madison alumna where she obtained her bachelor of civil and environmental engineering. Casey is a long-time Madison resident, aside from the last few years where she pursued her master of community and regional planning at the University of
Meet Our New Program Manager Read More »
Compost is like chili–everyone has their own recipe. You throw in what you find in the fridge, it takes a while to cook–and it always smells good when it’s done. Compost is much better for your garden than chemical fertilizer. It adds structure to soil and releases nutrients slowly. In many ways, it’s one of the
Tips & Tricks for Composting Read More »
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 »
