Environmental Education
Preserving western Wisconsin's natural character goes beyond land conservation - it includes teaching all generations to care for their natural world.
West Wisconsin Land Trust's Education Program offers free, guided outdoor education year-round. Participants age 5 and up will learn a variety of skills and facts about the natural world. Programs take place throughout western Wisconsin, on properties protected by West Wisconsin Land Trust, or on public properties in the region.
Programs are designed for families, however they can also be customized for community groups (scouts, 4-H, etc.), seeking instruction on specific topics.
"Very educational and entertaining. Age appropriate and interactive. Great sense of humor and extensive knowledge! FUN! Would highly recommend for future programs about wildlife and conservation!" - Laura, Cub Scout Pack 47
"Thanks a bunch for sharing your time, knowledge and enthusiasm with our group. Personally, my children have been repeating the 'Eyes in front, meant to hunt' poem to anyone who will listen." - Kris, Family Learning Center
Class Listing
Join us for a free outdoor adventure! Children (age 5+) will enjoy exercising outdoors during these fun, hands-on educational experiences. Families will enjoy spending time together, learning about the world around them, and meeting others in their communities.
See below for a list of upcoming classes and descriptions. For more information, or to register for a class, contact West Wisconsin Land Trust's Interim
Outdoor Education Coordinator Jeanette Kelly at 715-235-8850 or jkelly@wwlt.org.
All programs are offered free of charge and are limited to 20 total participants. Programs are developed at the 5th grade level, but they can be enjoyed by ages 5 and up. We ask that all children be accompanied by adults. Programs will run in all weather except severe situations, so please dress appropriately.
For questions and to reserve your spot, contact Jeanette Kelly, Interim Outdoor Education Coordinator, at 715-235-8850 or jkelly@wwlt.org.
Here's what is happening in JUNE!
June is GREAT OUTDOORS MONTH: www.greatoutdoorsmonth.com/
June 6 is NATIONAL TRAILS DAY: www.americanhiking.org/NTD.aspx
June 2-10 is NATIONAL RIVER CLEAN UP WEEK: www.nationalrivercleanup.org
June 2-10 is NATIONAL FISHING & BOATING WEEK: www.rbff.org
June 27 is the GREAT AMERICAN BACKYARD CAMPOUT:
www.nwf.org/BackyardCampout/
SPECIES in the LIMELIGHT
Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly-Papilio glaucas
What kind of name is that? Tiger Swallowtail! Let's see if we can break that name down. The name TIGER comes from the yellow and black stripes covering the butterfly's wings. The name SWALLOWTAIL comes from the long "tails" on the hindwings, which look like the long pointed tails of the birds called swallows, in the picture below.
The tiger swallowtail butterfly is a large butterfly, with a wingspan (the distance from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other wing) stretching 3.5 to 6.5 inches. They are easy to spot.
Tiger swallowtail butterflies drink the nectar from flowers. The have a tube-like proboscis, which is a long tongue, kind of like a straw. When a swallowtail finds a yummy flower, it unrolls its proboscis, drinks the sweet flower nectar, and then rolls its proboscis back up so it doesn't get in the way.
There are a lot of hungry birds that would love to have a butterfly for a snack. How do tiger swallowtails protect themselves from being eaten? The female mimics (looks like) the poisonous Pipevine butterfly. Other animals know that if they eat the pipevine butterfly, they will become very sick. Since the female swallowtail looks like the poisonous pipevine, predators leave her alone.
The Life Cycle of a tiger swallowtail starts out as a tiny, round, yellow-green egg. Out of the egg hatches a caterpillar, which does nothing but eat leaves. The caterpillar makes a nest high in a tree where it becomes a pupa (chrysalis). Inside the chrysalis, the pupa transforms and out comes a beautiful tiger swallowtail butterfly.
If you find a butterfly, follow it carefully, stay quiet and move slowly. If it lands on a flower, watch closely to see its proboscis unwind to drink up some nectar. If you find a chrysalis, visit it every day and watch as it changes. Maybe you will be lucky enough to see the butterfly come out to dry - stretch its wings and flutter away.
Happy Butterfly Watching!
Here are some great web sites to visit where you can learn more about butterflies:
The Children's Butterfly Site: www.kidsbutterfly.org/
Billy Bear 4 Kids: www.billybear4kids.com/butterfly/flutter-fun.html
EEK! Environmental Education for Kids: www.dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/index.htm
Be sure to visit your local library this summer. They have great books on butterflies.
PHENOLOGY CALENDAR
Have you ever noticed that you don't see bluebirds in the winter? And turtles only cross the roads in the summer? And trees lose their leaves in the fall? These are all examples of PHENOLOGY. Phe-nol-ogy is the study of living things in their seasons.
When you go outside, you will discover some phenological changes in your own backyard. The month of June brings plants, plants and more plants. Look, listen and smell to discover what has all arrived.
June brings:
Marsh milkweed blooms
Look close. Maybe you will see a pheasant poult (chick)
Trumpeter swan eggs begin to hatch
Yellow hawkweed starts blooming
Listen for mink frogs calling
Turtles are sunning themselves on logs
Wild quinine blooms
Bullfrogs bellow their loud bullfrog's call - it sounds like a deep "gr-rum" or "jug-o-rum"
Yarrow opens up its flowers
Monarch butterflies are glad to see the milkweed up and blooming
Look for Indian paintbrush in bloom
Daisy fleabane is blooming
Purple harebell shows off its flowers
Painted turtles begin to lay eggs
Look for black-eyed susan blooming in prairies
Flowering spurge blooms
Butterflies will be attracted to the brightly-colored butterfly weed
You won't have a hard time spotting the 5-10 foot tall compass plant as the yellow flowers reach for the sky. Why do you think it is called compass plant? Check out the following website to see: www.dnr.state.wi.us/Org/caer/ce/eek/veg/plants/compass.htm
Blue-winged teal ducklings start to hatch
Hoary vervain blooms
Look for lead plant blooming. It has silvery leaves and purple flowers
Rattle snake master blooms. Can you guess why this plant has a name like rattle snake master?
Look for the full Strawberry Moon
Did you notice that our phenology list had a lot of different types of plants this month? Why do you think that is? Where are all the animals?
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