In the library, a monarch butterfly rested on a small boy’s hand. Suddenly it fluttered upward—zig-zagging over bookshelves toward a window. Four squealing children ran to where it landed on a windowsill. Catalina approached, coaxing it onto her fingertip. Her…
Friends of Lake Wingra has begun a new program to help understand and protect the amphibians that call our lake home. We are working with a group of volunteers to listen for frogs and toads near the Vilas Lagoon throughout…
Phosphorus is natural and essential, but when present in excess it can cause algal blooms, fish deaths, and decreases in water clarity. Phosphorus is currently one of the biggest challenges facing Lake Wingra so it’s time to get creative about…
Rain gardens are a beautiful way of making our watershed a happier and healthier place. This year, Friends of Lake Wingra received a grant from the Natural Resources Foundation to spread the appreciation for all our dedicated rain garden…
Happy New Year! As Friends of Lake Wingra transitioned from 2016 to 2017, we looked ahead to the coming year, and saw immense opportunity, often balanced by immense challenges. Opportunities and their associated challenges lead to change,…
The future of water and people depends on the choices we make today – and the ideas we share with each other. Two new resources by the UW-Madison Water Sustainability and Climate project help communities think about what they…
Winter is a season associated with distinct feelings for all of your senses. There’s the smell of pine, the taste of apple pie, the sighting of the fist snowflake, and the crunch of rock salt beneath your boots. While we…
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…
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…
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…
