by Liz McBride Photos by Liz McBride and David Thompson Spring through fall, native plants beautify our gardens and provide food for birds and insects. But even in the dead of winter, they lighten the heart and feed the hungry.…
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…
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:…
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…
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…
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…
by Tim Kuhman (Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Edgewood College and Friends of Lake Wingra board member) Every autumn as the days get noticeably shorter with each passing day and the trees throughout my neighborhood begin to drop…
By Hannah Buscemi, William Wirono, and Vanessa Studer Following a rain or storm, hundreds of gallons of water flow from roofs of houses through downspouts, and eventually end up in our storm drains that empty out into our local lakes. In…
This visually stunning movie is great for children. It follows the story of a young boy interested in butterflies. He pursues his passion, eventually becoming a scientist who solves a major mystery of the natural world. The film explores not…
By Hannah Buscemi The common bladderwort is an aquatic plant native to the Northern hemisphere, and it can be found in Wisconsin and Lake Wingra. In fact, out of all the Madison area Lakes, this includes Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, Kegonsa, Lower…
