[Wren Song] 90 Article The Travelling Wildflife Gardener

What a week! I think I had a very successful talk at the Longwood Gardens Today’s Horticulture Symposium on Friday. I got a lot of positive feedback from both the conference organizers as well as many audience members.

I also got to meet for the first time in person my team member Suzanne Dingwell. I’ve known her for years “online” but it was so exciting to get to spend some time with her during this conference.

And I shared a wonderful lunch with one of my biggest fans, Damon Morris and other members of the Mount Cuba Center staff. All in all a wonderful day!

I’m getting ready for my grand birding adventure in Trinidad and Tobago, such an exciting way to spend my 20th anniversary, but this week I also got invited to participate in a FAM tour to Guatemala, another wonderful birding adventure in such a beautiful place! (A FAM tour is when the tourist bureau or other organizations bring you to their country to familiarize you with the many wonderful things to see so that you’ll help to promote them).

This particular tour will be led by some of the best birders in Guatemala where I’ll get to see many of “our” birds in their winter habitats, as well as get to know many of the gorgeous birds who reside in Guatemala year round. I am so excited! Two tropical birding vacations in less than a month. Yippee!!!

And many, many thanks to the nature angels who have donated so many wonderful books and other supplies to the classroom I’ve adopted to teach them about birds, nature, and other wildlife. You have truly blessed my life as well as enriched the lives of the students in my class (an inner city 4th through 6th grade special assistance classroom who have very few resources for learning. Thank You!!!

By Carole Sevilla Brown
From the Ecosystem Gardening Website

Wildlife Diversity News A Publication of the Iowa DNR Wildlife Diversity Program Perfect Day in the Field

Edited by Erica Eaves
Wildlife Diversity News

A Publication of the Iowa DNR Wildlife Diversity Program
Perfect Day in the Field

It was a gorgeous day to be outside, especially for August. Yesterday it was 100 degrees in the shade, and the day had been spent near the southern border of Iowa searching for evidence of nesting birds for the Breeding Bird Atlas. Today was being spent in the field, too, only the location had changed to northern Iowa in Floyd County. It rained last night, and the temperature was 30 degrees cooler this morning. It seemed a good day to visit the woods, so the search was on for birds in oak woodlands along a scenic stretch of the Cedar River – at Idlewild Wildlife Area. The birds seemed to be celebrating the rain and coolness. Family groups were busily feeding, and many birds were singing. While walking a trail along the Cedar River, the characteristic tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle song of a Carolina Wren was heard emanating from a nearby shrubby area on the bank of the river. As the singing bird was approached, food–begging calls of a young wren were heard, and a family group of Carolina Wrens was quickly spotted. One adult wren held a squished green caterpillar in its bill, and a persistent youngster badgered the adult until it finally gave in and delivered the food package to the youngster’s gaping mouth.

While enjoying the antics of the wren family, another family group was observed foraging for insects about 25 feet beyond the wrens. A pair of Black-and-white Warblers and their 3 stub-tailed youngsters were busily picking bugs from the stems and leaves of some dogwood shrubs. Above the feeding birds stood a massive White Oak tree with large horizontal branches. The family group of warblers soon were seen gleaning insects on the trunk and lower branches of this wonderful old oak tree. A family of rather loquacious Black-capped Chickadees also inhabited the oak tree, and they made it a point to scold the human intruder who was observing them. Upon closer scrutiny of the contents of the oak tree branches, it was discovered that the tree was alive with bird activity. Families of Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatches and Eastern Wood Pewees were all busily bugging. A ticked-off Red-eyed Vireo, a male Baltimore Oriole and a small gang of Blue Jays joined the chickadees voicing their displeasure with the human’s presence. Other birds in the oak tree voicing irritation included a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers, a male Hairy Woodpecker, and a male Northern Cardinal. A male American Redstart also joined the group, but he seemed more intent on capturing a meal than wasting energy scolding.

The early morning light, filtering through the branches of the oak tree, was nearly perfect for observing details of the various bird behaviors. The whole scene seemed a bit surreal, and the glistening leaves, still damp from the earlier rain-shower, formed an interesting back-drop for the flitting birds - with flecks of red, blue, orange and yellow dotting the various shades of green offered by the tree’s canopy. The colorful animated show, along with a cacophony of bird songs and sounds, was rather like attending a bird circus. This was indeed a memorable outing and the kind of day that an admirer of birds lives for.

After five glorious years in the field gathering data for Iowa’s Breeding Bird Atlas, this was the last day spent in the field by this particular observer. Not being one to believe in coincidence, this observer feels very fortunate to be blessed by such an extraordinary and perfect day - spent happily amongst the feathered-beings with whom we share our earth-home.
-Bruce Ehresman
Wildlife Diversity Avian Ecologist
Iowa Department of Natural Resources

UNI student helps return cropland to native prairie Article from The Gazette

Researchers assessing benefits of converting grasses to biofuel

WASHBURN — University of Northern Iowa professor Mark Myers considered it a “theoretical exercise” when he assigned his wildlife ecology and management students to develop a habitat management plan for a local site.

But, said Myers, Jarrett Pfrimmer, 25, of North Liberty, “took the assignment to heart,” and a year later, prairie grass was growing on 20 acres of former cropland along a Cedar River tributary.

“I did not think he could make it happen in that short a time,” said Myers, who is working with Pfrimmer on another major project with the potential to restore natural functions of the Cedar River watershed — research to determine the feasibility of native prairie as a biofuel.

Pfrimmer, who will complete work on his master’s degree next month, said he worked with the Black Hawk County Soil and Water Conservation District to line up cost-share funding for the stream buffer project.

The Boone native said he also took advantage of expertise at UNI’s Tallgrass Prairie Center to plan and execute the 120-foot wide buffer strips on both sides of Dry Run Creek, which flows past the UNI campus en route to the Cedar River.

Seeded a year ago, the native vegetation will become well established next year, greatly reducing erosion from the former farm fields, improving the quality of the water flowing into the Cedar and providing habitat for songbirds, pheasants and other wildlife.

The absorbent grass also will play a small role in reducing the crest of future Cedar River floods.

“Every little bit helps” when it comes to watersheds’ ability to store and slowly release floodwaters, said State Sen. Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, a leader in legislative efforts to improve watershed management.

Small-scale improvements like the two Black Hawk County projects can help create a mindset and policies “that will help buy down flood peaks for those of us downstream,” Hogg said.

In addition to the Cedar Falls stream buffer project, Pfrimmer has worked with Myers and others to assess the benefits of converting cropland into a prairie biomass production site at the 593-acre Cedar River Natural Resource Area about 10 miles south of Waterloo.

On flood plain land that had formerly been leased for row crop production, the researchers established 48 test plots, each seeded with one of four types of native vegetation ranging from switch grass alone to a mix of 32 species of grasses, legumes, forbs and sedges.

Those plantings were equally distributed among three distinct soil types, enabling the researchers to control all key factors contributing to the productivity of native grass not only as a source of energy but also as habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife.

The research got off to a rocky start with the historic Cedar River flood of 2008 wiping out the initial seeding. The plots were reseeded in 2009, burned in 2011 and finally harvested in April, compressed into 550-pound rectangular bales, with an average yield of 4 tons per acre.

About 150 of those bales were later pelletized for an upcoming test burn by Cedar Falls Utilities. “We’re looking to find out how well it burns for energy generation,” said Daryl Smith of the UNI Tallgrass Prairie Center, a partner in the research.

Researchers have suggested that cultivation of low-input, high-diversity grassland biomass could have significant energy and environmental advantages over corn-based ethanol, according to Myers.

While it remains to be seen whether the energy yield would justify conversion of marginal farmland to production of native vegetation for use as an energy source, biofuel production with diverse mixtures of native prairie vegetation “contributes to the maintenance of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes,” the researchers concluded.

Grassland birds and butterflies quickly found and colonized the test plots, according to Myers.

Pfrimmer, who has led bird data collection efforts, will soon complete his master’s thesis on “Bird Use of Heterogenous Native Prairie Biofuel Production Plots.”

In each of the past two years, he has found at least 100 delicate nests hidden among the grass stems by species such as the sedge wren, dickcissel, grasshopper sparrow and lark sparrow. Pheasants and turkeys also have moved into the grass, he said.

“We are starting to see different bird communities established in the plots in accordance with their preferences for the vegetation mix and even the soil types,” Pfrimmer said.

Article taken From The Gazette Newspaper

Elk in Allamakee County Could Be Gone Soon

Image via WikipediaFind attached link to today's TV story. Iowa Department of Natural Resources' (IDNR) knee jerk reaction to a sustaining herd of elk (wapiti) in Allamakee County. Its so typical for this government bureaucracy. This is the same government bureaucracy that witnesses massive wetland destruction,fish kills, can't protect our watersheds & assists the federal government's ethanol subsidized/ corporate GMO heavily chemical-treated corn growing "plow up every acre", heavily soil eroding madness in this state.This agency is falsely releasing to the media that elk are not native to Iowa (Beautiful Land). When in fact elk herds were seen & recorded by all the early explores of our state. re:A Country So Full of Game, The Story of Wildlife in Iowa by Dr James Dinsmore (1994 ISU) Many of us local folks have watched this wild herd for a couple years and have always held out some hope for preserving the wildness of NE Iowa similar to when a black bear is spotted in the wooded valleys or a bobcat track or it's scream in the night. But let the Iowa DNR help propagate factory farms & their polluting unhealthy ways, so the Farm Bureau membership can ship antibiotic loaded pork to Asia. Ya lets do away with a wild elk herd! What the hell are we teaching our young folks?
Tim Mason
http://www.kwwl.com/Global/story.asp?S=14009873

Wildlife Gardening

Taken from http://www.wildflower.org

You can make your garden more attractive to birds, insects and small mammals in a variety of ways. Minor changes such as mowing less frequently can increase the number of non-human visitors to your yard, no matter its size.

A wildlife garden should provide for basic animal needs such as food, shelter and water. Diversity is the key to creating an optimum habitat. A diverse habitat attracts a wider variety of species, offers more choices for forage and shelter and ensures a constant food supply. Ideally, a garden should offer a mixture of meadow, woods and wet areas, but you can create hiding places and feeding areas without drastically changing your yard's character.

FOOD SOURCES
Your yard will attract different types of animals as the seasons change. Migratory species have different foraging needs than residential, non-migratory species. Larval stages of insects (such as caterpillars) often feed on completely different plants, or parts of plants, from what the adults prefer.
Watch birds and butterflies in the wild or on untended land to discover their food preferences. Select plants that maximize flowering and fruiting. Nectar-rich wildflowers are more nutritious for wildlife than showy cultivars, which often are sterile. Color attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Hummingbirds prefer bright red and orange flowers, while butterflies seem to select yellow, purple, blue, pink, and occasionally red flowers. Members of the composite family, such as goldenrods, sunflowers and thistles are good nectar sources for butterflies, and later form seedheads that attract goldfinches and other songbirds.
Be sure to include trees and shrubs with berries to provide winter forage for birds and small mammals. Vines and grasses provide food and nesting materials. Other provisions you can offer residential or transient wildlife include pollen, fungi and sap from native plants or compost.

SHELTER SOURCES
Try to create a layered effect when planning shelter for wildlife. Wooded areas should include overlapping canopies of trees, shrubs and forbs. The edges of woods are usually rich with wildlife because the cover protects them from predators and the elements.
When designing shelter areas, shrubs may be more important than trees because they grow faster and provide nesting sites for many different species. To provide maximum cover, curb your pruning impulses! Though dense shrubbery, tangled vines and dead-standing trees may contradict your image of an orderly yard, they create ideal nesting and forage sites.
Even in a small yard, a single tree or a few vines can provide shelter for nesting wrens or blackbirds, as well as cover for snails and butterflies. Don't overlook what's underfoot - brush piles, hollow logs, and compost piles offer a host of micro-habitats for many organisms.

WATER SOURCES
A significant portion of wildlife activity centers around water. A water source such as a small pond provides a home for amphibians and aquatic insects, a bathtub for birds and drinking water for all kinds of creatures. Many insects have aquatic larval stages, so they need to be near water. Migrating wildlife need convenient water sources along their seasonal routes. On the smallest scale, even a birdbath is a valuable addition to your garden or yard.

Once you allow wildlife into your garden, you must allow nature a bit of freedom in ruling it. As Chris Baines, an innovative British landscaper, notes, the secret of a successful wildlife garden depends on understanding the way in which your various gardening activities will distort the balance. Try to minimize disturbance. Refrain from using herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides, which adversely affect the delicately balanced interactions between organisms and their environment. Allowing your garden more autonomy will leave you plenty of time to observe, enjoy and learn from your creation.

Create Your Own Wildlife Habitat Using Native Plants

Here is an awesome video on building your own wildlife habitat using native plants by the National Wildlife Federation.
http://www.gogreentube.com/watch.php?v=NjQzMzY5
Native wildflowers and grasses are so much easier to care for than other plants, they flourish with little or no effort. There root systems go much deeper than most other plants so they are virtually drought resistant. There are many varieties to choose from. Visit Ion Exchange to look at hundreds of species of native plants.

New "Green" Product Mimics Nature and Cleans the Water.

Bio Floating Islands is one of the most exciting new concepts in efforts to “Go Green.” These Islands mimic nature in many ways. They are being used to add land mass, provide food for fish, grow vegetables, afford wildlife with a habitat and all the while cleaning the water!

With storm water management being a requirement of new developments, these islands can contribute greatly to the removal of unwanted and overloaded nutrients in ponds and other bodies of water as well as adding beauty and fish habitat.

Ion Exchange Inc. has been a leader in the Green life since its inception with native plants and seeds. They are planning on holding seminars in the late fall on successful techniques in construction and launching of these floating islands. For more information call Ion Exchange Inc. 800-291-2143 or visit their web site. http://www.ionxchange.com/bio_floating_island.htm

Why Use Native Plants For Landscaping?

Native plants are grown from their wild relatives; their color, size, nectar, pollen production, and everything about them are authentic and have not been changed except by natural evolution. The benefits of native plants compared to hybrid and otherwise man cultivated species include a longer life span, less need for fertilizer and insecticides, increased aroma, drought resistant ( due to the very deep roots), easy to overwinter, generally disease free and the native birds, butterflies and bees love them.
Native plants are plants that have been growing here for many hundreds of years. Each area has its own native plants so in planting native plants you will want to make sure they are native to your area.

The prairies were self sustainable until the advent of plows and urban development removed most of them, leaving just a remnant of their former glory. Because native plants are so hardy they are also slow growing and require some patience to grow and establish. However as their root systems take hold (some roots go as deep as 20 feet) they will out shine any non native. Once established they will require much less maintenance than any traditional landscapes.

Some of the key benefits of using native plants:

· Provide habitat for native wildlife
· Beautiful view of waving grasses and blooming flowers
· Helps clean the air
· Helps clean the rainwater and runoff that goes to our aquifers
· Provides something of value for the next generation
Native grasses are also being tested as a possible bio fuel that would be economical and readily available. The research on this application of native grasses looks very promising and could be grown throughout the Midwest.
Ion Exchange Inc.

Couch Potato Syndrome and Our Kids

Couch Potato Syndrome and Our Kids
A recent study warns that couch kids ( kids that play video games for hours a day) are missing out on nature. Virtual play is replacing the real thing. With all the video games and the introduction of new game consoles such as the newer Wii the kids can set for hours and hours watching "virtual nature"
We are even starting to see other medical problems aside from the rising obesity and diabetes in children. Kids get strained wrists, neck pain and headaches from playing these games hour upon hour.

The popularity of these video games has created a new study that looks at all kinds of outdoor activites and has found an alarming decline in visits to national parks and all sorts of other outdoor activities like camping and fishing. Outdoor recreation has fallen by as much as 25% in the last 20 years. This new research has been a great cause of alarm among the conservationists since it has been proven that exposure to nature promotes environmentally reponsible behavior. Our pediatricians recomend that children need at least 1 hour of play outdoors. Maybe some of us grown ups should follow this advise as well.

If you would like to get back to nature a great place is The Natural Gait They are adding nature walks, frisbee golf and there are many oppurtunities to view wildlife, go hiking, fishing, bird watching, stargazing, night moth watch and much more.

Resources: Eric Bergan Chronicle,SciGuy blog

Floating Islands

We are very excited to announce the addition of Floating Islands to our on going endeavourers to beautify our natural world. The Floating Islands are not only beautiful they are constructed of recycled materials and they remove pollutants from the water. Here are some interesting facts about the Floating Islands.

Floating Islands is an innovative water stewardship tool… BioHaven floating islands do five things:

1. They remove pollutants from a waterway, including nitrates, phosphates, ammonia and heavy metals

2. They provide critical riparian edge habitat – in fact, new land mass for use by all kinds of creatures, from microbes to humans

3. They sequester carbon and other greenhouse gases

4. They provide wave mitigation and erosion control

5. They beautify a waterscape Made from layers of recycled plastic “matrix” which are bonded together with adhesive foam, BioHavens are planted with sod, garden plants or wetland plants and launched onto a water body.

There the plants are allowed to grow naturally, and, as they develop, their roots grow through the matrix and into the water below. Over time, a natural eco-system evolves. The model for this is Nature herself - BioHavens “bio-mimic” Nature. We are part of a new branch of science, Biomimicry, or Biomimetics.BioHavens provide surface area for microbes to thrive. Microbes remove pollutants.

BioHavens are a concentrated floating wetland – the huge surface area of fibers provides many times more surface area than an equivalent stretch of bare wetland. Surface area is the key factor for microbial activity to take place, and microbes (bacteria) are the key to removing contaminants from the water. Plants and their roots are also important, but more for the extra surface area the roots provide than for any nutrient uptake the plants themselves account for.BioHavens were invented eight years ago, have been successfully trialed for five years and have been on the market since July 2005. They represent a natural, convenient and cost-effective solution for some of the most intractable and expensive problems on the planet:
· “Polishing” wastewater and storm water of nutrients and heavy metals to return it safely to the watershed.
· Sequestering carbon dioxide and methane from effluent ponds to reduce global warming
· Wave mitigation and protection of levees in the event of severe storms
· Extraction of salt

Mining nutrient loads from any waterway and reducing algal blooms
· Restoring wetlands without the need for new land
· Restoring habitat for endangered species such as the trumpeter swan.They can be made in any shape and size and offer some fun uses to balance the more serious side:
· Creating walkways, piers, docks, jetties

Supporting recreational uses, such as picnic tables, floating stages, gazebos….
· Floating vegetable gardens which never need watering!
· Restoring a natural look and balance to any waterway of any size
· New land mass for human habitation.Not only are they natural, aesthetic and functional, they are cost-effective, “green” and virtually maintenance free. Why not add a Floating Island to beautify your world?
Contact Howard at 1 800-291-2143