Summer 2015 Programs
/Saturday, May 23rd, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. Spring Bird Migration on Madeline
Annual bird hike with Victoria Erhart, MIWP Board member, and Peter Hudleston, Professor of Geology at Univ. of Minnesota. Bring your binoculars; see warblers and other spring migrants. Location: New Pavilion at the Town Park.
Saturday, May 23rd, 7:00 p.m. MIWP’s 28th Annual Spring Meeting & Reception: A Spring Phenology
Celebrating the beauty, science, and spirit of the Northwoods, by John Bates, Wisconsin author and naturalist. At the Madeline Island Museum.
Sunday, May 24th, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Hike with John Bates, Northwoods Naturalist
Spring in the northwoods – plants and trees in bloom, frogs calling, insects hatching, mammals raising their young. This hike will be an opening to whatever offers itself that morning. Meet at Town Park Pavilion, then to Big Bay Ridge Trail.
Saturday, June 27th, 10:00 – Noon. The Bogs and Beaches of Madeline Island
Hike leader: Dan Engstrom, environmental geologist/ecologist and MIWP board member. Explore the ecology and unique plants of the bog lagoon and beach dunes and discuss the changing lake levels and paleo-shorelines of Madeline Island. Location: Meet at the State Park entrance building. Park entrance permit required if you are driving.
Wednesday, July 8th, 7:00 – 8:15 p.m. Sigurd Olson and Why Wilderness Matters
Speaker: Mark Peterson, Executive Director, Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute. Wisconsin Native Sigurd Olson (1899–1982) spent his lifetime exploring wilderness from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area to Hudson’s Bay. Sig wrote nine books on wilderness and hundreds of articles. His words are a timely reminder of the critical importance wild places provide the human spirit. At the Madeline Island Museum, co-sponsor.
Wednesday, July 29th, 7:00 – 8:15 p.m. Mushrooms of Madeline Island
Travis Lynch, mushroom farmer and commercial mushroom forager, will discuss our local mushrooms and their seasons, along with the specific trees that these mushrooms share; identify 100 local edibles and about 300 local toxic species and learn a few hard and fast rules. At the Madeline Island Museum, co-sponsor.
Wednesday, August 5th, 7:00 – 8:15 p.m. Photo Treasure: The Emmanual Luick Collection
Emmanuel Luick, keeper at the Sand island lighthouse 1892–1920, was an enthusiastic amateur photographer. In 2014, a Duluth antique dealer came across a treasure trove of Luick photographs showing scenes around Bayfield and the Apostle Islands. Historian Bob Mackreth will offer a glimpse of what has been called one of the most significant discoveries in local history for many years. At the Madeline Island Museum, co-sponsor.
Wednesday, August 19th, 7:00 – 8:15 p.m. C. lupus ex Fabula: The Wolf of Myth
Speaker: Erik R Olson, Assistant Professor of Natural Resources Northland College, will explore the misconceptions, misunderstandings and missing perspectives of wolves. At the Madeline Island Museum, co-sponsor.
Saturday, September 5th, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Exploring the North End Trails
Keith Sowl, Island resident and trail expert, will guide us through old logging trails and 100-year-old stands of hemlocks. Meet at the Burroughs Trail Head, 2.5 miles north of Benjamin Blvd on the North Shore Road.
Saturday, September 19th, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Explore Madeline’s North End Trails
Fred Koerschner, MIWP Board member, will lead a second fall hike of the Island’s north end trails; a great time for fall photography. Meet at the Burroughs trailhead, 2.5 miles north of Benjamin Blvd on North Shore Road.
Saturday, October 3rd, 10:00 – Noon. Forest Management Opportunities and Challenges
Hike leader: Charly Ray, Professional forester and expert in restoration ecology and forest management. The hike will include discussion on forest management, ecological context of Madeline forests, opportunities for restoration, and challenges posed by invasive species and a changing climate. Meet at the Burroughs trailhead, 2.5 miles north of Benjamin Blvd on North Shore Road.
