ONLINE: Wetland Coffee Break

They are sometimes hard to see in the city, but in Madison we live among wetlands. Get to know more about our unassuming but crucial neighbor through this virtual “coffee break” from the Wisconsin Wetlands Association. Today's topic is habitat restoration and bird monitoring on the Oneida Nation reservation, which has since the early 2000s, restored nearly 3,000 acres of agricultural lands to native wetland, grassland, prairie, and forest. Learn more about how this provides important habitat for wildlife and reduces watershed runoff. Register for the Zoom link.

press release: "Habitat restoration and bird monitoring on the Oneida Nation reservation," by Tony Kuchma and Erin Giese.

Since the early 2000s, the Oneida Nation has restored nearly 3,000 acres of agricultural lands to native wetland, grassland, prairie, and forest, providing important habitat for wildlife and helping to reduce watershed runoff. To evaluate restoration success at three critical sites with respect to bird life, the Oneida Nation partnered with the Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Audubon Society, Audubon Great Lakes, and UW-Green Bay to launch a bird monitoring program. The deep, collaborative partnership involves nearly 30 volunteers who conducted ~300 standardized bird surveys, the data from which not only provide general information about the birds that use these sites but also guide preliminary land management decisions (e.g., water level manipulation, prescribed burns) to the restored lands. This partnership also serves as an opportunity for the bird monitors to learn about the Oneida Nation’s rich culture, history, and language, particularly in the context of the natural world.

Wisconsin Wetlands Association launched our Wetland Coffee Breaks in to help keep our community of wetland lovers connected and learning about wetlands throughout the year, from anywhere! Our Wetland Coffee Break series features brief presentations about wetlands, the plants and animals that call them home, and the many natural benefits they provide to our communities.

Wetland Coffee Breaks are offered as live presentations via secure Zoom meetings. See below for a list of upcoming presentations and to register. Once you register, you’ll receive an automatic email including the URL link and password you’ll need to access the meeting.

Wetland Coffee Breaks are also recorded and posted so you can watch any that you missed live. Generally, we’ll post a Coffee Break recording within a week of the live session. You’ll find links to these recordings below.

We are grateful to all of the presenters for sharing their knowledge and expertise and to everyone interested in learning more about wetlands!

If you are interested in giving a Wetland Coffee Break presentation, or if you have a wetland topic you’d like to see covered, please contact Katie at Katie.Beilfuss@wisconsinwetlands.org.