It's a bird... It's a plane... It's a Motus Tower!

By: Luke Trittelwitz, WisCorps Avian Field Technician

Have you noticed the new addition on the roof of the Wise Nature Center? This tower may look like the average TV antenna, however it's really a breakthrough in scientific research happening right here at Beaver Creek! Last month, with the help of volunteers, donors, and Beaver Creek staff, two Motus towers were built so we can join the advancing research! One is on top of the Wise Nature Center, and the other at the Henke Acres. 

You may now be wondering, what is Motus? The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is an international research network that uses automated radio telemetry to track birds, bats, and insects. This can be detected by Motus stations worldwide! The towers can detect these transmitters up to 20 km away. There are currently 31 countries participating in Motus, totaling over 1,200 stations, and 30,000 tags that have been placed on more than 250 species. This data has contributed to 130 academic publications covering a wide range of disciplines such as breeding, migration behavior, and more!

Motus towers provide you:

• The widest variety of animals to be monitored over the greatest distance with relatively high geographic precision, an incredible temporal precision Centralized, and a public data portal for automated radio telemetry projects globally.
• See what’s been detected at your and other stations around the world.
• Shared local-to-hemispheric tracking infrastructure.
• Innovative, affordable, open-source hardware and software.
• Compatibility across numerous technology providers.
• A large international collaborative community.

Some of the largest barriers to effective conservation and management of migratory animals is our ability to determine the importance of various landscapes and how they are utilized throughout their annual cycle. Our landscape includes numerous geographic and anthropogenic features (urban, rural, utility, industrial) that might influence migratory animals’ use of and movement through the landscape. Gaining a better understanding of these processes will help those in the field make ecologically informed decisions with regards to wildlife management, policy, and regulation. 

Not everywhere is able to be a host site for a Motus tower. To be a good location, the most important factor is that the antennas have an unobstructed view in the direction they are facing. For this reason, the highest point on the surrounding landscape (within 5-10 km) is usually preferred. This may be a hill or other prominent feature, shoreline, a station attached to an existing building (like the Wise Nature Center), or a standalone station that exceeds the height of any nearby trees or features (like the Henke Acres). 

Motus is not only advancing our knowledge in animal and migration science, but also in:

• Open framework for development, code, and analysis sharing
• Population ecology
• Animal behavior and physiology
• Environmental impact assessment and management
• Populations, survival, and species dynamics
• Stopover, site-based, and full life-cycle knowledge
• How animals use flyways and landscapes

Soon we will begin attaching telemetry tags to birds, bats, and insects to learn more about their migration patterns and aid in conservation efforts. We are excited to join this international project because this data will revolutionize our understanding of migratory animals! Stay tuned for more information.

Does This Tank Make My Shell Look Big: Snapper’s New Enclosure

 By: Mia Zacho, WisCorps Naturalist

Here at Beaver Creek Reserve our mission is Connecting People with Nature. One of the most unique ways we do so is through our animal ambassadors. Raising animal ambassadors is something Beaver Creek has proudly done for almost 40 years. Since 1985, we have had many cherished residents. Beaver Creek has had the privilege of housing a variety of native and even federally threatened or endangered species. One of our oldest, long term residents is our Common Snapping Turtle, Snapper. Donning his prehistoric looking features and his large size, he is a pristine example of what these creatures are like in the wild. Snapper was hatched in 2011 here at Beaver Creek and has been in our care since. Each animal ambassador comes with their own unique care requirements. As a nature center we are equipped with the necessary knowledge and materials to care for wild animals like Snapper. As captive “wild” animals grow, their own unique needs grow with them. 

With his exponential growth as our resident “dinosaur,” Snapper has already grown out of two different enclosures. His most recent enclosure was developed in 2016 with the expansion of the Scheels Discovery Room. Our commitment to the wellbeing of our beloved animal ambassadors is central in our standards for daily care; however, enclosure development takes time. Since Snapper came to us, his shell has grown to a whopping 11 inches in diameter. According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) standards adult Common Snapping turtles require approximately 10 gallons of water for every inch in diameter of their shell. Due to Snapper’s healthy rate of growth, one of Beaver Creek’s WisCorps Naturalists, Mia Zacho, has begun the process of designing the home he deserves as her year long capstone project! 

Working alongside specialists in reptile husbandry and exhibit design, we hope to build a permanent enclosure for Snapper to accommodate his needs as he grows in size for years to come. His new enclosure is planned to mimic a wetland habitat and will consist of a 550 gallon aquatic tank with a large rock platform for him to bask in the heat. A project of this magnitude will take time and resources. This year we are launching a campaign to raise funds for the design and development of Snapper’s forever home. This is where we need your help! If you are interested in supporting, please visit our website beavercreekreserve.org to make your contribution. It takes a village to keep Beaver Creek wild, and we are beyond grateful for our community who makes this possible. Learn more & donate!

A Plant for Every Person at Our Native Plant Sale!

Wild Ginger

At Beaver Creek, we’ve been busy in the greenhouse getting ready for our largest fundraiser: the Native Plant Sale! Not only do purchases support our programming but  native plants also help the environment in many ways, such as building animal habitats, helping pollinators, and conserving water.

With so many options, there’s a plant that’s right for everyone. But if you find yourself wondering where to start amongst all the goodies, here are a few suggestions to get you started!

Won’t-Outgrow-My-Toddler Plants

While some native plants have the potential to get up to seven feet tall, others keep a low profile for a more subtle touch. Prickly Pear clocks in at under 1 foot. Prairie Smoke grows between 6 inches and 1 foot. Wild Ginger, a ground cover, will grow to be somewhere between 1 inch and 1 foot.

I-Have-Too-Many-Trees Plants

Big, friendly trees are a fantastic feature of the region, but they also block sun from reaching the ground, where your native plants will need them. Luckily, some plants actually prefer shaded or part-shaded environments. Wild Ginger, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Tall Bellflower, and Big-Leaved Aster are all plants that will thrive in the shade, just like most Wisconsinites.

I-Want-A-New-Hobby Plants

If you’d like to try your hand at creature spotting, some plants host butterflies, hummingbirds, and other nectar-loving critters. Common Milkweed attracts the iconic Monarch butterfly, a species that has faced an extreme population decline. To bring in hummingbirds, the Cardinal Flower (though slightly inappropriately named, given the bird it actually draws in), are a great choice.

The Native Plant Sale’s online store will open on May 3 at 9:00am and closes May 10. Plants sell out fast, so we recommend browsing our list of available plants and deciding what you’d like ahead of time. Plants will be available for pick up on May 12 and 13. Check out our website anytime during the sales period for a link to our online shop!

Cardinal Flower

Earth Day Walk is a Runaway Success!

On Saturday, April 22nd, Beaver Creek Reserve broke out our best matching t-shirts to celebrate Earth Day with a ton of activities going on around the Nature Center! From crafts to scavenger hunts to self-guided nature walks, attendees learned all about sustainability and had fun doing it.

Our self-guided Earth Day Walk had participants start on the South Campus and make their way to the North. Sign posts guided walkers, provided educational facts about sustainability, and encouraged them to admire the nature around them. Despite on-and-off rain and snow, the weather cleared up just in time to celebrate the big day in the great outdoors.

Back at the Wise Nature Center, more activities awaited. A scavenger hunt took searchers on a tour of the center to see a snapping turtle in the Discovery Room, bird feeders outside, and more in, out, and around the center. 

Those wanting to bring home their own piece of nature were in luck. Our seed starter station provided everything folks needed to make sustainable seed starters that could grow into their own plants. Also donated to us by Paint Creek Nursery were swamp milkweed plants and white pine trees, both native to the area, for visitors to take home and plant outside after the final frost. Unfortunately, given our temperamental weather, we may be waiting for that day for a while now.

All in all, we had a fantastic time celebrating Earth Day! If you didn’t get a chance to join, the good news is that the festivities aren’t quite over. Sign up for an event during the last week of April and you may win a gift card! Check out our events calendar!

The History of Earth Day

On April 22nd of each year, people from all around the world celebrate the Earth and come together to protect it. From community clean-ups to tree planting, nature walks and advocacy, the holiday is marked in many different ways. Earth Day was established in the United States in 1970, but how did it come to be?

Ambitious Beginnings and Wisconsin’s Role

Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin was a leading figure in the creation of Earth Day. After a major oil spill the year before, Senator Nelson organized nationwide and bipartisan university teach-ins in 1970 to fire up the public about threats the environment faced. Recognizing the day’s potential, additional events and partnerships with organizations were devised to get all Americans involved in the movement.

They chose April 22nd, and the very first Earth Day inspired fervor across the country. By the end of year, the Environmental Protection Agency was founded. In the following years, Congress would pass many more bills to support the conversation of the environment.

Earth Day in the Current Era

As the world has moved into the digital age, so has Earth Day. For example, in 2019, those participating in clean-ups shared their experiences and photos with the #ProtectOurSpecies. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders in the movement hosted many online celebrations and events. In 2021, EARTHDAY.ORG and The Biden Administration each hosted online streams featuring activists, teachers, organizations, and other influential players in the movement.

Earth Day Every Day at Beaver Creek Reserve

At Beaver Creek, we celebrate Earth Day all month long! Events and programs are happening all throughout the month of April all over Eau Claire. It’s never been easier to get hands-on in your community, enjoy nature, and help protect the earth. To commemorate Earth Day on April 22nd, we will host an Earth Day Walk. Take a self-guided walk on our trails and learn about all things sustainability! Walk-ins welcome, or register ahead of time here.

From April 17-23, entry to Beaver Creek and all Eau Claire county parks will be FREE! Visit the reserve and participate in our Earth Week Photo Contest! Take a snapshot during your time here and post it on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #BCREarthWeek (Beaver Creek is in the digital age, too!) or submit on our website. The photo with the most likes will win a prize!

Pollinators Help Us 一 Let’s Help Them, Too.

Pollinators are one of the most important parts of a healthy ecosystem. While bees often take the role as the mascot of the pollinators (who remembers the Bee Movie?), a pollinator is anything that transports pollen between flowering plants. In Wisconsin, this primarily means bees, butterflies, and moths, but birds, bats and beetles can act as pollinators as well. 

The transportation of pollen is vital in many ways. Importantly, it maintains our agricultural system. Plants can’t exist without pollination, and plants are what feed the world. Plants also feed animals, which also feed the world! The United Nations predicts the world population will reach 9.7 billion by 2030, and all those people need to eat, so a healthy system of pollination is crucial as populations rise.

Since pollinators allow plant life to flourish, they allow for a more healthy and balanced environment as well. The flowering plants on our earth clean our air, support animals, stabilize soil, and more. However, pollinators are at risk. Many pollinators' natural habitats are destroyed or degraded due to human intervention, reducing their ability to transport pollen.

One way to support pollinators is right in our own yards. No Mow May is an initiative taken around the country to create pollinator-friendly zones in residential areas, where there is generally less native plant life. By not mowing or using chemical products in the month of May, natural flowering plants will grow in our yards, helping pollinators thrive. Did you know some pollinators are still overwintering in your grass, garden beds, or leftover plants from last season in May? This is why it's important to limit your mowing even when the weather seems nice enough to do so.

It’s a perfect excuse to get out of an annoying chore for a whole month! But if leaving your entire yard to nature’s whims is not a great fit for you, we also encourage smaller steps. Leaving a patch unmowed or mowing your entire yard less frequently are also great options.

The city of Eau Claire has even changed their lawn ordinances to encourage residents to participate. More information on Now Mow May can be found here! There are also events happening throughout this and next month to celebrate Earth Day and support pollinators and native plant life.

One such event is right here at Beaver Creek Reserve: our Native Plant Sale. We’ve been hard at work in our greenhouse growing native plants, which our online store opens May 3. Beaver Creek Reserve members get 10% off their order! These plants sell out fast, so if you’re looking for new plants, or plants you know will come back every year, for your yard or garden, we recommend jumping on the sale when it opens.

Timber Sale at Beaver Creek Reserve

By: Jim Schwiebert, Beaver Creek Reserve Naturalist & Land Manager

For the first time, Beaver Creek Reserve will have an active timber sale on its property. Over the years, Beaver Creek has basically had a “no management” policy for timber harvesting despite a forestry plan made in 1981. Things were left to follow a course of natural succession. Looking at the many different timber stands on the property however, and one jack pine stand in particular, it soon became apparent that some kind of a timber sale operation not only needed to be done, but could benefit Beaver Creek as well.

South Trails Overlook at Beaver Creek.

In 2014, a DNR Forester surveyed the existing timber stands around Beaver Creek and noticed that one particular area had a component of jack pine that was aging and in need of harvest. The jack pine is currently mixed with pin oak with an understory (trees that are growing beneath the canopy) of predominantly red maple and white pine. This parcel of land was donated to Beaver Creek after we were already established and had current forestry management recommendations. However, prior to allowing a cutting to take place at that time, we decided our previous forestry management plan should be updated to help our Board of Directors make a better recommendation for the proposed harvest. Most of the acreage at Beaver Creek Reserve was recently placed in "County Forest Special Use" lands. Special Use exceptions are given in light of the unique nature of Beaver Creek and the way we use the property. 

This stand of timber, and the potential for harvesting, could be approached in two ways. One is to do nothing- let the jack pine mature, rot, and fall down. The other option is to conduct a tree selection harvest where only the jack pine, hazard trees (oak and others that border the hiking trails), and some of the oak that are dying from oak wilt, could also be harvested. Our Board of Directors decided that a tree selection harvest was the most desirable to capture the value of the jack pine before it became unusable. Also, this harvest would provide a safer space for hikers since the mature trees represented significant falling hazards near popular trails. The money generated from the sale will go back into operation and maintenance expenses for Beaver Creek.

Photo by My Wisconsin Woods.

From a strictly silvicultural (the science of forest management) standpoint, this stand probably should have been clear-cut to allow the oak and jack pine to regenerate. Oak and jack pine cannot regenerate without full sun reaching the young seeds and saplings.  This can only happen when the stands are clear-cut. With the selective removal of the jack pine only, the stand will eventually convert to a less desirable white pine/red maple forest type, which is typical succession for most of the oak/pine forest types in our area. I use the term ‘less desirable’ simply because the oak/jack pine forest type is diminishing in acreage and the maple/white pine forest is becoming more predominant. The oak/jack pine forest type also has obvious wildlife benefits with mast (seed) production and browse, benefiting many species. Both white pine and red maple grow well in the shade, so a clear-cut is not necessary to promote their growth. They will replace the oak and jack pine. Although there will be disturbance with the selective thinning, it won’t be to the same degree as a clear-cut. Considering the use of the area for hiking, snowshoeing, and nature exploration, the selective thinning was the timber harvest prescription approved by our Board. There is also a small strip of red pine in the sale area that was planted years ago and is in need of thinning. Those trees will also be selectively removed as part of the sale.

Red Loop Trail on South Campus.

The hiking trail will be closed for the duration of the sale activity this spring, hopefully with sale completion done by the end of May. The Red Trail on our South Campus is the only area affected, in the far western part of Beaver Creek's property, north of County Highway K. Signs will be posted on the trails to alert hikers of the closure. We apologize for this inconvenience, but look forward to new growth and continued proper management of our land.