1996 Contents

December 1996

The nature of cones: Pick up a pine cone and let the mysteries hidden by the shingle-like scales unfold.
On the prowl: Free-ranging cats are pouncing on songbird populations.
A magnificent mile: Stretch your legs at a new coastal hotspot.
A hundred years of Wisconsin weather: Keeping track as the weather turned mild and wild.
The holiday tree: How an Arbor Day seedling achieved star status.
The cane maker: An accident turns into an artful discovery
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Wisconsin Traveler: Frozen frogs and a nice warm goat.
Special Insert:
Nature's example: Learning through ecosystem management.

A bear-raising experience: It isn't easy bringing up youngsters that were born to be wild.
hunters, take a bow: Wisconsin archers have enjoyed one of fall's most sporting challenges for more than 60 years.
On the back burner no more: A Wisconsin community recently reclaimed a part of itself after a long struggle with hazardous waste. Other towns and cities can do the same.
The buzz season: It's a regular hornet's nest out there!
Memories of the grey dawn club: A hunting shack story paints a picture of a time and the place.
Paint the town with WAVes: Community groups are leaving a mark for a cleaner environment.
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Wisconsin Traveler: It's olliebollen for everybody!

Hog-nosed ham: Expect an Oscar-winning performance when the hognose snake takes center stage.
Talking trails: The new signs on Wisconsin's state park nature trails have many tales to tell.
Forging Their own way: Women who want to hunt and fish are teaching each other the necessary outdoor skills.
How deer to Wisconsin?: Whitetails – are they "hooved rats" or a cherished symbol of nature? Find out how the deer herd changes the cultural and physical landscape.
Scaling the heights of fashion: Try your hand at fish-printing to leave a lasting impression of a fishing expedition.
Sleeping in a tent: Ah, the days when the backyard tent was a summer refuge.
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Wisconsin Traveler: Cash in on some cheap skills when Outdoor Skills Day '96 offers free workshops at selected state parks.

Sun seekers: Bask vicariously in the lush life of a painted turtle.
Battling Waterborne bugs: Cryptosporidium, giardia and other disease-causing bugs can turn drinking water into a health hazard. What's being done to protect water supplies from these microscopic nuisances?
Trout on the rocks: Wild lake trout find refuge on a stony Lake Superior shoal with a little help from fisheries biologists.
Where painted ladies lunch and emperors dine: Butterflies and caterpillars pick and choose the most savory tidbits from a smorgasbord of flowers, shrubs, grasses and trees. Try growing their favorite plants in your garden.
Trying to keep the customer satisfied: The Department of Natural Resources reorganizes to provide more efficient, customer-friendly service statewide.
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Wisconsin Traveler: Go wild with Buffalo Bill and the Congress of Rough Riders at the Wade House Stagecoach Inn Historical Site near Greenbush.
Special Insert:
Need a litte RE-charge? Test your RE-flex: A quiz that challenges you to RE-new your commitment to a cleaner environment.

Extending the credit line: Anglers have always known that Wisconsin is a great state to fish. With a new award program, they can show everyone just how good it is – and they are.
Going afield: Join the people who work in our wetlands, prairies, parks and forests on their daily rounds.
All about amphibians: Whether collecting eggs, or looking under logs for wrigglers and hoppers, it's fun to poke around the pond for frogs, toads and salamanders.
Mud-struck: What is it about the wet mucky stuff that prompts both man and bird to bay?
A gentle sign of spring: The lovely pasque flower.
On the trail of toxics: Two inventories can help you track how chemicals are moved and released in your community.
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Wisconsin Traveler: Take a ride on our rustic roads.
Special Insert:
Between sky and shore: Wisconsin's coastal wetlands.

Critter condos: Properly handled, dead wood on your land can provide a big boost to life.
Genes make all the difference: The secrets to successful stocking in natural lakes and streams lie deep within a fish's DNA.
Taking the initiative: How the people of northern Wisconsin and the DNR took a fresh look at the future of a special region.
A moving statement: With an Endangered Resources license plate, you can speak on behalf of Wisconsin's flora and fauna.
Wisconsin's prickly rodent: The misunderstood porcupine is a boon to the Northwoods.
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Wisconsin Traveler: Visit a powWOW!
Special Insert:
The forest where we live: Caring for trees in towns and cities.