THE MADISON AUDUBON
NEWSLETTER
222 S. Hamilton St. / Madison, WI 53703 / 255-BIRD / http://madisonaudubon.org
Alone Across the Arctic
Record-breaking arctic explorer Pam
Flowers will share slides and stories from
her solo 2,500-mile dog mushing expedi-
tion across the arctic from Barrow, Alaska
to Repulse Bay, Canada, the longest solo
dog sled journey by a woman in record-
ed history.
Pam Flowers set out alone and
unsponsored with an eight-dog team in
an attempt to cross the frozen roof of the
world. Her goal was to follow the route
of Knud Rasmussen's portion of the
1923-1924 Fifth Thule Expedition. Hear
about intense blizzards that kept her
stranded for days, melting pack ice liter-
ally breaking up beneath her and the
team, a terrifying run-in with polar bears
and more. Learn about dog mushing and
the arctic, how she prepared for this
amazing expedition and met the gener-
ous people who helped her when all
hope was lost.
Pam Flowers is a registered respiratory
therapist who currently earns her living
public speaking and writing. In 1996,
Pam became the 14th recipient of the
Gold Medal from the Society of Woman
The Art Fair is Coming!
It's time to mark your calendars for a
great annual Audubon event! Come and
help celebrate spring and natural beauty
at the Madison Audubon Society 28th
Annual Art Fair.
This year's Art Fair is scheduled for
Saturday, May 1 from 9:30-4:30 at Olbrich
Botanical Gardens, 3300 Atwood Avenue.
Admission is free and the art show and
sale, raffle and silent auction all help the
Geographers, following in the footsteps
of Amelia Earhart, Margaret Mead, and
Jane Goodall. In 1991, Pam was named
an Outsider of the Year by Outside mag-
azine.
She has participated in nine Arctic
expeditions, seven by dog team, two by
snowmachine. Pam has completed the
1,049 mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race,
reached the Magnetic North Pole three
times, traveled north over the frozen
Arctic Ocean farther north than any other
solo woman and completed the longest
solo dog sled journey on record by a
woman.
Pam is the author of Hug a Husky and,
along with Ann Dixon, is the co-author
of Alone Across the Arctic: One Woman's
Epic Journey by Dog Team and Big
Enough Anna: The Little Sled Dog Who
Braved the Arctic. She has written many
magazine articles including articles for
Fur-Fish-Game and Dog World maga-
zines. She also has produced two docu-
mentary videos and publishes the Polar
Expedition Newsletter. Her books will be
available for sale at the talk.
Audubon Society protect wildlife and
their habitats.
There will be over a hundred artists,
raffle and silent auction, kids activities,
food, Audubon items, and music. It is a
wonderful event to share with family and
friends.
We welcome all volunteer help needed
in planning, food preparation, artist set
up, parking, raffle, silent auction, artist
OF THE
MADISON
AUDUBON
SOCIETY
April 2004
Free Public Program
What: Pam Flowers on her trek
across the Arctic
When: Tuesday, April 20
7:00 p.m. - Refreshments
7:30 p.m. - Program
Where: Bolz Auditorium,
Meriter Hospital,
124 S. Brooks St. Madison
Parking: Meriter Hospital paid
parking ramp across the street, on
the street, or Lot 51 north of
Regent and Mills St.
Her next goal is to hike the 2,160-mile
Appalachian Trail.
This program is co-sponsored by the
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Department of Wildlife Ecology.
You are invited to join our speaker,
MAS board members and friends at the
pre-program dinner at Paisan's Restaurant
beginning at 5:15 p.m. Please call the
office at 608/255-BIRD (255-2473) if you
have questions.
Next meeting: September 21
take down and clean up. A specific
request is for a volunteer to work with
Quentin Braun to organize food prepara-
tion. If you would like to volunteer,
please call the Madison Audubon Office
or leave your name at the Audubon web-
site (www.madisonaudubon.org) under
opportunities to volunteer with a pre-
continued on page 2
 Annual Audubon Membership
___New ___Renewal ___Gift
When you receive a renewal notice from
National Audubon use this form to renew and
thereby direct some of your donation to local
causes. Find your expiration date at the top
right corner of your address label.
Name for Membership:
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY/STATE/ZIP+4
PHONE
___$20 special First-year New Member
___$15 Senior or Student – new or renewal
___$35 Renewal
__$40 Double Audubon Membership -
(New or Renew + Gift Membership)
___$15 CAWS newsletter subscription only
(Non-member)
Membership amount $_______
Additional contribution $_______
TOTAL Enclosed/Charged $_______
Please make check payable to:
Madison Audubon Society
Charge my __VISA __Master Card
Name on Card:
CARD #
EXP. DATE
SIGNATURE
___I do NOT wish to receive the
National Audubon magazine.
___Business/Corporate Membership
Please call the MAS office 608/255-2473
This is a Gift Membership from:
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY
STATE/ZIP+4
Z02 7xCH
Mail to: Madison Audubon Society
222 S. Hamilton St., Suite 1
Madison, WI 53703-3201
THE AUDUBON CAWS is published
September through June by:
Madison Audubon Society,
222 S. Hamilton St., Madison, WI 53703,
(608) 255-BIRD (2473).
Birding hotline, 255-BIRM.
Madison Audubon Web Page:
http://madisonaudubon.org
E-mail: masoffice@mailbag.com
E-mail services donated by Berbee
Contribution deadline is March 29 for the
May issue, for which items may be sent to
Abbie Kurtz, 313 Moulton Ct., Madison, WI
53704. abbiejkurtz@yahoo.com
Art Fair continued From page 1
ferred time to receive a call. Volunteers will be needed between 6:30 AM and 6:30 PM.
The office number is 255-2473.
Also, check out the new link to the Art Fair on the Audubon website!
Partial List of Art Fair Raffle Prizes
Framed Jonathan Wilde print.
Retail value $250.
Garden Visions tree with a wren house
and tube feeder donated by
Wild Birds Unlimited.
Retail value $240.
Audubon 8x42 Equinox Binoculars
donated by Eagle Optics.
Retail value $230.
Backpack donated by REI.
Retail value $50.
Spectacular Spring Field Trips
Thursday, April 8:
Frogs Night Out
Bring a sense of adventure on this trip
as you "look" at the world from a differ-
ent perspective - through sounds. Besides
listening for a variety of frog calls, partici-
pants will learn about frog lifestyles and
wetlands ecology. Bring a flashlight and
wear footgear that can get muddy and
wet (in cold water); bring rain gear if
appropriate. The trip will be cancelled if
the daytime high temperature is below 45
degrees Fahrenheit or in case of very
strong winds or heavy rain. The rain date
for this trip is April 15. Call trip leader
Bob Hay only if you have questions;
(608/267-0849; work) or (608/829-3123;
home).
Meet at the Mazomanie Wildlife Area at
6:45 p.m. Directions: From Highway 14
in Mazomanie, drive north on County
Highway Y for about 4 miles. Just before
the highway bends to the east (right),
turn left on Law's Drive. Travel on the
access road about 0.25 miles and turn left
onto the first gravel road. Follow this
about 1.5 miles until it dead-ends at a
parking lot. The trip leader will be there
to meet you. The trip will last until
9:00 p.m.
MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY
President: Joanne Herfel, 241-8009
Vice-president: Debra Weitzel, 836-4051
Goose Pond Resident Naturalists:
Mark and Sue Martin, 635-4160
Editor: Abbie Kurtz, 245-1758
abbiejkurtz@yahoo.com
Graphic design: Mary Liebig
Printed by Roemer Printing
Eureka Tetragon 9 four-person tent
donated by Fontana Sports Specialties.
Retail value $180.
Metal art sculpture donated by artist
Ellis Nelson.
Retail value $80.
These, among other great prizes, will
be available at the upcoming Art Fair.
Tickets will be available for sale through
the MAS office and at the Art Fair.
Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5.
Winners need not be present to win.
Saturday, April 10 &
(DATE CHANGE) Thursday, April 29:
Beginning Birding
Each spring, MAS sponsors many bird-
ing field trips and, though the leaders
attempt to help new birders, it is not
always possible to answer all their ques-
tions. Picnic Point will be the site for
beginners to get their questions
answered. This area, at the west end of
the UW campus, offers a varied habitat
and a good opportunity to observe a
variety of waterfowl and small birds.
We will meet in the parking lot by the
1918 Marsh (across from the entrance to
Picnic Point) at 7:30 a.m. on April 10 and
at 5:00 p.m. on April 29. Questions? Call
Allen Holzhueter at 238-0546.
Sunday, April 11:
Tour Faville Grove Sanctuary
Tour Madison Audubon Society's
Faville Grove Sanctuary with resident
managers David Musolf and Roger
Packard. Participants will experience a
variety of plant communities (quality
wetlands, several restored prairies, a
sedge meadow, savanna, a perched
tamarack bog, a fen and some wood-
continued on page 3
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.
lands) while hiking the sanctuary. Bird
sightings should include sandhill cranes,
migratory waterfowl, hawks, and grass-
land birds plus a variety of spring
migrants as well as many resident
species. The field trip will last 2-3 hours,
with the opportunity for individuals to
spend more time on their own.
Meet at the west unit of the sanctuary
at 7:30 a.m. (From Madison travel east on
I-94 to the Lake Mills/Waterloo exit, then
go 3 miles north on Hwy. 89 to the old
farmstead at N7710 Hwy. 89). If you have
questions, call David weekdays at
265-4562.
Friday, April 16:
Columbia County Evening Wildlife
Join the Martins at two properties at
sunset as they look, watch and listen for
wildlife including the courtship flight of
woodcocks. Meet at the manager's resi-
dence at Goose Pond at 6:30 p.m. This
trip will last over two hours until after
dark (bring a flashlight). If you have
questions or if the weather is question-
able contact Mark or Sue at 635-4160 or
goosep@chorus.net.
Saturday, April 17:
Once Around the Sink and
Down the Drain
Come and enjoy a walk around the
sink and a plunge down the drain. We'll
look for returning waterfowl and grass-
land birds at Shoveler's Sink, then stroll
through the gorge cut by glacial meltwa-
ter at the Cross Plains Ice Age National
Scientific Reserve, and finally search for
Pasque flowers, the stalwart harbingers of
spring, on the bluffs above. This three-
mile walk will trace the contrasting land-
scape of glaciated and unglaciated
(Driftless Area) terrain along the route of
the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. We'll
see evidence of and talk about the dra-
matic Ice Age events that sculpted the
variety of scenic wildlife habitats we
enjoy today.
Wear sturdy footwear, bring binocu-
lars, water, food and dress appropriately
for the weather. Meet at 9:00 AM at the
intersection of Cleveland Road & Old
Sauk Pass. This is about .75 mile south of
U.S. Highway 14 in the Town of Cross
Plains. The trip leader is Gary Werner,
from the Dane County Chapter Ice Age
Park & Trail Foundation, whom you can
contact at 249-7870 with questions.
Sunday, April 18:
Scope Day at Lake Farm Park
This will take place from 2:00 to 4:00
p.m. Meet on the deck at the Lussier
Heritage Center to get directions to the
viewing platform near the e-way parking
lot on Lake Farm Road. A permanent
viewing scope overlooking the marsh
and Madison Metro Sewage area has
been installed on the deck of the
Heritage Center by Madison Audubon,
with the assistance of Madison-South
Rotary Club. Volunteers with portable
scopes will be on hand to help with
spotting and identifying the feathered
visitors and direct hikers to the trails.
MAS education chair Paul Noeldner will
bring nature-related activities for children
to the Lussier Heritage Center back patio
area, weather permitting.
To reach Lake Farm Park from the
south beltline turn south on South
Towne Road, left on Moorland to Lake
Farm road. Leaders Dorothy Haines
(221-1948) and Pat Ready (873-1703),
welcome volunteer guides. For more
information, please contact
dhaines@tds.net or pready@ku.com.
Friday, April 23:
Evening at Cherokee Marsh
Enjoy a few evening hours of birding
in Cherokee Marsh. We should find
cranes, observe the courtship flight of
woodcock and snipe and see several
spring migrants. Cherokee Marsh,
Madison's largest natural area, is located
on the northeast side of Madison.
Meet at 6:30 PM at the Cherokee
Marsh parking lot at the north end of
Sherman Ave. Waterproof footwear is
recommended. Trip leaders are Levi
Wood and Tony Kalenic. For questions,
call Levi at 277-7959.
Saturday, April 24:
Necedah National Wildlife Refuge
This new MAS birding trip will tour the
closed areas of Necedah National
Wildlife Refuge with the resident wildlife
biologist from the US Fish & Wildlife
Service, Richard King. After meeting at
the Refuge headquarters, we’ll have the
unique experience of birding in the
closed areas of the Refuge with Richard.
We’ll see an oak savannah where red-
headed woodpeckers are numerous; last
summer, standing in one area we saw
over 35. The whooping cranes will have
returned from Florida and are likely to
be seen, as well as a wide variety of
migrating species. After leaving the
closed sections, we will go toward the
northern end of the Refuge, where we
should see some late migration water-
fowl.
Wear sturdy footwear, bring binoculars
and scopes, water, food and dress appro-
priately for the weather. The morning
trip through the closed areas will be dri-
ving and stopping at various spots. We’ll
depart Madison at 6:30am from the park-
ing lot of Fitzgerald’s restaurant, on the
west side of Middleton, on Hwy 12
(3112 W Beltline Hwy). We’ll meet
Richard King at 9:00 a.m. at the Refuge
Headquarters. If you have questions, call
Nolan Pope at 833.3341.
Sunday, April 25: Abraham's Woods
Wildflowers & Birds
Abraham's Woods, a State Natural Area
and one of the UW Arboretum's outlying
areas, is one of the finest remnants of
sugar maple forest left in southern
Wisconsin. On this field trip we will be
looking for spring wildflowers that may
be at their peak, looking for early
migrant birds and strolling through the
forest of sugar maple, basswood, yellow-
bud hickory, hackberry, and other typical
southern mesic forest trees. Time permit-
ting, we will stop at nearby Oliver
Prairie, a limestone "goat" prairie, in
search of pasque flowers fruits, bird-foot
violets, prairie smoke, leaves and flower
buds of other lime-prairie plants.
We will carpool at 8:00 a.m. from the
Cub Foods parking lot, near the intersec-
tion of the beltline and Verona Road. If
you would like to pass on carpooling
and meet the group at Abe's Woods,
located just southwest of Albany in
Green Co., contact the trip leader for
directions. The trip leader, Judy
Kingsbury, can be contacted at
(608) 249-3166 or jakingsb@wisc.edu
with any questions. We will cancel only
in the case of dangerous weather.
Thursday, April 29:
Warbler Walk at Pheasant Branch
Join us for the first of MAS's early
morning warbler walks. This year's trip
leaders will be Aaron Stutz and John
Feith.
Meet at 6:00 a.m. at the Branch Street
Retreat bar parking lot at the corner of
Century Avenue and Branch Street. If
you have questions, call Aaron Stutz at
294-9618 or email at agstutz@chorus.net

April 22 Earth Day Forum--Our Great Lakes & Ocean Legacy
Find out about our threatened
waters and how you can help ensure
we don't squander our most precious
resources. Please join us for a special
program on Thursday, April 22, Earth
Day, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., at Bolz
Auditorium.
Last year was the Year of Water but
we haven't yet fixed the problems
facing our Great Lakes and oceans.
Every year each state bordering the
Great Lakes fights legislation that
endangers this precious freshwater
resource. Attacks come from beyond
our borders as well.
"The future prosperity of Great
Lakes communities depends on man-
aging the region's water--locally and
basin-wide--not frivolously as an end-
less sea but realistically as a finite and
fragile global resource."--Annex 2001
Erin McDonough, Water Resources
Program, National Wildlife
Federation, will describe Annex 2001
Big Birding Day 2004
By the time you read this, it will
only be a month until the May 8 Big
Birding Day. Even though it seems
early, please consider putting a team
together now of 2-4 people to scour
one of four counties (Dane, Columbia,
Sauk or Jefferson – please note the
new county added!) to see how many
species you can find between
4:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Participants
this past year agreed that it was a lot
of fun, and across just three counties
they came up with 175 species, beat-
ing 2002’s total of 173.
All proceeds go to further the work
of the Madison Audubon Society. You
have a choice of either 1) paying the
regular registration fee of $20 per per-
son (or $30 per person if you’d like to
attend the dinner and awards banquet
immediately following the end of the
count deadline), or getting various
friends to pledge to pay a set amount
from $.10 to $.50 per species found by
you and your team and then donate
the collected pledge to Madison. Over
$500 has been raised in the last 2 years
POPULATION & HABITAT
and the action steps that basin-wide
partners propose for turning general
principals of protection into enforce-
able laws with no loop-holes. Partners
believe protections should apply to the
entire freshwater system, including
groundwater and small streams that
feed the Great Lakes. To succeed,
states and provinces must involve citi-
zens, businesses, and communities in
decisions that affect their freshwater
resources.
More than 50% of our seafood is
caught by dredging--dragging the
ocean floor and scouring away coral,
rocks, sponges, and nurseries on which
most fish depend. Each year, an area
the size of two continental USAs is
dredged across the seabeds of the
world.
Two-thirds of our seafood isn't har-
vested sustainably--we're catching fish
faster than they can reproduce. 90% of
the predator fish--tuna, sharks, marlin,
via the pledge method. Please consid-
er it. The registration fee, or intention
to collect pledges, must be received by
May 1, or a $5 late fee will be added.
Non-participants are also welcome to
attend the awards banquet at a cost of
$15 per person. They, too, must regis-
ter by the May 1 deadline or incur a $5
late fee.
To register, all you have to do is
contact Chuck Heikkinen or Delia
Unson by phone or email, and they
will send you the registration forms
and rules for the count day. You can
reach them at (608) 274-4043 or
(608) 206-0324. If you prefer email,
send your request to
delia_chuck@tds.net. Please leave your
name (if you call, spelling your name
for them will help them a lot), address,
and telephone number so they can
contact you if they have questions. If
you use their email address, it would
help a lot if you put “big birding day”
on the subject line.
We hope you can join us for a day
in the outdoors!
cod, and swordfish--have been wiped
out. These fish mature slowly, most
of the breeding stock is gone, and
we're eating the babies.
Pam Blackledge, regional organizer
for Conserve Our Ocean Legacy, a
program of National Environmental
Trust, will discuss the enormous
problems facing the ocean's fisheries.
She'll describe how we can make
healthy choices to protect the future
of the ocean's fisheries, as well as
healthy choices for our own well-
being.
This special program on Thursday,
April 22, Earth Day, will be held at
Bolz Auditorium, 124 S. Brooks
Street, across from Meriter Hospital,
from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Refreshments
will be served. For more informa-
tion, please contact Caroline
Beckett, chair of the Population &
Habitat Committee at 608/924-1443,
or ffg@mhtc.net
Token Creek Watershed
Association's Spring
Forum
Please join the Token Creek
Watershed Association for its Spring
Forum on Monday, April 19 at the
Bristol Town Hall, located at 7747
County Rd. N just east of Sun Prairie.
This year’s featured speakers will
include the Audubon Society’s Mark
Martin, who will provide an overview
of the Culver Conservancy prairie
restoration, as well as WDNR Scott
Stewart, who will discuss the upcom-
ing restoration project at Token Creek.
Visit with other local groups with an
interest in the watershed, bid on silent
auction items and hear what TCWA
has planned for this year.
Browsing and refreshments to start
at 6:00 p.m. and the program will
begin at 7:00 p.m.. Visit our website at
www.tokencreek.org for more infor-
mation and directions.
All are welcome at this free event.

Wings Over Madison Soared
Award Recipients--
Environmentalists of the Year:
Evelyn Batchelor and Eugene Roark
Outstanding Volunteers:
Sue Pech, Brand Smith and Shirley Ellis.
Volunteers of the Year:
Levi Wood (2003) and Pat Ready (2004)
Members and friends of Madison
Audubon gathered to celebrate our
55th year and to recognize several of
our volunteers, partners and envi-
ronmentalists at our Wings over
Madison’s recognition and fundraiser
banquet, on Wednesday, March 3.
Honorary Chair, Patty Loew – Host
of Wisconsin Public Television’s In
Wisconsin, was the emcee at the
event held at the Concourse
Hotel.
Evelyn Batchelor, first naturalist
at Goose Pond, and Eugene
Roark, one of our first members
in 1949 when the Society was
formed, were chosen as
Environmentalists of the year. Sue
Pech, Brand Smith and Shirley
Ellis were recognized as this years out-
standing volunteers. Levi Wood and Pat
Ready were named Volunteer of the
Year for 2003 and 2004 respectively.
Artist Terrill Knaack and national rec-
ognized flutist Christine Ibach, along
with 11-year-old hoop dancer,
Christopher DeMarrais and Singer
Johnny WhiteCloud provided the pro-
gram. The Whoopers entertained the
guests at the social hour and helped get
A. Evelyn Batchelor, Environmentalist
A of the Year
B. Eugene Roark, Environmentalist of the Year
C. Levi Wood, Volunteer of the Year 2003
D. Brand Smith and Sue Pech, Outstanding
Volunteers (Not pictured Shirley Ellis)
E. Pat Ready, Volunteer of the Year 2004
Deb Ready won the bike at the silent
auction, Pat Ready could not wait to try
it out
Thanks to Our ‘Wings Over
Madison’ Banquet Supporters
Aldo Leopold Foundation
American Girl
American of Madison
B Caroline Beckett
Bushnell Sports Optics
E Breast Cancer Research Foundation
C
Pat Clark
Capitol Chophouse
Eagle Optics
Fiskars
Fontana
Fountain Prairie Inn
Gordon Flesch
Christine Ibach
D Madison Concourse Hotel
Madison Magazine
Sue & Mark Martin
attendees in the mood for bidding on Necedah Wildlife Refuge &
the 25 silent auction items donated by Operation Migration
many of Madison Audubon good Terrill Knaack & Sue Pech
friends. ReadyWorks
Thanks to all of you who attended Trish Stevenson
and supported this fundraiser and Demetra Saloutos
awards banquet. Your continued sup- Vermont Nature Creations
port of such activities is what helps The Vinery Stained Glass Studio
makes Madison Audubon so strong in Jonathon Wilde
so many areas. Williamson Bicycle Works

MAS Volunteers Erect Osprey Platform at Lake Farms Co. Park

Volunteers from Madison Audubon
erected a 14-foot nesting platform in
early March for local ospreys to make
a home on out in the marsh near Nine
Springs Creek in southeast Madison.
Pat Ready built the 14 foot platform
after conferring with Sergej
Postupalsky, a wildlife biologist who's
had success with the tripod in
Michigan. He became especially inter-
ested in assisting the fish-eating birds
after watching a osprey successful nest
for several years near his home in
Stoughton. Pat, Brand Smith and Ron
Windingstad were able to work in the
marsh because it was still frozen
below the surface. They transported
the framework by canoe down the
creek. The platform is visible from the
end of the boardwalk near the E-way
parking lot just west of the Lake Farm
Park Heritage Center. Don Schmidt of
Custom Metals donated the custom
made metal legs for the structure.
Ospreys historically nest in large, old
trees. They will return to their old nest
year after year. If the trees are gone or
the nest is occupied, the osprey needs
a new nest. By erecting artificial struc-
tures with a nest platform, people
have been able to provide habitat for
the birds that were quickly losing nest-
ing space. Approximately 50% of nest-
ing ospreys in Wisconsin currently use
a manmade platform.
In the mid 1960's, ospreys saw a
decline in population similar to the
Bald Eagle and many other birds of
prey. The use of pesticides contami-
nated their food source. But as with
the Bald Eagle, realizing the necessity
to discontinue the use of DDT and
study the birds' needs allowed us to
help the birds recover.
The platform erected this spring at
Lake Farms Co. Park is one of three
nest platforms near Madison to see if
we can attract more ospreys to this
area in the next two to five years.
From banding records wildlife biolo-
gists are certain the osprey in the
Stoughton and Madison areas are com-
ing from the Southern Michigan hack-
ing program that started there in 1998.
 Attain Dane!: Hope For Controlling Sprawl
Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk
has announced an exciting new initiative
for curbing urban sprawl in Dane
County, called Attain Dane! The County's
population growth of 60,000 per decade
has brought a dramatic expansion of
scattered, low-density urban develop-
ment, and a host of problems that under-
mine the high quality of life we enjoy
here: traffic congestion, water pollution,
habitat loss, degradation of viewscapes
and loss of farmland. While planning
efforts have blunted these impacts, there
is growing recognition that the rules of
the game favor more of the same.
Currently a 'work in progress', Attain
Dane! brings a new approach, based on
a 50-year planning horizon: 1 - Citizens
and local units of government would
Earth Day 2004 – Can You Help?
Can you spare 3 hours for the Earth
on Saturday morning, April 17? Please
help Madison Audubon field a team of
3-4 people who will help deliver litera-
ture to educate the public about the
environment!
As Wisconsinites, we deeply value our
special natural places. From our lakes
and streams to our prairies and forests,
our natural environment makes
Wisconsin a great place to live, work
and play. But, right now, our water, air
and land are threatened like never
before. The Bush Administration and
state government have proposed, and in
some cases passed, dozens of policies
that reduce or eliminate core protections
Woodies and Hoodies Workshop Review
Thanks to Jeff Bahls of Beaver Dam, and
Ohne Raasch of Lake Mills for conducting
a wood duck and hooded merganser
workshop at Lake Mills in February. They
did an excellent job in going through the
steps you would need to be successful in
attracting woodies and hoodies to your
nest box and having one-day old ducklings
make “the jump”. Predator proofing the
boxes is the key. They recommended that
nest boxes placed over water have PVC
pipe below the box to prevent raccoon
predation.
Arnold “Pepper” Jackson attended the
meeting and pointed out that he could
remember the rarity of wood ducks in
Southern Wisconsin. The best job Pepper
ever had was working at the UW
Arboretum under Aldo Leopold where he
raised young wood ducks. The young
create a "build out plan," or map, to
identify the best long-term development
pattern, including integration of land
use, infrastructure (especially transporta-
tion), environmental protection and
community character. 2- The areas desig-
nated for preservation (large tracts of
farmland and natural areas) would be
protected through a transfer of develop-
ment rights (TDR) or purchase of devel-
opment rights (PDR) program. 3- A sys-
tem of tax base sharing could be imple-
mented, to share the benefits of develop-
ment and to reduce the competition for
development among municipalities that
often results in poor planning. 4- The
plan could operate through an intergov-
ernmental agreement among units of
government in the County.
for clean air and clean water.
The Wisconsin Earth Day Coalition
2004 is seizing this Earth Day as a day to
contemplate, motivate, and take action!
The Coalition plans to engage 600 volun-
teers to go door-to-door in communities
across Wisconsin, delivering literature to
40,000 households. The national, state,
and local organizations that are a part of
the Wisconsin Earth Day Coalition,
including Madison Audubon, are work-
ing together to mobilize their members
and educate the public about the attacks
on Wisconsin's core environmental pro-
tections.
Earth Day events will be held in Green
Bay, Madison, and La Crosse on
were released at
the arboretum
when they were
able to fend for
themselves and
returned as adults
to Madison and
began nesting.
After the meet-
ing, Mark ordered
the out-of-print
book entitled Brand Smith -
“Ecology and Volunteer of the Year-
Management of with a newly erected
the Wood Duck” nest box
by Frank Bellrose
from Amazon Books. Laurence Jahn and
Art Hawkins wrote the Foreword. Larry
grew up in Lake Mills and was Director of
the Wildlife Management Institute.
The TDR/PDR program might involve
requiring developers to purchase devel-
opment rights for acreage in the preser-
vation areas in some ratio to the acres
they develop or by directing "conversion
fees" into a fund for that purpose. The
key ideas are to: define the County's
land and resources as being finite (the
50-year build-out map); have a system to
compensate landowners in preservation
areas; link the pace of land preservation
to the pace of land development; direct
some of the profits of development to
fund land preservation; and de-escalate
the race to develop (tax base sharing).
To learn more, visit
http://www.co.dane.wi.us/exec/ or
contact Sharon Wisniewski at
(608) 267-8823.
Saturday, April 17, and in Milwaukee
later in the month. The Madison event
will begin at 9:00 a.m. on the King Street
side of the Capitol steps (in the rotunda
in case of rain). There will be a speaker
(TBA), food, and coffee. The teams will
then head out to Madison neighbor-
hoods no later than 10:00 a.m. to distrib-
ute literature and be done by noon.
If you can help, please contact Karen
at the Madison Audubon office at masof-
fice@mailbag.com or 255-BIRD. For
additional information, visit
www.wisconsinearthday.org or contact
Anne Sayers at
earthdayanne@yahoo.com
or 608/850-4585.
Art Hawkins studied quail under Aldo
Leopold at Faville Grove Sanctuary and
married Betty Tillotson from Lake Mills.
“Art Hawkins - is a living legend in water-
fowl management” was a major article in a
recent Delta Waterfowl Report. Hawkins
and Bellrose studied wood duck use of
nesting cavities including artificial houses
or boxes in Illinois in 1938. We can thank
these waterfowl pioneers for helping
recover of the wood duck population.
The next weekend Brand Smith and Curt
Caslavka assisted us on working on boxes
at Otsego Marsh. Last year three nest boxes
were successful out of five boxes. This
year we have seven boxes available at
Otsego Marsh and five boxes on a wetland
that we own.
This summer we plan on constructing
continued on page 8

Goose Pond Has Water
Goose Pond was dry until February 29
this year. Rains last November and
December saturated the soil but did not
provide standing water in the pond.
There was frost in the ground and 1.4
inches of water in February’s snowfall. It
warmed up and rained .4 inches on
February 29th and 5 days later we
received 1.25 inches of rainfall. Saturated
soil, frozen ground, warm temperatures,
and rainfall resulted in significant runoff.
The last significant runoff into Goose
Pond occurred in the summer of 2000.
The past two dry years allowed vege-
tation to germinate and now Goose
Pond probably contains hundreds of
pounds of smartweed seeds. River bul-
rush clones also increased due to the dry
conditions and hopefully will provide
over-water nesting habitat this summer
for yellow-headed blackbirds and marsh
wrens.
We hope you have a chance to visit
Goose Pond this spring.
Planned Giving – Bequests
Bequests to Madison Audubon have
helped fund numerous activities such as
Wetland Restoration, Land Acquisition,
and Prairie Restoration at such wonderful
places as Goose Pond Sanctuary in
Columbia County and at Faville Grove
Sanctuary in Jefferson County. Goose
Pond, the Sue Ames Prairie and Faville
are visited regularly by young and old
alike. Busloads of children on visits to
these lands have a most delightful time
learning about nature firsthand!
Making a bequest gives you the oppor-
tunity to continue your commitment or
involvement with Madison Audubon
without taking away from your current
needs. You may include a bequest to
Madison Audubon in your will if you are
preparing a new will, or you can make
an amendment (called a “codicil” ) to
A Shower of Donations
ACRE MAKER
Janet & Robert Callear
Roger Packard
In Honor of Patricia C. Moyer
Bernard & Lois Roberts
QUARTER-ACRE MAKER
Donald R. & Delores Thompson
MY OWN VISION
Janet Battista
Bruce Connelly
S. Randall Converse
Mary Donald
Runoff water flooded smartweeds at Goose Pond
On March 6, 2004 Adam Narish birded
northern Dane and southern Colombia
counties. “Most of the agricultural ponds
only had Canada geese and mallards. But
at Goose Pond among 600 Canada geese
I found a Ruddy Shelduck. I went to take
a photo of the bird but I had no film. So
I went to get film and my batteries were
low. So I never got a photo, bummer.”
Ruddy shelducks are beautiful reddish
ducks. These Afro-Eurasian species are
common in zoos and game farms and
this bird was probably is an escaped
individual.
your existing will simply by having your
attorney use the sample language below:
“I bequeath to Madison Society, Inc., a
not-for-profit corporation chartered under
the Laws of the State of Wisconsin, with
its principal office located at 222 South
Hamilton Street, Madison, WI 53703, the
sum of $_______, (or_____% of my
residuary estate).”
Of course if you name Madison
Audubon as a beneficiary of all or a por-
tion of the assets remaining in your
retirement plan at your death, you will
save income and estate taxes.
Please call our Development Director,
Ron Windingstad at 327-0129, home
276-9313 or ron.audubon@charter.net for
more information on wills and other
planned giving opportunities.
MY OWN VISION (cont.)
Thomas A. Dunn
Grace Edmunds
Arthur & Susan Lloyd
Elayne Orr
West Side Garden Club
GIFTS IN MEMORY OF A PERSON
In Memory of Martha Durkin
Ann Fagan
In Memory of Mildred Gall
Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Kuster
In Memory of Peggy Merton
Diane Esler
In Memory of John R.W. Smail
Ms. Laura Smail
YES, I want to make
Madison Audubon Society’s
vision a reality. Here is my
contribution to the Wildlife
Sanctuaries Campaign.
[ ] Acre Maker. $2,000 or more to buy
and restore another acre of land.
[ ] Half-Acre Maker. $1000-$1999.
[ ] Quarter-Acre Maker. $500-$999.
[ ] Adopt An Acre. I pledge $100 a year
for three years ($300 total) toward
Goose Pond restoration.
Here is my first installment.
[ ] Nest Egg. I pledge $50 a year for three
years($150 total). Here is my first
installment.
[ ] My Own Vision. $ ____ to help as
much as possible.
[ ] My Gift. $ ____ for MAS Program
Support (I.E. Education & Newsletter)
Direct my gift to:
[ ] Where it will help the most
[ ] Endowment fund to restore and main-
tain the sanctuaries
[ ] Land acquisition at Faville Grove
[ ] Land acquisition at Goose Pond
[ ] MAS Program Support
Name
Address
In Memory of
In Honor of
For Gifts Honoring Another: Send
Acknowledgement to:
Name
Address
Contributions will be acknowledged near
the Madison Information Board at Goose
Pond as follows: $1,000 or more-name to
appear on a permanent plaque; $250-
$999-name to appear on engraved paving
brick.
[ ] Do not acknowledge in Madison
Audubon Society Newsletter
Make checks payable to:
Madison Audubon Society
Mail to: Madison Audubon Society,
222 S. Hamilton Street, Suite #1,
Madison, WI 53703
Gift is tax deductible to the extent
allowed by law. Madison Audubon
Society’s financial statement is available
upon request.
 Madison Audubon Society, Inc.
Joanne Herfel, President Non-profit organization
222 S. Hamilton St. Suite #1 U.S. Postage Paid
Madison, WI 53703 Permit No. 1831
Madison, Wisconsin

Mark Your Calendars For A

Great Annual Audubon Event, 4/04
The Art Fair, May 1st
See page 1

Yahara Lakes Water Trail Guide Being Developed MAS Calendar

by Mindy Habecker, Dane County UW-Extension at a Glance
The Dane County Environmental Council has put together a steering committee for Thursday, April 8: Frogs Night Out
the development of an educational water trail guide for the Yahara Lakes system. Bob Saturday, April 10: Beginning Birding
Beilman is the Madison Audubon Society representative on the committee. The guide Sunday, April 11: Tour Faville Grove
will include points of historical, archeological, natural resource features, and landmarks Sanctuary
that can be viewed from the water. The area of water to be covered in the guide Friday, April 16: Columbia County
includes Cherokee Marsh, the entire chain of Yahara Lakes (Mendota, Monona, Wingra, Evening Wildlife
Waubesa, Upper and Lower Mud Lakes and Kegonsa) and the Yahara River from Saturday, April 17: Once Around the
Cherokee Marsh south to the Rock County boundary. Sink and Down the Drain
The Dane County Environmental Council is a county committee designed to assist Sunday, April 18: Scope Day at Lake
public and private groups in recognizing and protecting the natural areas in Dane Farm Park
County and to assume an educational role in protection of the environment. For more Thursday, April 22: Earth Day Forum
information on this project, contact Mindy Habecker, Dane County Environmental Friday, April 23: Evening at Cherokee
Council staff at Habecker@co.dane.wi.us or 224-3718, or Bob Beilman at Marsh
rbeilman@charter.net Saturday, April 24: Necedah National
Wildlife Refuge
Sunday, April 25: Abraham's Woods
Workshop continued From page 6 Wildflowers & Birds
MAS has an account at Thursday, April 29: Warbler Walk at
more nest boxes. If you would like to help the Madison Recycling Pheasant Branch
construct, install nest boxes, or do wood Center on Fish Hatchery Thursday, April 29 (DATE CHANGE):
duck brood surveys at Otsego Marsh con- Beginning Birding
Rd. Remember MAS next
tact us at 608-635-4160 or
goosep@chorus.net. We’d like to monitor time you recycle.
wood duck broods at Otsego Marsh and
see how many broods were raised in nest
boxes compared to natural cavities.
Thanks to the Wisconsin Waterfowl
Association for providing 10 wood duck
box kits for people to take home. 1321 E. Mifflin St. Madison, WI 53703 (608) 256-1066