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Education, enforcement of invasive species laws to ramp up

New deputy wardens out to educate boaters, ticket violators

MADISON – Nine new water guards will be patrolling boat landings across Wisconsin over the July 4th holiday as the state ramps up efforts to keep invasive species and the fish disease VHS from spreading to new lakes and rivers.

The deputy warden force, part of Gov. Jim Doyle’s 2007-09 budget, was created to focus solely on educating and enforcing rules to prevent boaters and anglers from accidentally spreading invasive species and diseases.

They complement the hundreds of paid and volunteer watercraft inspectors at landings across the state, educating boaters and anglers about the rules and demonstrating how to clean boats and equipment. But unlike the inspectors, the deputy wardens will have the authority to issue warnings and citations, and they, along with the DNR’s 133 field wardens, will be actively doing so this summer.

“Invasive species and VHS are a serious threat to our fish and wildlife, and we’re taking it seriously from a law enforcement perspective,” says Chief Warden Randy Stark. “The role of these “water guards” is to lend an enforcement presence to this overall effort – we’ll be a backup to the inspectors, reinforcing the need to follow invasive boat and angling rules.

Rules to prevent these invaders’ spread call on boaters and anglers to remove all plants and animals from their boat and trailers and drain all water from boats and fishing equipment. These steps have been expanded in the last year to contain VHS by limiting the movement of live fish away from a lake or river.

Recent surveys of Wisconsin boaters have shown that more than a decade of efforts by DNR and partners to educate boaters and anglers about steps to prevent spreading aquatic invasive species is paying off. Anywhere from 80 to 91 percent of boaters report taking prevention steps, up from about 40 percent a decade earlier.

“While the majority of people are law abiding citizens, there are always a few people who choose for whatever reason to not follow the law,” Stark says. “It may be a small group of people, but people who behave this way undermine the prevention efforts of everyone else by transporting these things around and causing the damage everyone wants to avoid.”

The primary way that invasive species like zebra mussels and Eurasian water milfoil spread to new waters is aboard boats and boating equipment. VHS also can be transmitted in water from boats and fishing equipment, and when live infected fish are moved to another water.

VHS can infect and kill several dozen species of native game fish, panfish and bait fish, unlike most fish diseases, which tend to target a single species or a handful. The disease is not a human health threat but has caused large fish kills in the lower Great Lakes in 2005 and 2006.

Aquatic invasive species, freed from the predators and diseases that kept them in check in their homelands, can crowd out native species, disrupt ecosystems and hamper recreation. Zebra mussels, for instance, can decimate native mussel populations, decrease the oxygen that fish and other aquatic species need, and worsen algae blooms in addition to clogging boat intake pipes and utility intake pipes.

Tom Wrasse, the DNR warden supervisor coordinating the Water Guard, says the deputy wardens will be stationed throughout the state in Spooner, Woodruff, Eau Claire, Green Bay, Oshkosh, Wisconsin Rapids, Madison, and Waukesha through Labor Day weekend.

They have been out working boat landings and fishing tournaments since June 1, and have already spoken to thousands of boaters, says Wrasse, who is stationed in Woodruff. In addition, the new deputies have been giving presentations to fishing groups, meeting with watercraft inspectors, and conducting other activities to build community collaboration and public awareness around the steps necessary to fight the spread of invasive species.

“The Water Guard is already having an impact around the state,” says Wrasse. “Several contacts have been made with boaters and anglers that were totally unaware of the regulations. After explaining what the law is and why it is in place, there has been 100 percent compliance. The public support of this program is the highest I have seen as with any new enforcement program implemented.”

With the long holiday weekend approaching, Wrasse encourages boaters and anglers to help Wisconsin tackle the invasives problem. “Everyone has a responsibility, whether it’s by complying with the rules when recreating or spreading the word among friends and relatives. We all stand to gain if we can keep a healthy environment.”

Those prevention steps call for anglers and boaters to:

• INSPECT your boat, boat trailer, vehicle, and gear.
• REMOVE all plants, animals, and debris.
• DRAIN water from boating equipment, live wells and gear.
• NEVER move live fish - use leftover minnows ONLY under certain conditions
• REPORT Violations to 1-800-TIP-WDNR

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Randy Stark (608) 266-1115; Tom Wrasse (715) 358-9203

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Early spring waterfowl surveys present mixed picture

Floods not expected to have significant impact on breeding success

MADISON – Variable spring habitat conditions observed in the United States and Canada present a mixed picture for the fall 2008 waterfowl seasons in Wisconsin, according to the state wildlife officials. Preliminary information shows areas ranging from very good wetland conditions to very dry. Biologists will have a better understanding of what impact these conditions had on actual breeding waterfowl numbers when they finish compiling and analyzing spring waterfowl breeding surveys.

“We’ve completed the annual Wisconsin Breeding Waterfowl Survey, which is very important since a large proportion of the ducks harvested in Wisconsin are hatched in Wisconsin,” said Kent Van Horn, Department of Natural Resources migratory waterfowl biologist.

A cooperative survey of Canada geese, the Mississippi Valley Population (MVP) Breeding Survey, organized by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources was delayed this year because of late winter conditions on the nesting grounds.

The final piece is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service breeding waterfowl survey for the northern U.S., Canada and Alaska. That information is expected in the next few weeks and will form the framework for the 2008 fall seasons.

Ducks

Waterfowl breeding areas in Canada this spring had poor to good conditions. Waterfowl breeding is expected to be mostly poor to fair across much of prairie Canada but better in other areas. Moisture conditions and precipitation in U.S. prairies were mixed with most of North Dakota in very dry conditions and South Dakota with poor to good conditions. Overall breeding duck numbers were similar in North Dakota compared to 2007 but are expected to have reduced breeding success due to dry conditions.

In Wisconsin, high winter snowfall helped to create wet conditions across most of the state. Spring precipitation was above average from March through May for all of Wisconsin.

Major flooding in early to mid June may have had an impact on some duck nesting success, but many duck nests would have already hatched by this time, according to Van Horn. Further, species such as mallards commonly re-nest after a nest is destroyed. While some duck nests may have been flooded, habitat for duck broods that did hatch would be improved by flooding. The overall impact of the flooding on breeding ducks in Wisconsin is not expected to significantly reduce survival.

The four most abundant ducks in Wisconsin’s fall hunting harvest are mallards, wood ducks, green-winged teal and blue-winged teal.

The 2008 total state breeding duck population estimate of 626,924 (plus or minus 77,236) is up 33 percent from 2007 and 45 percent above the long-term mean. This number is a little larger than the average for the last 10 years as was expected given the improved wetland conditions in 2008. Overall breeding duck survey results indicate a healthy, relatively stable population of breeding ducks in Wisconsin experiencing normal annual fluctuations. This is a positive indication of hunting regulations and habitat management/protection.

“These are population estimates – not exact counts – so changes of near 20 percent up or down in the estimates each year may not reflect any real change in the actual population,” Van Horn said.

The 2008 Wisconsin breeding population estimate for mallards of 188,429 (plus or minus 23,850) is similar to last year’s estimate of 210,219 given the level of precision in the survey. The 2007 estimate is 4 percent above the long-term mean (35 years).

The 2008 blue-winged teal breeding population estimate of 179,549 (plus or minus 38,772) is up 45 percent from 2007 but statistically similar between these 2 years given the high variation and 58 percent above the long term mean that excludes the migrant years of 1981, 2004 and 2005. The 2008 estimate is the third year of population estimates over 100,000 in recent years after several years of estimates under 100,000. Additional years of data will be needed to reveal whether the long term blue-winged teal population decline has halted.

“We continue to have a concern for sustainable breeding habitat for both mallards and breeding blue-winged teal in Wisconsin,” Van Horn said. “While our conservation efforts of the past have been successful, the threats to decreased grassland nesting habitat for blue-winged teal and mallards have increased with changes to the federal farm bill and high corn prices which are expected to result in more corn in areas that had been grasslands set aside in the Conservation Reserve Program.

The 2008 breeding population estimate for wood ducks of 126,440 (plus or minus 24,157) is up from 2007 as expected. During 2007, Wisconsin was experiencing drought conditions in key wood duck breeding areas and the 2007 count was very low. The 2008 estimate for wood ducks returned to a level similar to the last 10 year average. Current trend analysis for wood ducks in Wisconsin suggests that the long term increase in the breeding population is leveling off.

Canada Geese

“There are two different populations of Canada geese that represent most of the geese in Wisconsin during the regular fall hunting season and our harvest is about 50 percent from each of these populations during the regular hunting seasons,” Van Horn said.

One population, called resident giant Canada geese, nests in Wisconsin. The 2008 breeding population estimate of 116,715 for this population is down 7 percent from 2007 but 48 percent above the long-term (22-year) mean. While the long term trend for Wisconsin’s resident Canada geese has increased, recent survey years suggest that this increase may have leveled off near 120,000.

The second Canada goose population is the Mississippi Valley Population, which is made up of slightly smaller birds that nest along the coast of Hudson Bay in northern Ontario and migrate through Wisconsin and other Midwestern states. Survey information on this breeding population is not yet available but initial reports suggest a decreased breeding effort from 2007 which was a very good year. The nesting grounds in northern Ontario experienced a very late winter, difficult nesting conditions and delayed nesting. These factors normally result in decreased production.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Van Horn - (608) 266-8841

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Waterfowl information meetings and rule hearings set

MADISON - The Mississippi Flyway Council will meet later this summer to advise the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on waterfowl conditions before the federal agency establishes a framework under which states and provinces can set waterfowl hunting seasons.

Following the flyway council meeting and after the USFWS sets a season framework, public hearings on Wisconsin’s proposed waterfowl seasons will be held in August. The final Wisconsin seasons will be set by the state Natural Resource Board at its Aug. 13 meeting.

The Mississippi Flyway Council is made up of waterfowl specialists from the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin and the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan of Canada within the Mississippi Waterfowl Flyway.

The DNR’s proposed waterfowl seasons will be available on the Waterfowl in Wisconsin page of the DNR Web site line later in July.

The following meetings on waterfowl surveys and possible season structures will be held:

2008 Pre-Flyway Meeting

• July 11, Portage - 7 p.m. in the Wisconsin Room, Comfort Suites, N5780 Kinney Rd. (Hwy 78 South)

2008 Post-Flyway Meetings

• August 2, Wausau - 9 a.m. (Conservation Congress Meeting) Three Rivers, The Plaza Hotel & Suites, room, 201 N 17th Ave.
• August 2, Wausau - 1 p.m. (DNR Meeting) Three Rivers room, The Plaza Hotel & Suites, , 201 N 17th Ave.

2008 Waterfowl rule Public Hearing Locations

• August 4, La Crosse – 7 p.m. in Rooms B-19 and B-20, State Office Bldg, 3550 Mormon Coulee Road.
• August 5, Rice Lake - 7 p.m. in Room 241, Wis. Indianhead Technical College (WITC), 1900 College Dr.
• August 6, Appleton - 7 p.m. in the Main conference room, Agricultural Services Center, 3369 West Brewster St.
• August 7, Delafield - 7 p.m. in Trecker Lodge, Kettle Moraine State Forest - Lapham Peak Unit, W329 N846 County Highway C. (Park entry fee will be waived for participants.)

In addition, written comments on the proposal will be accepted through Thursday, August 7 and may be mailed to James Christopoulos, Migratory Game Bird Assistant, Bureau of Wildlife Management, Wisconsin DNR, PO Box 7921, Madison WI 53707-7921 or by e-mail at [james.christopoulos@wisconsin.gov].

Natural Resources Board Meeting

• August 12-13, Platteville, Location: TBA

“These preliminary numbers indicate an overall average year for waterfowl numbers but we will not know for sure what these mean for seasons until after the Mississippi Flyway Council meeting at the end of July,” Van Horn said. “As we do each year, the public will have opportunities to provide input on waterfowl hunting season during our meetings and hearings. We’ll take that information to the Natural Resources Board along with a season structure proposal for approval on August 13.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Van Horn - (608) 266-8841

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Turtle harvest regulations aim to minimize the decline of turtle populations

MADISON – Wisconsin implemented updated turtle regulations in 1998 in response to declining turtle populations, and a decade later, state biologists says these laws are even more important for the state’s turtle populations today.

The turtle harvest season opens July 15 in Wisconsin, and state officials are emphasizing that populations of turtles in Wisconsin are continuing to decline, so people need to follow harvest rules strictly. The regulations are designed to allow for limited harvest during the open season.

“Turtle populations recover very slowly when adult mortality rates exceed 1 to 2 percent,” says Bob Hay, a herpetologist, or cold-blooded species specialist, with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. “Turtles are long-lived creatures under good conditions, but in today’s world, individuals turtles do not have the same opportunities to reach maturity and live a long life. The turtle regulations are designed to help minimize the loss of breeding adults and to provide the opportunity for more of the younger turtles to reach breeding age.”

The regulations were put in effect because of concerns with overharvest, but Hay notes there are other factors influencing turtle populations that are collectively causing significant concern for turtles.

“The loss and fragmentation of habitat causes particular problems for aquatic turtles. All of them must leave the water to nest in uplands, usually beginning in late May or early June. For about a month, turtles are often forced to cross roads, highways and interstates in an attempt to find suitable upland nesting habitat,” he says.

For at least one species, the state-threatened Blanding’s turtle, Hay says nesting sites are often determined by where an individual turtle, itself, hatched, and this may be a mile or more from water.

“It takes 17 to 20 years or more for Blanding’s turtles to reach maturity, so a lot can change to render their upland habitat unsuitable or there can be more obstacles constructed that make getting safely to their nesting sites more difficult,” he says.

Hay says nesting success is also on the decline. Very high raccoon, skunk and fox populations result in very heavy egg predation. The result is that few young turtles are available to offset the loss of breeding adults that are killed on roadways. Other factors, such as recent flooding during and following the nesting season, can also cause local nest losses.

Wisconsin has 11 different species of turtles, two of which – the wood turtle and Blanding’s turtles - are threatened species and one – the ornate box turtle -- that is endangered.

Turtle harvest regulations can be found in the current Wisconsin Spearing and Netting Regulations. A write-up on all amphibian and reptile regulations including turtles [PDF] is available on the DNR Web site.

The turtle regulations include information on:

Licenses: A valid Wisconsin small game or fishing license is required to take and possess turtles on inland Wisconsin waters, and a valid Wisconsin small game or commercial fishing license is required to take turtles from Iowa-Wisconsin and Minnesota-Wisconsin boundary waters. Turtles may be taken by hand, dipnet, hook and line, by hooking, and a newly approved hoop net trap; no other trap types are allowed.

Seasons: The open season for all turtles is from July 15 - November 30, inclusive. Turtles listed as state threatened or endangered (Ornate Box, Blanding's, and Wood turtles) may not be possessed without an Endangered Species Permit. It is no longer legal to take and possess turtles during the closed season, which includes the June through early July nesting season when turtles are often found crossing roadways.

Size limit: The statewide size limit for snapping turtles is 12-inch minimum and 16-inch maximum top shell length. No other species have size limits.

Bag and Possession Limits (bag and possession limits are identical): Snapping turtles -- western Wisconsin boundary waters is 10, and the inland limit is 3. Softshell turtles -- western Wisconsin boundary waters is 5, and the inland limit is 3. All other species other than endangered or threatened is 5 statewide.

Trapping Restrictions: A maximum of 3 hoop net traps can be set per licensee in inland waters of the state except for the western boundary waters (Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers), where 10 hoop net traps per person are allowed. Traps must be made using a stretchable fabric (i.e. nylon) with a minimum mesh stretch of 6 inches. No wire mesh is allowed. Each trap must have an identification tag attached that includes the name and address of the operator and that is conspicuous above the water. At least 2 inches of the trap must be visible above the water, and must be checked at least once per day after they are set in all waters. Only the operator identified on the identification tag is authorized to tend the traps.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Hay (608) 267-0849

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Stay safe while enjoying Wisconsin waterways over July 4th holiday

MADISON - During a typical Fourth of July holiday, more than 1 million Wisconsin residents and visitors take to the state’s abundant lakes and rivers to boat, fish, swim and paddle around. Following widespread flooding in June across southern Wisconsin, people need to exercise even more care than usual, water quality, health and recreation safety experts say.

Water currents can be deceptively strong and there’s a lot of debris in the water. Beaches and other recreational waters can become polluted by sewage, animal wastes, petroleum products, fertilizers and other contaminants. Debris can wash into waters, shorelines can become unstable and give away, and high currents can become a danger.

“Probably the most important advice we can give people this year is to know before you go,” says Roy Zellmer, DNR boating administrator. “Know the conditions of the water you want to recreate on before you get there and take appropriate precautions.

“Beyond that, wearing life jackets, assuring the boat driver is sober, and knowing and following the “rules of the road” on the water are the other top three things boaters can do to keep themselves, their families and others safe on the water.”

Emergency slow-no-wake rules are still in effect on many southern waters, including the Madison chain of lakes.

The added organic material delivered during the flooding creates conditions ripe for another water quality concern, the growth of excessive blue-green algae, if the weather heats up. Excessive levels of blue-green algae are a concern because they can produce toxins harmful to people and animals. People should look for the telltale blue-green scum near the water’s surface before swimming or allowing domestic animals to drink.

The good news, however, is that even in the south, lake and river conditions vary greatly, and fully three-quarters of Wisconsin’s 15,081 lakes are in northern Wisconsin, which didn’t suffer the flooding.

So Wisconsinites – or the 60 percent of adults who identify themselves as swimmers, the 48 percent who say they fish and the 40 percent who say they boat, in a recent Wisconsin recreation participation survey (pdf; 186kb) – still have plenty of great opportunities to get out and enjoy Wisconsin’s great lakes and rivers this holiday.

More information about the four main steps people can take to stay safe on Wisconsin’s water over the long holiday follow.

Know water conditions before you go

Boaters: be aware that slow no-wake rules are in place on the Madison lakes and a number of other waters in southern Wisconsin. Stay away from rivers running out of their banks. The National Weather Service [exit DNR] provides river observations and other information on their web site. The U.S. Geological Survey provides current and historical stream flow information [exit DNR], although the site is a little more technical.

Swimmers: the state’s beach health web site Beach Health [exit DNR] offers the most up-to-date source of information on the status of beaches regularly monitored and results reported on the web site, says Bob Masnado, who leads DNR’s beach monitoring program. It lists conditions at 118 public Great Lakes beaches in Wisconsin and more than 100 inland beaches. Local health departments have the sole authority to determine if a beach is open or closed and are responsible for monitoring their water quality, so if the beach you want to visit is not on that web site, please contact local health authorities [PDF exit DNR].

While blue-green algae has been a problem on some Wisconsin waters for years, algal blooms in ponds and lakes seem to be occurring more frequently, according to Dr. Mark Werner, of the Department of Health Services Division of Public Health. Avoiding contact with bloom material and following posted beach and lake advisories will help ensure that blue-green algae won’t get in the way of enjoying the state’s lakes and beaches, Werner says. And keep the dog away from blue-green algae blooms, too. Learn more about visible signs that a lake or river may have excessive blue-green algae and how to protect yourself against it.

Top three boating tips

The July 4th weekend is regarded as the busiest boating weekend of the year in a state that had more than 617,000 motorized boats registered in 2007, and several hundred thousand more nonmotorized boats on the water, including canoes and kayaks.

Year-in and year-out, failure to wear life jackets, or “personal flotation devices” and operating a boat while intoxicated, or being on a boat operated by an intoxicated person, are leading causes for boating fatalities, Zellmer says.

Wisconsin’s Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) law prohibits the operation of a motorboat while under the influence of an intoxicant. This law, and other boating laws, are found in Wisconsin Boating Regulations [PDF] available at DNR offices and on the DNR Web site.

The other main precautions boaters should take are to make sure they abide by are boat traffic rules and a new law requiring that anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1989 have a boating safety education certificate to operate a motorboat on Wisconsin’s waterways, Zellmer says.

Two of the key traffic rules to know are: if a boat is approaching your vessel from your starboard (right) side in a crossing situation, the boat on the right is the privileged boat and has the right-of-way. The boat on the left shall slow and/or change course to cross behind the privileged boat to avoid collision.

And this: When a motorboat and a boat propelled entirely by sail or muscle power are proceeding in such a direction as to involve risk of collision, the motorboat shall yield the right-of-way.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BOATING SAFETY CONTACT: Roy Zellmer (608) 264-8970 or the following Regional Recreational Safety Specialists: Christopher Wunrow, Spooner (715) 635-4112; Jeffrey Dauterman, Antigo (715) 623-4190 ext. 3108; William Yearman, Eau Claire – (715) 839-3717; April Dombrowski, Oshkosh – (920) 303-5443; John Bronikowski, Sturtevant – (262) 884-2383; Jeremy Cords, Green Bay – (920) 662-5129; or John Plenke, Waukesha – (262) 574-2163

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Most fireworks illegal in state forests and parks

MADISON - The Fourth of July weekend is a time of celebration and tradition, but one tradition that park rangers and forest fire prevention specialists would not like to see is the use of fireworks in state parks and forests.

Fireworks are illegal in Wisconsin state parks and forests, according to Jason Fritz, chief ranger for the Wisconsin State Parks program.

“For the safety of our guests and our resources, our rangers strictly enforce the no fireworks laws,” Fritz said. “Fourth of July favorites, the sparkler and the snake, are not defined as ‘fireworks’ per Wisconsin state law, but most park and forest rangers and superintendents would rather not see them at all because they are a fire hazard.”

A citation for illegal fireworks in a state park or forest can cost the lawbreaker up to $200 and parents could be liable for the full costs of putting out a fire started by their children playing with or setting off fireworks.

In fact, anyone responsible for starting a forest fire in Wisconsin is liable not only for the cost of putting the fire out but also for any damages, notes Catherine Regan, forest fire prevention specialist with the DNR Division of Forestry.

As of the last week of June, fire dangers levels throughout Wisconsin were low across the state, but even in low fire danger times, fireworks can start wildfires. So far in 2008, DNR records show 472 fires have burned nearly 400 acres in Wisconsin.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Jason Fritz, Wisconsin State Parks - (608) 266-2152 or Catherine Regan, DNR forest fire prevention specialist – (608) 264-6032

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Members named to the citizen advisory committee on Stewardship access

MADISON - Taking the next step to meeting a new provision of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank has appointed a 28-member Citizen Advisory Committee to provide input on developing the Stewardship recreational access rule.

“The advisory group includes good representation of various recreational constituencies, local units of government and land trusts,” Frank noted. “Working together, these members will help ensure that we continue to provide broad public access to lands acquired through Stewardship purchases or grants, promoting all forms of outdoor recreation.”

Gov. Jim Doyle launched a successful drive to increase the amount of the Stewardship Fund from $60 million to $86 million each year for ten years beginning in 2011. As part of this Stewardship reauthorization, the 2007-2009 state budget includes a provision requiring that lands purchased with Stewardship funds be open to five nature-based outdoor activities: hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, cross-country skiing, and a wide range of other nature-based outdoor activities.

The advisory committee, chaired by DNR Deputy Secretary Pat Henderson, will work collaboratively with a subcommittee of the Natural Resources Board chaired by board member Duke Welter, as rules for Stewardship access are developed.

“The advice and input from the committee will serve as a good complement to the public input the Natural Resources Board received at three listening sessions held on this issue over the past few months,” Frank said.

The Citizen Advisory Committee will begin work in July, wrapping up in the fall so that draft rules can go out for public hearings in early 2009.

A list of committee members and the affiliated organizations [PDF 64KB] they represent is available on the DNR Web site.

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‘Universe in the Park’ brings the celestial night sky to state park visitors

MADISON - Visitors to certain Wisconsin State Parks will have more than 30 opportunities this summer to view the night sky through telescopes through the “Universe in the Park” outreach program conducted by the Department of Astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Universe in the Park, (exit DNR) which began in 1996, is predicated on the idea that the best environment in which to introduce the general public to astronomy is outside under dark skies, according to Prof. Eric M. Wilcots, who coordinates the program.

A typical session begins just after sunset, usually about 9 p.m., with a 20- to 30-minute talk and slide show about astronomy intended to present a broad overview of astronomy or recent astronomical news. After the talk, when the sky is dark, visitors have an opportunity to view whatever astronomical objects are available through telescopes.

Most of the question-and-answer period takes place around the telescopes. The sessions run as long as there are people interested in looking through the telescope, and the parks typically close before the interest has been sated, Wilcots says. During the height of the summer, the sessions can attract audiences of 70 to 80 people.

Visitors can show up for the slide show and question-and-answer period even if it is cloudy and the sky cannot be viewed through the telescope. The sessions are held if it is raining only if there is a shelter available.

Universe in the Park events themselves are free, but visitors to Wisconsin State Parks and Forest must have a daily or annual vehicle admission sticker.

Anyone interested in attending a session should always contact the park to make sure the program is on as scheduled, because the schedule occasionally changes.

2008 Universe in the Park schedule

Events are subject to change. Call the park listed to confirm the session will be held.

• July 11 - Amnicon Falls State Park
• July 12 - Governor Dodge State Park
• July 12 - Pattison State Park
• July 13 - Copper Falls State Park
• July 18 - Willow River State Park
• July 19 - Interstate State Park
• July 19 - Mirror Lake State Park
• July 26 - Kettle Moraine State Forest--Southern Unit
• July 26 - Potawatomi State Park
• July 26 - Roche-A-Cri State Park
• July 27 - Peninsula State Park
• July 31 - Devil's Lake State Park
• August 01 - Perrot State Park
• August 02 - Kettle Moraine State Forest--Southern Unit
• August 09 - Buckhorn State Park
• August 09 - Whitefish Dunes State Park
• August 10 - Governor Dodge State Park
• August 10 - Potawatomi State Park
• August 11 - Peninsula State Park
• August 12 - Newport State Park
• August 13 - Rock Island State Park
• August 14 - Devil's Lake State Park
• August 16 - Hartman Creek State Park
• August 16 - Mirror Lake State Park
• August 20 - High Cliff State Park
• August 23 - Lake Kegonsa State Park
• August 23 - Yellowstone Lake State Park
• August 29 - Merrick State Park
• August 30 - New Glarus Woods State Park
• August 30 - Perrot State Park
• August 31 - Kettle Moraine State Forest--Southern Unit
• Sept. 06 - Governor Dodge State Park
• Sept. 06 - Kohler-Andrae State Park
• Sept. 27 - Rib Mountain State Park
• Sept. 28 - Council Grounds State Park

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Wisconsin State Parks – (608) 266-2181