2004 Contents

December 2004

Treetop Ornaments: Like kids on holiday, red-breasted nuthatches poke and probe around evergreens looking for winter goodies.
The Pleasure of Dead Trees: For natural drama and entertainment, there's nothing quite as good as dead wood.
Where Sleeping Bears Lie: For 20 years, Maggie Heino has tracked the roving black bear population across northern Wisconsin.
The Core of Recovery: What does Wisconsin most need to do to protect, restore and enhance its waters in times of diminishing funds and increasing pressure on natural resources
The Glass Ceiling: Winter diving opens a window to life under the ice.
The Perfect Partner: Wisconsin's land trusts connect the conservation goals of individuals with the landscape at large.
Wisconsin Traveler: Stand up and be counted.
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Special Insert: Breathing Easier: Forecasting air quality in Wisconsin.

The Snowbird Chorale: Juncos twitter in the fall and winter chorus.
Deer in the Headlights: Split-second actions can help you avoid and survive highway collisions with deer.
Bucks in the Rut: Remarkable photos catch whitetails in this season of signaling their mating intentions.
Fowl Weather Boating: Cold fall days provide mixed risks and rewards to duck hunters on the water.
Generations of Good Company: The family deer camp provides enduring comfort, sanctuary and fellowship.
Outdoor Traditions: WNR readers share some fond memories and favorite outdoor rituals.
Wisconsin Traveler: Stage fright!
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Special Insert: Managing Wisconsin's Old Growth: Protecting and producing old forest characteristics.

Red in the Yellow: Cardinal flowers flag down hummers in the heat of summer.
How Now, Frau Blau?: Skullduggery at a country auction.
Loosening a Knotty Hold on Rivers: The Baraboo provides a national model for removing obsolete dams and measuring the natural recovery of free-flowing rivers.
Nature's Dry Bouquets: Gathering and preserving wildflowers and grasses is festive and easy.
A Spud in the Spotlight: With the help of a global conservation organization, Wisconsin potato growers are improving farming practices to benefit the environment and consumers.
Searching for Alder Fork: A determined fly-fisher wades through time and place to find and fish the stream of his conservation hero.
Wisconsin Traveler: Scuba do
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.

Two Hearts in Three-Four Time: Wild ginger "couples" sway in the breeze.
The Water Wolf's Invisible Nursery: Miles of tiny streams and flooded ditches less than 10 inches deep form a temporal lover's lane for northern pike along Green Bay's west shore.
Rallying the Water Brigade: It takes people, patience and time to recognize and prevent the spread of tiny aquatic invaders.
A Growing Thirst for Groundwater: Where water demand outpaces supply, times warrant a fresh look at a resource considered unfathomable and unending.
Restoring Devil's Lake from the Bottom Up: A 15-year DNR project will drain phosphorus by withdrawing water from the deepest part of Devil's Lake.
Safer Shores: Recent legislation helps states keep a close watch on beach water quality, but funding for continued monitoring may be at low tide.
Wisconsin Traveler: A grand event
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Special Insert: Reach the Beach: A special section about the treasures and challenges on Wisconsin's sand and rock shores.

Saving the Best of the Best: The special parts of our landscape deserve special attention. They get it from the Natural Resources Foundation.
Krawk!: The pipes are rusty, but this enthusiastic crooner is a beauty.
Wading with Damsels: Walk through water to glimpse these winged beauties in action.
Pirate Perch: A story and a remembrance of a rare breed.
The Elusive Turk: For five years, respect was about as hard to find as a turkey.
Have Guides, Will Travel: 75 tours take you to the right place at the right time.
Wisconsin Traveler: Spring delights
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.

100 Years of Wisconsin Forestry: Some highlights in managing vast resources and working with people in Wisconsin's forests.
Good Grounds for Conservation: Time for a lesson about the birds and beans.
A Bittersweet Tale: This colorful vine gets all wrapped up in the season.
From the Trail to the Garden: Where there's a will, there's a way to enjoy Wisconsin woodland plants at home.
Homegrown Recovery: Steps to restore a slumping economy need to sustain our natural assets as we expand business opportunity and create new jobs.
Mornings: Memories of special days start early and linger a lifetime.
Wisconsin Traveler: Get real
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Special Insert: For Our Patrons: News for Conservation Patron license holders.