Madison Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society

222 S. Hamilton St. / Madison, WI 53703 / 255-2473/ www.madisonaudubon.org November 2009

Free Public ProgramWho: Richard BeilfussWhat: Gorongosa National Park, MozambiqueWhen: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 7:30 p.m. – Program Where: New Location!Capitol Lakes Retirement Community333 West Main St., MadisonParking: Free – ramp across the streetLower levels – must use unmarked spaces or those labeled “DNR”

Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique was once renowned for its legendary concentrations of buffalo, lion, hippo, and other African wildlife, and is a global biodiversity hotspot for rare birds and vegetation. During Mozambique’s prolonged civil war, wildlife populations were decimated

and the communities surrounding the park were traumatized and deeply impoverished. Today, rapid deforestation, uncontrolled fires, and commercial bushmeat hunting continue to threaten biodiversity and human livelihoods. The Carr Foundation, under US multi-millionaire businessman and philanthropist Greg Carr, signed a long-term agreement with the government of Mozambique to invest more than $30 million over 20 years to protect and restore the stunning Gorongosa ecosystem, develop ecotourism, and reduce poverty around the park. Dr. Richard Beilfuss, who served four years as science director at Gorongosa for the Carr Foundation during the initial development of the project, will tell the unusual story of Gorongosa

and share his insights about this ambitious project and lessons for future conservation efforts in Africa. Dr. Beilfuss is Vice President-Programs for the International Crane Foundation. He has been involved in conservation and sustainable development efforts in the Zambezi River Basin of Africa since 1995, as well as in Vietnam, China, Nepal, and elsewhere.

You are invited to join our speaker, MAS board members and friends at the pre-program dinner at Paisan’s Restaurant (131 W. Wilson St.) beginning at 5:00 p.m. Please call the office at 608/255-BIRD (255-2473) if you have questions.

Next meeting: January 19, 2010 – Costa Rica

Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique:

Biodiversity Conservation and Poverty Alleviation

MadisonAudubonSociety

Serving Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Iowa, Jefferson, Richland and Sauk Counties

Inside This IssueMore Than a Summer Job ........... 2

Goose Pond Report ...................3-4

Wild Rose Bluebird trail ............. 5

Rufous Hummer! ........................ 5

Meadowlark Economics .............. 6

MAS Volunteer Awards ............... 6

Donations ..................................... 6

Membership Info .......................... 7

Dec. Field Trip ............................... 8

Christmas CBC Dates .................. 8

YOU ARE INVITEDStrategic Planning RetreatHelp chart the course of Madison Audubon Society. We are preparing a strategic plan and have hired a consulting firm to help. We have scheduled a retreat for board members, staff, chapter members, and friends of MAS to combine their efforts to determine the future direction of the organization. WHERE: Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Hwy M, Middleton, WIWHEN: Friday evening, Dec. 4 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 5 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.RSVP: If you would like to participate, please reply by Monday, Nov. 16 to financial assistant John Minnich at (608) 327-0129 or johnmaudubon@yahoo.com

November 20092The Audubon CAWS

More than a summer jobby John Pinzl, 2009 MAS summer intern at Faville Grove Sanctuary

On the Friday before the last week of our internship, with rainy weather momentarily dampening our anticipa-tion for a field trip to Dorothy Carnes Park, Dave suggested watching a slide-show featuring Faville Grove Sanctuary through the years. As my four fellow interns, Dave Musolf, Roger Packard, Lars Higdon, and I craned our necks to get a clear view of the computer in the upstairs room of his and Roger’s home, Dave began the slideshow with a click of the mouse. Pictures of various prairie plants and different areas of the sanctuary illuminated the screen and I couldn’t help but reminisce on my summer, specifically my experiences with the internship. The slideshow, along with everyone’s com-ments on the images, enhanced the vivid-ness of my memories. Slide transitions set the pace for the transparencies within my imagination as I plunged into a prairie-induced mental narrative of my summer internship with the Madison Audubon Society on the Faville Grove Sanctuary.

Appropriately, the primary element of the internship upon which my imagina-tion dwelled was the sanctuary’s land itself. The foremost thing I noticed was how much the sanctuary landscape had

changed over time, in terms of both the years covered by the slideshow and the three months that our intern crew had worked on it. From the picture of prairie docks ‘jumping’ the fence from Faville Prairie to its Milwaukee Audubon annex 45 years ago, to the image display-ing the abundance of prairie docks in Snapper Prairie prior to the flood-ing last spring and summer, I realized that the land as I knew it was only a small segment in the long history of the Faville Grove Sanctuary. This realization impressed upon me how quickly and profoundly things such as invasive spe-cies, human misuse and mismanagement, and other human agents, can degrade a landscape. However, our work this sum-mer, that of previous years’ crews, and the vast accomplishments through it all, attest to the importance of our internship in the restoration of degraded landscapes and the protection of remnant prairies.

As a result of our work this summer, all of the sites on which we spent consid-erable time were dramatically improved.

These improvements were not brought on by natural forces and a lack of human intervention that had aided the spread of invasive species in the first place, but by parsnip predators, brush cutters, and hard work on the part of our intern crew. With these implements, we pushed back an impenetrable thicket of aspen saplings, cottonwood bunches, and other brush that stand where the prairie docks had once jumped the fence into a former farm field along the western border of Faville Prairie. Although much of the thicket remains, the prospect of restoring this area to the open prairie that the landscape was reverting to at the time of the prairie docks’ feat seems more promising. The Zoology Ridge, an area that was perme-ated by sweet clover, wild parsnip, and Queen Anne’s lace three months ago, is now rid of such weeds (although only temporarily for many) thanks to contract spraying, Roger’s mowing, and our crew’s ‘walk-throughs’ on dew-filled mornings. My attempt to visualize how many white feed-bags we filled with sweet clover, garlic mustard, and parsnip were foiled as I recounted how much we had accomplished this summer.

Seeing the slides of previous intern crews, volunteers, and other individu-als doing the same work that we had performed over the last three months, I wondered how these various other indi-viduals involved with the restoration of the sanctuary felt as a result of their work. They undoubtedly felt the same sense of pride, accomplishment, and connection with the land as our internship crew did. Thinking of the people we had the oppor-tunity to meet and work with throughout the summer, it was evident to me that the land provided a common basis upon

Matt and John declare victory over the brush at Snapper Prairie.

The super intern crew of 2009: from left, John Pinzl, Justin Nooker, Matt Weber, Mallory Berrey, sanctuary ecologist Lars Higdon, and Ben Bisbach.

which individuals from all backgrounds pulled together and collaborated to work towards the common goal of improving a landscape that they all care about.

Over the past three months, sur-rounded by my fellow interns, whose knowledge of the ecological elements that surrounded us ‘on the job’ was remark-able, and Lars, our fearless leader, whose expertise on anything ranging from bird calls to plant species was extraordinary, I have learned more firsthand than I could have ever imagined. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Matt, Mallory, Justin, Ben, and Lars, all of whom share a deep passion for the outdoors and the conservation and resto-ration of the environment. Furthermore, meeting and working with volunteers and those who have caught the ‘Prairie Bug’ such as Nolan Kollath, Lars’ neigh-bors Steve Bower and Leslie DeMuth, and Jim Kerler, has been rewarding in that it truly impressed upon me how a diverse group of individuals can form such a homogenous and tight knit community of conservationists and stewards of the land. The primary individuals amongst this group of stewards are Dave and Roger, whose prowess as conservationists and passion for the sanctuary’s well being is manifest in the unmatched quality of the sanctuary as well as the incomparable experiences provided by the internship program. Without Dave and Roger, nei-ther the internship nor much of the sanc-tuary would exist. It was a privilege to have been selected by them for the intern-ship and to have had the opportunity to get to know them.

Possibly the most profound change that I witnessed as a result of the intern-ship was a change in my own perspec-tive. On one hand, my perspective

towards the local envi-ronment has suffered a “fall” from the bliss that accompanies ignorance of the severity and pro-liferation of many of the problems associated with the degradation of our landscapes. The amount of sweet clover, Queen Anne’s lace, and wild parsnip lining the bike path downtown and most of the road-sides I regularly drive will make it difficult

to travel without a parsnip predator and weed bag within reach. On the other hand, the internship has strengthened my appreciation for both the subtle and profound aspects of eco-logical systems. My deeper understand-ing of the ways in which even the small-est organisms play a vital role in such systems’ functioning has impressed upon me the need to both appreciate these vari-ous elements and work to ensure their integrity. The internship addressed both of these requirements on numerous lev-els. In essence, I feel that my experience with the internship has made me a better conservationist, a better environmentalist, and better prepared for a career in envi-ronmental law.

As the last slide faded from the screen, it was impossible for me to determine which had benefited more from our internship on the Faville Grove Sanctuary; the sanctuary itself or the indi-viduals working to improve it. During the following ride to Dorothy Carnes Park, the above changes wrought through the relationships formed between people and the land, as well as between each other, were more evident to me than they had ever been. These changes and experiences share the common characteristic of reaf-firming how profoundly we are all con-nected to the land and how profoundly our well-being relies on the ecological health of our own backyards. Regardless of where my fellow interns and I find our-selves in the coming years, I am confident that our time spent together on the Faville Grove Sanctuary this summer will be at the forefront amongst the experiences that have shaped each of our outlooks on, and passion for, the natural environment and the outdoors.

3 October 2009The Audubon CAWS

Waterfowl and Wetlands at Goose PondBy Mark and SueFoote-Martin Since June 2008 the wetlands at Goose Pond have been full of water. Over 6 inches of rain fell in March, and Goose Pond Road would have washed out due to high water and wind action had not breaker rock been placed along much of the road. This summer the water level in Goose Pond dropped about 26 inches but there are probably still 180 acres of water compared to the normal of 60 acres and the previous high of 120 acres. This spring the high water attracted a record 145 pairs of breeding ducks (2 pairs of Wood Ducks, 1 pair of Gadwall, 44 pairs of Mallards, 70 pairs of Blue-winged Teal, 12 pairs of Northern Shovelers, 2 pairs of Green-winged Teal, and 14 pairs of Ruddy Ducks). One pair of Canada Geese nested probably for the first time in 150 years and raised 5 goslings. The large amount of prairie restora-tions provided high quality nesting habitat, and a record number of water-fowl broods were seen this summer. We saw our first brood of Mallards on May 21. On June 5 we saw 4 broods on Jill’s Prairie that is usually dry in summer. Duck broods are not as easy to count due to the emergent vegetation that pro-vides ideal brood rearing habitat. On June 3 we saw a flock of 96 male and 3 female Mallards which indicated that the females were busy nesting and renesting. Excellent water level helped contribute to the renesting effort. Excellent numbers of waterfowl and marsh birds were observed in late sum-

Mallory thinks the ironweed looks good enough to eat.

continued on next page

Mark and Don Schmidt found a Northern Shoveler nest in Sue Ames Prairie on July 18 about .25 miles from water.

4 November 2009The Audubon Caws

mer and early fall. On October 4, we counted 1 Snow Goose, 1,800 Canada Geese, 1 Black Duck, 1,500 Mallards, 200 Blue-winged Teal, 40 Northern Shovelers, 20 Green-winged Teal, 15 Redheads, 20 Ring-necked Ducks, 60 Ruddy Ducks, 1,660 American Coots, and 66 Sandhill Cranes. Earlier that day we saw an adult Bald Eagle chasing waterfowl. The berm and water control structure that created the 4 acre wetland north of Kampen Road and west of the railroad

tracks washed out due to the high water. LMS Construction was hired to replace the water control structure and repair the berm. They did an excellent job and expect the berm to hold up with future record flooding. The wetland basin in the Lapinski-Kitze Prairie north of Kampen Road looks different. Soil borings were conducted and one to two feet of eroded

sediment from the farmed slopes was found. Thanks to Jeff Nania, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, on providing guidance with the restoration. LMS Construction spent two days with two bulldozers moving soil. The soil was then piled high and later many dump truck loads of soil were hauled away. The restoration results were very observable after we received two inches of rain. Instead of having one to two feet of wet soil, shallow water on the wetland clay soil attracted shorebirds, especially Killdeers, which enjoyed the rejuvenated wetland.

These whooping cranes were photographed this summer south of Kampen Road on the Rollie and Lynn Manthe wetland. Scott Deharuelle photo

Sue with a large truck used to haul clay soil to reinforce the berm and Sue standing by the berm. The large metal water control structure is on the right and the round water bypass culvert is on the left.

Below: LMS Construction was hired to replace the water control structure and repair the berm along Kampen Rd.

Above: Wetland basin restoration at Lapinski-Kitze Prairie north of Kampen Road.

Goose Pond wetlands . . .continued from page 3

5The Audubon Caws November 2009

Wild Rose (Waushara County) Bluebird TrailBy Mark Martin I looked forward to visiting my mother every weekend to help her check four nest boxes in her yard in the middle of the vil-lage of Wild Rose and 26 boxes at Camp LIWISOMO where my brother works. When mother was young she remembers blue-birds were very common near Marshall in eastern Dane County. When I was growing up in Marshall, bluebirds were very rare. Last year I helped mother erect a nest box trail in an area at Camp LIWISOMO that looked like ideal bluebird habitat. We checked the trail by vehicle. This year with the assistance of Kent Hall we conducted a Natural Resource Foundation field trip at the trail. Everyone enjoyed learning about how they could help our songbirds. Bluebird eggs are usually blue but

this year we found one nest with white eggs. This year the 30 boxes produced 179 songbirds (70 Eastern Bluebirds, 44 Tree Swallows, 35 House Wrens, and 30 Black-capped Chickadees). I mentioned to Pat Ready that four pair of chickadees were beginning to build nests. Pat recom-mended putting a small piece of wood

with a smaller hole (1–1/8") over the larger hole since Tree Swallows can evict chickadees (and House Wrens). Thanks to William Damm for cutting out these small pieces of wood. The four female chickadees laid 34 eggs and a total of 30 young were raised. Mother also had two broods of bluebirds (9 fledged) and 2 broods of wrens (12 fledged) in her yard. She also had an “ornamental” nest box in the front yard that produced a brood of wrens. She enjoys being serenaded by the wrens and seeing bluebirds all the time in her yard. She often mentions how lucky she is to be able to have bluebirds nesting in her yard and remembers how they were common, then rare and now common.Mikayla (Sally's granddaughter) erect-

ing a bluebird box.

Mark, Sally and Mikayla checking a bluebird box.

Rufous Hummingbird Visits WIA male Rufous Hummingbird wandered east-ward from the west coast and visited the yard of Larry and Emily Scheunemann near Whitewa-ter. Larry observed the different behavior of this species versus the Ruby-throated that spent the summer there. "When it rained the Ruby-throat-ed headed for dense cover but the Rufous sits out in the open and bathes in the rain drops" he said. Also the Ruby-throated perched high up on dead branches but the Rufous likes to drop down low and sit on stems of prairie grasses

and bushes. The western hummer showed up in late Sept. and was still being seen there in mid-Oct.

Pat Ready photos

The Audubon Caws 6 November 2009

Donations Received in September ACRE MAKERElsie LapinskiPhilip MilesLois Smithies

MY OWN VISIONBarbara BormanDiane DempseyKaren Miller GIFTS IN MEMORY OF A PERSONIn Memory of Jill Martin James and Patricia ReussIn Memory of Mark Musolf Ed and Jane HarrisIn Memory of Frank Slapnick Tom and Kathie Brock TAW Book Club

Meadowlark Economicsby Karen Etter Hale I first “met” Jim Eggert, Professor of Economics (now emeritus) at UW–Stout, in 1999 when he called about the possibility of starting a Meadowlark Society in Wisconsin. The idea was “to aid the recovery of grassland species” by “increasing the public’s awareness and concern for our disappearing grasslands and their native bird species”, according to Mitch Bergeson, who helped hatch the idea. At about this same time, Mr. Eggert published his book, Song of the Meadowlark, which discussed how we should broaden our thinking of economics to include ecological thinking and ecological values. While the Society never got off the ground, Professor Eggert didn’t let these ideas die, as is evidenced by his new book, just out this year: Meadowlark Economics: Collected Essays on Ecology, Community, and Spirituality. This thoughtful book provides an antidote to the usual measure of progress in terms of dollars and GNP (gross national product). Rather, Eggert insists, again, that ecological thinking and values must be incorporated into economic analysis. Without including aesthetics, the health of the environment, and meadowlarks (or warblers or shorebirds, for that matter) as integral measures of our quality of life, how else will we ever achieve a sustainable future – or personal happiness - on this planet? This makes a lot more sense than what I learned years ago in Economics 101. Meadowlark Economics is composed of short, accessible, but thought-provoking chapters. The focus is on values and compassionate living, how we can each take personal responsibility in creating a better world. Professor Eggert looks at this model of economics as compensatory ethics, which is less revolutionary than Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic, but which is something which can be implemented now – a stepping stone to a land ethic. In the latter part of the book, Eggert goes beyond economics as he ponders the universe and our place in it. The book reminded me of a story I once heard about Bhutan. Many years ago, when they first got in touch with the rest of the world, the United Nations asked about their GNP. Once their king learned what it was, he thought they’d rather not have one; instead they’d prefer a “gross national happiness”. With the current state of our economy, Meadowlark Economics seems particularly relevant. Read it for yourself and see if you agree.

2009 Volunteer AwardsFive exceptional volunteers received special recognition at Madison Audubon’s Oct. 4 recognition brunch held at Goose Pond Sanctu-ary. MAS President Brand Smith presented the 2009 Volunteer of the Year award to Paul Noeldner. Stan Druckenmiller, Nancy Hylbert, Amy Ihlenfeldt (pictured here), and Gary Werner received Outstanding Volunteer certificates.

Book Review

Reminder!! Make sure you keep your bird feeders clean this winter.

7The Audubon Caws November 2009

THE AUDUBON CAWS is published September through June by:Madison Audubon Society,

222 S. Hamilton St., Madison, WI 53703, (608) 255-2473.

Birding hotline, 255-2476.www.madisonaudubon.org masoffice@mailbag.com

E-mail services donated by Berbee

The mission of the Madison Audubon Society is to educate our members and the public about the natural world and the threats that natural systems are facing, to engage in advocacy to preserve and protect these systems, and to develop and maintain sanctuaries to save and restore natural habitat.

MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETYPresident: Brand SmithVice-president: Debra WeitzelGoose Pond resident managers:Mark and Sue MartinFaville Grove Sanctuary managers:David Musolf, Roger PackardEditor: Patrick Ready pready@tds.netGraphic design: Patrick Readypready@tds.netCAWS printer: Roemer Printing

Submissions for the December CAWS are due November 1.

Madison Audubon Wishlist • Quality binoculars • Digital (LCD) projector • Mule utility vehicle • Rider mower/snow blower in

working condition• Energy efficient washing

machine• Household/deck furniture• Small, custom-routed, wood signs

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME!Join Madison Audubon Society, or give a gift membership.

TIME TO RENEW?Check your Madison Audubon CAWS ad-dress label to determine your renewal date. Please renew two months before that date to keep your membership current and avoid missing any issues of the CAWS. Tip: Renewing through the MAS office directs more of your donation to local activities and conservation projects. Update: We now send an annual renewal notice. In the future we plan to offer a re-newal option via the MAS website.

MAKE A DONATIONHelp make Madison Audubon’s vision a reality. We offer education about the natural world, opportunities to advocate for the en-vironment, and two wildlife sanctuaries with natural habitat where you can learn about the beauty and value of nature.

MAIL TO: MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY222 S. Hamilton St., Suite #1Madison, WI 53703

Madison Audubon Society, Inc. is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Madison Audubon’s financial statement is available upon request.

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PAYMENT INFORMATIONNew membership [ ] $25 New or Gift $_________Renewal _________ [ ] $25 Student/senior[ ] $60 Family[ ] $40 Renewal[ ] $20 CAWS newsletter Only

(non-member) Over and Above Member _________[ ] Patron $1,000 [ ] Benefactor $500[ ] Partner $250[ ] Contributor $100Donation _________[ ] Acre-Maker, $2,500 or more can purchase and restore one acre of land[ ] Half-Acre-Maker, $1,250-$2,499 [ ] Quarter-Acre-Maker, $625-$1,249[ ] Adopt-an-Acre, $100 a year for three years ($300 total). Here is my first installment. [ ] Nest Egg, $50 a year for three years ($150 total). Here is my first installment.[ ] My Own Vision Total enclosed/charged $_________Please make check payable toMadison Audubon Society, OR please charge my [ ] VISA [ ] Master Card

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The Audubon Caws 8 November 2009

11/09

Madison Audubon Society, Inc.Brand Smith, President222 S. Hamilton St. Suite #1Madison, WI 53703

Non-profit organizationU.S. Postage PaidPermit No. 1831

Madison, Wisconsin

Is it time to renew your membership?See form on page 7 and help MAS.

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Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

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Save the Date: MAS Banquet Madison Audubon’s spring banquet will be held on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. Our featured speaker will be Bill Volkert, Natural Resource Educator at Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area. In addition, our Excellence Awards will recognize local people for their work in environmental conservation and education. We look forward to seeing you next March!

Area Christmas Bird Counts - 2009 These are the scheduled dates for Madison area Christmas Bird Counts. All the counts can use more volunteers. If there is one you’d like to participate in, please contact the coordinator as soon as possible, to help them in their planning.Baraboo - Tuesday, Dec. 29Scott Swengel, (608) 356-9543, aswengel@jvlnet.comCooksville – Friday, Jan. 1, 2010 David and Anna Marie Huset, (608) 882-5648, huset@att.netMadison - Saturday, Dec. 19 Aaron Stutz, (608) 294-9618, agstutz@sbcglobal.netMt. Horeb - Sunday, Dec. 27 Ken Wood, (608) 767-3343, kwwood@tds.netPoynette – Saturday, Dec. 26 Mark and Sue Martin, (608) 635-4160, goosep@chorus.netSauk City – Saturday, Dec. 26 Karl and Dorothy Legler, (608) 643-4926, karlndot@charter.netWaterloo – Tuesday, Dec. 15 Bob Domagalski, (262) 251-6259, rcd2@wi.rr.com

Last Field Trip of the YearSaturday, Dec. 5: Madison Lakes Birding As winter sets in, ponds and smaller lakes of south-central Wisconsin freeze, causing migrating birds to become concentrated on Madison’s large lakes, which remain open longer. Al Shea, expert birder and long time MAS field trip leader, will lead us in observ-ing waterfowl, gulls and winter birds. This trip has produced some unusual birds in the past, including Red-throated Loons, so don’t miss it! We will carpool and leave at 7:30 a.m. from the middle of UW Parking Lot 60 at the north end of Walnut Street, near University Bay. The trip will last about four hours. Bring a scope if you have one and dress warmly. If you have questions, call Al Shea at (608) 825-6232.