TOURSTentative hikes and tours, led by Laurie Yahr and/or Rich Kahl, are listed just below the chapter meeting schedule. Contact Laurie as dates approach, since last-minute changes may occur.

    Apr 22, 2010 (Thu)    

[Please NOTE this is a changed date.] 6:00 p.m. Second Wildflower Walk: "Early Spring at the Arboretum" -- Public welcome. For details and exact meeting place, always check co-sponsor Good Oak's website. Invite a neighbor to carpool. To sign up, email member Frank Hassler.

    Apr 28, 2010 (Wed)    

7:00 p.m. Joint program with Atwood Prairie Volunteers: UW expert David Eagan will update our awareness of "Poisonous and Hazardous Plants in Field and Garden." Learn how to identify, treat and eradicate plants that are hazardous to humans and animals. David's photos and field identification cover a wide variety of plants, with remedies and management options.


Also, members can sign up for 2010 Plant Rescue notification list. Location: the new Goodman Community Center, Bolz Room; 149 Waubesa Street, east side. Directions: From Milwaukee Street turn south, or from Atwood Ave. turn north, onto Waubesa Street. Park in back lot, among emerging native plant strips. The IronWorks Cafe, south end of the building, will be open before our program.

    Apr 29, 2010 (Thu)    

6:00 p.m. Second Wildflower Walk: "Early Spring at the Arboretum" -- Public welcome. For details and exact meeting place, check co-sponsor Good Oak's website. Invite a neighbor to carpool. To sign up, email member Frank Hassler.

    May 06, 2010 (Thu)    

6:00 p.m. Changed date due to earlier spring... Third Wildflower Walk: "Spring Ephemerals at Elvehjem and Heritage Sanctuary" -- Public welcome. For details and exact meeting place, always check co-sponsor Good Oak's website. Invite a neighbor to carpool. To sign up, email member Frank Hassler.

    May 08, 2010 (Sat)    

8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. One-day-only Native Plant Sale. Plan in advance to Car-Pool to the Arboretum's annual sale, UW Arboretum, off Seminole Hwy.

    May 15, 2010 (Sat)    

9 a.m. to ? p.m.: Lyman's Woods work date Fen Oak Ct. Hand pulling the remaining garlic mustard, digging out burdock and continuing to clear buckthorn, honeysuckle and their accomplices. Bring a parsnip predator or sharp spade if you have one. Gloves, cameras

    May 20, 2010 (Thu)    

6:00 p.m. Fourth Wildflower Walk, note date change from original. Early Prairie Wildflowers of Koltes Prairie & Westport Drumlin Explore these adjoining favorites with Frank Hassler. See Good Oak's website to sign up and for carpooling arrangements

    May 22, 2010 (Sat)    

9:30 to 12 noon Bluebird Nesting Box construction in Mt. Horeb, combined with tour of Jack Saltes' yard and Stewart Park volunteers' project. Sign up, bring tools. Materials fee depends on cost of cedar. Map & details in May's Chapter newsletter.

    May 27, 2010 (Thu)    

5:15 p.m. Informal prairie plant ID, Warner Park Community Recreation Center, prior to 6 p.m. committee meeting (inside building) deciding fate of the prairie circle. Five years of efforts by volunteers are endangered.

    Jun 05, 2010 (Sat)    

9:00 to 12 noon Bluebird Nesting Box construction in Mt. Horeb, combined with tour of Jack Saltes' yard and Stewart Park volunteers' project. Sign up, bring tools. Materials fee depends on cost of cedar. Map & details in May's Chapter newsletter.

    Jun 10, 2010 (Thu)    

6 pm Wildflower Walk Native Orchids at Stricker's Pond: A few species of orchid hide amid the woods at Stricker's Pond. Come join Frank Hassler of Good Oak (co-sponsored by our Wild Ones chapter). We'll look for these rare wildflowers along the trailside, in this remnant natural area in the midst of suburbia.
Directions: From High Point Road in Middleton, head east on Parmenter St, then take a right onto Westfield Rd. Park on the street near the paved path access to the park.

    Jun 17, 2010 (Thu)    

Wildflower Walk Please note date change Frank Hassler will guide us to Wood Lilies at the Sugar River Savanna. They're some of our most brilliant WFs, but also see penstemon, spiderwort and other photogenics. To carpool, meet at 5:30 at Good Oak World Headquarters, 205 Walter St., east side of Madison. Or, to meet us at 6 p.m., by driving west on Hwy PD to Timber Lane. Once you are safely past the intersection, park on the side of the road.

    Jun 24, 2010 (Thu)    

Evening Tour 6 p.m. Wild Ones Madison chapter members Ron and Marti Martin will share many facets of their 5.5 acre landscape, at 10651 N. Charley Bluff Rd, Milton. In a few short years, they have developed prairies and savannas, in various stages of restoration. Also see two rain gardens, a wetland in progress, nesting boxes of many different styles for many different birds; wildlife shelterbelts, using WI native shrubs; a sand prairie; and snake hibernacula. The Martins installed a 10.2 solar array, so they have not paid an electric bill since May, 2009. They heat their home and hot water using invasive species.[Guess which ones.] All this, plus a large vegetable garden. See their website and, invite a friend along. Directions from Madison. Take I-90 South about 20 miles to exit 163, Hwy 59 (Milton, Edgerton). Turn Right on 59, go 2.5 miles. Turn Left onto County Road N and go .5 miles. Turn Left on Charley Bluff Road for .2 mile. Turn Left into the driveway. To Carpool: Meet at the east end of the Dutch Mill parking lot [SE of the Stoughton Road / Broadway intersection, which is just north of the Beltline] at about 5:30? [see chapter newsletter

Agrecol sells native plants. www.agrecol.com.

Taylor Creek sells native plants. www.appliedeco.com/tcrn.

Prairie Nursery sells native plants. www.prairienursery.com.

Prairie Ridge Nursery sells native plants. www.prairieridgenursery.com.

Prairie Moon Nursery sells native plants. www.prairiemoonnursery.com.

Madison's Edible Forest Nursery sells hardy fruit and nut trees. To check the wares, go to www.edibleforestnursery.com.

An Indiana nursery, Woody Warehouse www.woodywarehouse.com, offers native shrubs and trees.

The Wild Ones mission is to educate and share information with members and community at the "plant-roots" level and to promote biodiversity and environmentally sound practices.

Vegetation of Wisconsin, An Ordination of Plant Communities. John T.
Curtis, 1959. University of Wisconsin Press. Original comprehensive treatise but a
lot of the Latin names of plants have been changed. ($44.95)

Wisconsin's Natural Communities: How to Recognize Them, Where to Find
Them. Randy Hoffman, 2002. University of Wisconsin Press. 375 pages.
Thirty-five plant community descriptions including distribution maps and lists of
special and uncommon species of plants (including, mosses and lichens and mushrooms)
and animals (including reptiles and amphibians, mollusks and snails, birds,
mammals, insects, spiders, and invertebrates and fish when applicable). ($24.95)

Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Wisconsin, Technical Bulletin
No. 192. Mark Allen Wetter, Theodore S. Cochrane, Merel R. Black, Hugh H. Iltis,
and Paul E Berry. 2001. Few plant drawings; this is not an I. D. book. Lists
native plant species and variants of Wisconsin, identifying those of special
concern, threatened, endangered as well as introduced; noting also spreading,
adventive and invasive exotics and natives. (http://www.botany.wisc.edu/wisflora/)

Invading Weeds-A Growing Threat to Wisconsin's Biological Diversity.

Elizabeth J. Czarapata, 1999. 62 pages. Drawings, photos, and descriptions of 22
common invasives and control methods. (P.O. Box 565, Muskego, WI 53150)

Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality. Carrol L. Henderson,
Carolyn J. Dindorf, and Fred J. Roumlski. Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources. Lovely color photographs, drawings and species lists for shoreline
restoration. (1-800-657-3757)

A Practical Guide to Prairie Reconstruction. Carl Kurtz. ($12.95)

Restoring Prairie Wetlands. S. M. Galatowitsch and A. G. van der Valk,
1994. ($34.99)

Wisconsin Manual of Control Recommendations for Ecologically Invasive
Plants. Randy Hoffman and Kelly Kearns, editors, 1997. Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources, Bureau of Endangered Resources. Line drawings of 20 exotics and
10 native translocated or opportunistic species with recommended control methods,
and a checklist of potentially invasive exotic trees, shrubs, vines, forbs, grasses
and aquatics plus several other natives to keep an eye on.
(http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/invasive/manual_toc.htm)

The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern
Region. W. A. Niering and N. C. Olmstead. 2001. ($19.95)

Fern Finder, a guide to native ferns of northeastern and central North
America. Anne C. Hallowell and Barbara G. Hallowell. 1981. Nature Study
Guild, Berkley Ca. A tiny format (only 4x5.5") including maps and drawings. ($3.50)

A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and Northcentral North
America. Roger Tory Peterson, and Margaret McKenny. Houghton Mifflin Company.
420 pages. ($17.10)

Growing and Propagating Wild Flowers. Harry R. Phillips. 1985. The
University of North Carolina Press. Practical advice on propagation and
cultivation including designs for sun and shade locations and companion plants for
about 100 plants with drawings, including some carnivorous plants and ferns. (Few
photos). ($19.95)

A Guide to Wildflowers in Winter. Carol Levine. 1995. Yale
University Press. Black and white photos of basil rosettes and drawings of seeds,
seed heads, seed pods, capsules, achenes, etc. for 391 species of herbaceous plants
including some grasses, sedges and ferns. ($17.95)

Illustrated Companion to Gleason and Cronquist's Manual. Noel H.
Holmgren. 1998. New York Botanical Garden. 937 pages. With approximately five
drawings per page this book provides representation of approximately 4135 species
with no text. ($125.00)

An Illustrated Flora of the Northern U. S. and Canada. Nathaniel Lord
Britton and Hon. Addison Brown. 1913. in 3 volumes. Vol.1 Ferns to buckwheat, 680
pages. Vol. 2 Amaranth to Polypreum, 735 pages. Vol. 3. Gentian to Thistle, 657
pages. ($18.95 each)

Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent
Canada. Henry A. Gleason and Arthur Cronquist 1991 Second Edition. New York
Botanical Garden. 910+ pages. This is a technical key, with no photos or drawings.
($69.00)

Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. L. Newcomb. 1977. Little Brown and Co. ($17.95)

The New England Wild Flower Society guide to Growing and Propagating
Wildflowers of the United States and Canada. William Cullina. 2000.
Houghton and Mifflin Company. Beautiful photos, excellent "related comments such as
insect interaction and soil preference" but lacks natural distribution
information. ($32.00)

North Woods Wildflowers. Doug Ladd. 2001. 271 pages. A Falcon photo
field guide to wild flowers of Northeastern US and southeastern Canada. ($24.95)

Orchids of the Western Great Lakes Region. Frederick W. Case Jr.
1987, revised 1997. Cranbrook Institute of Science Bulletin 48. ($29.00)

Spring Flora Of Wisconsin. Norman C. Fassett 4th revision. 1978. 413
pages. ($19.95)

Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers. Doug Ladd and Frank Oberle. 1995.
263 pages. A Falcon photo field guide to wild flowers of tall grass prairies.
($19.96)

Wildflowers and Weeds. Booth Courtney and James H. Zimmerman.
1978. 144 pages. A Fireside Book Simon and Schuster. Nice small photos. (Out of
print).

Wild Plant Family Cookbook. Patricia K. Armstrong. 1997. Prairie
Sun Consultants, Naperville, Il. Recipes and comments for the adventurous who can
positively identify plants. (Out of print.)

Amphibians of Wisconsin. Bebecca Christoffel, Robert Hay and
Michelle Wolfgram. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of
Endangered Resources. 2001. Small format with 44 pages of 19 frogs, toads, newts,
salamanders, and mudpuppies of the state. (Out of print.)

Color Guide to Common Dragonflies of Wisconsin. Karl and Dorothy
Legler, and Dave Westover. Revised 1998. Self produced, Sauk City Wi. If you
haven't looked closely at some of the 110 flying jewels we have in Wisconsin, you
don't know what you are missing. Close focusing binoculars recommended. ($19.95,
Karl Legler, 429 Franklin St., Sauk City, WI 53583,
http://userpages.itis.com/karlndot/)

Peterson First Guide to Caterpillars. Amy Bartlett Wright. 1993. 120
common and conspicuous caterpillars and the butterflies and moths they become.
Houghton Mifflin Company. ($5.95)

Wisconsin Frogs: Places to Hear Frogs and Toads Near Our Urban Areas.
Randy M. Korb 2001. Northeastern Wisconsin Audubon Society. Includes a CD of
Wisconsin frog and toad calls, color photos and maps, plus 11 recommended parks or
nature areas. ($18.45, Randy Korb, PO Box 1963, Green Bay, WI 54305,
randykorb@hotmail.com)

Snakes of Wisconsin. Bebecca Christoffel, Robert Hay, and Lisa
Ramirez. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Endangered Resources.
2000. Small format, 32 pages, photos and maps of the 20 snakes in the state.
(http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/publications/ordrform.htm)

Noah's Garden: Restoring the Ecology of our Own Backyard. Sara
Stein. Houghton Mifflin Co. ($12.60)

Planting Noah's Garden: Further Adventures in Backyard Ecology.
Sara Stein. 1997. Houghton Mifflin ($28)

A Sand County Almanac. Aldo Leopold. ($9.85)

Prices checked on http://www.amazon.com or http://www.bn.com.

Sustain Dane www.sustaindane.org has launched a news section
dedicated to providing community members with critical local
information regarding sustainability related issues. If you have a local
news story or press release to submit, please include your name, news source and
author of story and if possible a link to the entire story and a brief summary.

They also have a SUSTAINABILITY section allowing community members
to view pictures of sustainable or unsustainable elements in the area.

Prairie Restoration websites

The Savanna Oak Foundation announces a new web site
www.savannaoak.org which deals with the restoration
of the Pleasant Valley Conservancy, a complex of prairies, oak savannas, and
wetlands in the Driftless area of western Dane County. This attractive natural
area has been under restoration for the past eight years and the website describes
the progress that has been made. The well-illustrated website provides considerable
detail on restoration activities and techniques used, such as controlled burns,
weed eradication, brush cutting, aspen control, and removal of invasive trees.
Extensive illustrated species lists are given.

Landscape Demographics

Check out the U.S. Forest Service's "Changing Midwest Landscape" at
www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/4153/deltawest.
This is part of the website for the U.S. Forest Service's North Central Research Station and
chronicles the dramatic shifts in the Midwest's forests, plants, animals, and
people between 1980 and 2000. It shows you where and how the natural and human
landscape of the Midwest has changed over the last two decades. The website will
evolve with projections of future change and an interactive capability.