2005 Contents

December 2005

Invasion of the vole snatchers: A rare winter treat of northern owls had birders flocking to northern Wisconsin.
A path of our own making: The Land Legacy Report serves as a compass, blueprint and roadmap to guide land conservation and outdoor recreation for the next 50 years.
Vertically inclined: A forest of ancient, twisted trees grows from the cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment.
Little streams feed a big fishery: Better trout and salmon fishing along the Lake Superior shore starts in the small streams and rivers flowing into the big lake.
Bobbing heads in the crowd: Rafting coots are a sure sign of fall.
Sweet and sour pie: Savoring some memorable Thanksgiving feasts – and a first date.
Wisconsin Traveler: Home for the holidays.
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Special Inserts:: Wisconsin's Land Legacy [PDF 584KB]; A poster about the special places we preserve and protect.
Marketplace Matters: Understanding the economic value of Wisconsin forests

Keeping the North the North: A decade in the making, the Northern Initiatives still point the way toward reasoned development that sustains the character of the Northwoods.
Feeding good habits: Meet some companies with new ideas and new approaches to building businesses from recycling.
Miles of isles: Restoring island habitat in the broad expanse of the Upper Mississippi River benefits fish, wildlife and local communities.
Three years down a long road: Controlling chronic wasting disease remains a work in progress.
A walk on the wet side: A light touch and hairy toes help these bugs stride across the water.
Wisconsin Traveler: Q & A
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Special Insert:
Wisconsin: where recyclables are too valuable to waste: A poster to help you enjoy the memories again and again.

Let the cup be unbroken: Encourage natural plantings that won't be cut down in their prime along roadsides.
The return of the loud redheads: It's no mystery: These lively, colorful woodpeckers love a good snag.
A long stretch of wonder: 92 miles of sandbars, driftwood and diversity, the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway provides an escape for humans and a safe haven for rare fish.
Wild hogs in the woods: Wildlife and agriculture officials take a stand in the mud to ferret out feral pigs from pockets of the Wisconsin countryside.
Worming into new territory: Inch by inch, earthworms are gaining ground in the Northwoods – where they are not naturally found.
A Generation of shared rights and shared responsibilities: Two decades after treaty fishing rights were reaffirmed, resource managers have more knowledge and stronger working relationships to share a harvest and sustain northern Wisconsin fisheries.
Wisconsin Traveler: Tour de Fitchburg
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.

Curious by nature: A gathering of professional and amateur scientists discusses how to knit together a network to turn outdoor observations and measurements into usable scientific data.
Algae that's bad news for the nose: Conditions remain right for periodic outbreaks of stinky algae along the Lake Michigan coast.
The ripple effect: With lake grants, municipalities, groups and individuals can assume ever-expanding roles in local shoreland protection. Can they help your community?
A nettlesome question: Many butterfly larvae put the bite on this stinging plant.
Deadly crossing: A stretch of highway through Horicon Marsh takes its toll on wildlife trying to reach habitat on the other side. Can we bypass the damage?
Show more with less: It takes practice to say it simply visually.
Wisconsin Traveler: Fair enough
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Special Inserts:
Sign up for success: Learn about CREP buffers to protect the land, water and your checkbook.
Hitching a ride: A special section about invasive species in Wisconsin's waters.

A lesson in patience: Ready for the seasons to change? Take everything in its time.
Time to travel!: Come along on guided field trips from April through October.
Stealth on silent wings: Barn owls – deadly accurate nighttime flights are an all too rare sight.
Coulee trout: Lose yourself exploring the valleys and trout streams of southwestern Wisconsin.
River on the rebound: Restoring the lifeblood that flows through the heart of Milwaukee.
Keepers of the flame: At a state park on the very tip of Door County, volunteers shed light on the lives and times of Great Lakes sentinels who kept the night watch.
Wisconsin Traveler: Hawks and herps
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Special Insert:
Spreading like wildfire: Planning fire prevention as communities grow into woodlands.

Get the picture: Tips to improve your wildlife photos
or get started in a new hobby.
Read all about it: New books to while away a winter night in good company.
Contrasting foresters: A brief look at forestry then and now
in Sauk County.
Shoreside sentinels: Shrinking populations of tiny two- to three-inch fish warn how shoreland development.
The gall of that fly!: Burrowed in a swollen plant stem, a tiny fly larva waits out winter.
Green schools = healthy communities: A voluntary environmental assessment program offers the right equation for students to examine their school grounds and learn about the community at large.
Wisconsin Traveler: Let the show begin!
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Special Insert:
Welcome Aboard: Discovering Wisconsin's maritime trails.