|
|
A documentary produced by Wisconsin Public Television Get ready for a world class wildlife journey. On the Trail, An In Wisconsin Special explores the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail, a newly completed trail system that invites state residents to visit the best birding and wildlife watching places in each of the state's 72 counties. |
On the Trail: An In Wisconsin Special
|
Wisconsin is recognized as one of the best states in the country for birding and wildlife watching. The Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail was created by the Endangered Resources Program in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism to provide the public with an easy and accessible way to travel to the state's wildlife treasures. The trail consists of more than 350 sites that provide incredible birding and wildlife watching opportunities in all parts of the state. Adventures abound in every county. In Wisconsin producer JoAnne Garrett visits some of the hundreds of sites comprising the new state trail system - including many of the most beautiful and amazing places in the state - as she travels The Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail. |
Producer JoAnne Garrett |
 |
Singing Sands The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is known for gorgeous rock cliffs, beautiful islands, and the beautiful waters of Lake Superior. But the Apostles are also home to "singing sands." Julian Bay on Stockton Island is the favorite concert hall for those who can find a tune in sand grains. Julian Bay is among the 10 to 20 percent of beaches in the world that have what scientists call "musical sands." How do you get the sands to sing? What does it sound like? And what is it about the sands of Julian Bay that produces musical notes? Join In Wisconsin producer JoAnne Garrett for a different kind of concert as she investigates the singing sands of Julian Bay. Bonus VideoResources Apostle Islands National Lakeshore |
 |
Cathedral Pines They're big, beautiful and very noisy. The bird in question is the great blue heron. This amazing bird is North America's largest heron, standing at more than three feet tall. Every summer, Wisconsin's population of great blue herons nests with their young in very tall trees. Usually these heron rookeries are difficult to access. But in the Nicolet National Forest in Oconto County, there is a great blue heron rookery located right above a highly accessible hiking trail through one of the state's very rare old-growth forests. What is it like when nearly 200 great blue herons and their babies congregate in one place and why did the herons choose this place? Reporter JoAnne Garrett visits Cathedral Pines to view a very unusual and beautiful place. ResourcesCathedral Pines State Natural Area |
 |
Crane Count The sandhill crane was hunted close to extinction in the last century. As part of the recovery efforts, Wisconsin's International Crane Foundation began an annual count of sandhill cranes in Columbia County back in the 1980s. The crane count has grown to a multi-state effort called the Midwest Crane Count that takes place one Saturday morning every April. Producer JoAnne Garrett joins a group of "crane-counters" at Zeloski Marsh in Jefferson County. Learn the strategies involved in counting this glorious bird and discover how Zeloski Marsh has made the transition from farmland to one of the state's premier birding sites, meriting inclusion on The Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail. Bonus Video ResourcesDNR Information on Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail |
 |
Saw Whet Owls Predators can come in many different sizes. Reporter JoAnne Garrett profiles one of our state's most secretive and petite - the saw whet owl. Venturing out only at night, this bird - which weighs just a few ounces - is seldom seen. But every year, the Woodland Dunes Nature Center in Manitowoc County hosts an "Owl Fest" and the saw whet is the star of the show. How do they obtain the owls for their festival? Join Garrett as she profiles the parties that make this festival possible, including a group of volunteers called the "Night Gang," a life-long bird-bander and a nature center that sees the saw whet as a critical tool in helping the public connect to the natural world. It's a chance to see one of Wisconsin's most secretive animals. Bonus Video
Woodland Dunes Nature Center |
 |
Turkey Vultures Every year, Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo provides the setting for an amazing show as swarms of turkey vultures gather before their annual migration to Central and South America. In fact, Devil's Lake State Park is one of the largest staging areas in the entire Midwest for these birds. Watch as turkey vultures congregate, soar, float and sun in the sky above the park in incredible numbers. JoAnne Garrett joins up with noted turkey vulture researchers, husband and wife Mike Mossman and Lisa Hartman, as they travel to Devil's Lake for the gathering of the turkey vultures. Bonus Video ResourcesBig Black Birds at Devil's Lake |
 |
Sauk Prairie Eagles The American bald eagle has made a spectacular come-back in Wisconsin. One of the best times to view America's national bird is in the middle of winter, just below the dam on the Wisconsin River in Prairie du Sac. Soar with the eagles in a video essay that captures one of our state's great winter traditions. Resources Wisconsin Society for Ornithology |
 |
Warblers The Cook Arboretum is a small green gem located just one mile from the city of Janesville. It is the largest uninterrupted block of forest land in Rock County and a critical way-station for migrating birds like Baltimore orioles and cerulean warblers. Producer JoAnne Garrett traveled to Janesville - and then to Panama - to find out why Cook Arboretum is so important to the survival of these tiny avian travelers. Resources Cook Arboretum Bird Populations |
 |
Winter Walk In the dead of winter - with several feet of snow on the ground and sub-zero temperatures - it is hard to believe that life can still be abundantly found in the frozen tundra. Naturalist John Bates takes us for a winter-time hike along the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail in the Little Turtle Flowage and points out many amazing signs of life. Resources |
 |
Tiffany Train When we think of Wisconsin's wildest places, it's often the northwoods that comes to mind. But, one of the state's most remote sites is the Tiffany Bottoms State Wildlife Area in western Wisconsin, a short distance from the Mississippi River. This 13,000 acre jewel is the largest and most important floodplain forest in Wisconsin. It's a birders' paradise, with nearly every species of bird found in Wisconsin. However, the area is extremely remote. There are no roads that lead there. So, to best travel to the Tiffany, you need to hop on a train. In spring and fall, a volunteer group of railroad enthusiasts offers a limited number of trips. Join reporter JoAnne Garrett as she takes to the rails to visit one of Wisconsin's more important and pristine birding sites. Bonus Video ResourcesWisconsin Wetlands |
 |
Schoenberg Marsh Video Postcard Enjoy a dawn visit to a Columbia County birding paradise. Video Resources |
 |
Rose Lake Video Postcard Join videographer Frank Boll to watch and listen to the dawn chorus during May migration on Rose Lake in Jefferson County. Video ResourcesFriends of Rose Lake Bird Watching Series |
What's a Tombolo?
. 
