FIELD TRIPS
Friday, May 22
LAKE MICHIGAN RESEARCH CRUISE
The Lake Michigan field trip will be aboard the R/V Neeskay. The 21.6 m Neeskay is the School of Freshwater Sciences' primary research vessel. "Neeskay" is derived from the language of the Ho-Chunk, a Wisconsin Native American tribe, and translates as "pure, clean water." It provides year-round access to the Great Lakes and has a fully functional research platform and floating laboratory. This exploration will cruise to Lake Michigan's Green Can reef where oceanographic scale sampling will be undertaken including ROV deployment followed by bottom samples collected with the box corer, benthos corer, and PONAR grabs. Since no "weather day" can be scheduled we will plan to sample within the harbor if really big winds & waves are present. One group will be accommodated on half-day trip: a Morning Cruise from 8:00 am-12:00 pm. The bus departs the Hilton Milwaukee Downtown at 7:30 am. On-board meals will be provided. Contact: Jerry Kaster, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences; jlk@uwm.edu or 262-949-0842. Bus departs from the Hilton.
Limited to 10 participants per cruise. Cost: $85 per person.
ALDO LEOPOLD LEGACY CENTER, SHACK AND FARM
The Aldo Leopold Foundation, executor of Aldo Leopold's historic property and literary legacy, is headquartered at the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center, Baraboo, WI and 1 mile from the famous Leopold Shack. This full-day tour weaves together Aldo Leopold's personal history, his famous Shack, the landscape of A Sand County Almanac, and the foundation's local, regional and international work advancing Leopold's land ethic. The Aldo Leopold National Historic Landmark (Leopold's Shack) annually attracts thousands from around the world. Admirers want to see and understand the land Leopold and his family restored to health as they aspired to a land ethic. Their history and experiences come alive with historic photos, family stories and landscape history. The Aldo Leopold Foundation, started in 1982 by the five children of Aldo and Estella Leopold, fosters the land ethic through the legacy of Aldo Leopold. The foundation's work tangibly connects to the Leopold tradition of seeking deeper understanding and taking action. The Leopold-Pine Island Important Bird Area, 12,000 acres surrounding Leopold's Shack, is a model for collaborative conservation. This collaborative involves federal, state, non-profit and private lands using at-risk birds as indicators of progress toward planned ecosystem conditions. Birds as indicators, conservation planning, adaptive management, restoration, invasive species control, prescribed burning, and much more help this landscape tangibly serve regional and national conservation plans. The bus departs from the Hilton Milwaukee Downtown at 7:30 am and will return by 5 pm. Box lunches will be provided. Contact and Group Leader: Bob Stelzer, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh; Phone 920-424-0845, email: stelzer@uwosh.edu). Bus departs from the Hilton.
Limited to 30 participants. Cost: $75 per person.
THE PRESERVES OF MUKWONAGO RIVER WATERSHED AND HISTORIC LAPHAM PEAK
The Mukwonago River is one of the healthiest in southeastern Wisconsin. The watershed is located approximately 40 miles southwest of downtown Milwaukee in the southeast glacial plains of Wisconsin. A sizable portion of the watershed is managed as a preserve by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Surrounded by ground-moraines and outwash gravel terraces, the watershed includes important habitat for rare fish and mussels; the Mukwanago River is believed to harbor the largest assemblage of native mollusk species in Wisconsin. Natural areas in the watershed include the Lulu Lake Preserve (203 ha), the Crooked Creek Preserve (112 ha), Pickerel Lake Fen (54 ha), and the Newell and Ann Meyer Nature Preserve (264 ha). We will explore the preserves by foot and canoe. The field trip will provide an opportunity to learn how the TNC manages the preserves to maintain rare natural communities and how the organization works with individuals and organizations to promote long-term conservation within the watershed. We will have lunch at a local eatery in the town of Mukwanago. On the way back to Milwaukee we will stop at historic Lapham Peak, one of the first National Weather Service signal stations. There we will climb a 45-foot observation tower to atop the highest point in Waukesha County to view the topography of this post-glacial landscape. If time permits we will stop for a cold beverage at the Water Street Brewery in nearby Delafield. Please wear walking shoes and dress for the weather. Participants should also bring a bottle of water to drink while canoeing. Food and beverage costs are not included in the fee. Bus departs the Hilton Milwaukee Downtown at 8:30 am and returns at 4:30 pm. Contact and Group Leader: Roger Haro, University of Wisconsin La Crosse (email: rharo@uwlax.edu). Bus departs from the Hilton.
Limited to 20 participants. Cost:$55 per person.
STREAM RESTORATION FOR AQUATIC CONNECTIVITY IN THE MILWAUKEE RIVER AND LAKE MICHIGAN WATERSHEDS
This field trip will focus on stream restoration to improve aquatic connectivity in the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan Watersheds. The trip will highlight the successful efforts of the Ozaukee County Planning and Parks Department's Fish Passage Program. Since 2006, the Program has identified and remediated over 230 impediments to fish passage. This work have reconnected over 100 stream miles and thousands of acres of high-quality habitat which has supported long-term efforts to re-establish self-sustaining native populations of threatened and special-concern fish. Target species include lake sturgeon (a species of special concern in Wisconsin), walleye and northern pike. Program activities have received national awards and recognition and are supported by a variety of federal, state, and local grants including funding from the NOAA/ARRA, USEPA/GLRI, and the USFWS. Field trip sites will include a natural fishway allowing aquatic species passage past the Mequon Thiensville Dam; the Lime Kiln Dam and Newburg Dam removal and restoration sites; a large scale habitat enhancement project on Ulao Creek; and a road/stream crossing replacement in Ehlers Park. Participants will have lunch at the Water Street Brewery. The bus departs from the Hilton Milwaukee Downtown at 8 am and will return at 4 pm. Contact and Group Leader: Andrew T. Struck, Director of Ozaukee County Planning and Parks Department. (Phone 262-238-8275, email: astruck@co.ozaukee.wi.us). Bus departs from the Hilton.
Limited to 40 participants. Cost: $55 per person.
