Walk on the Wild Side: Summer Wildlife Series

🐺 Wolves

July 13, 1 pm – 2 pm at the MWP Chalet | Facebook | Registration

Wolves, What Good Are They? Nancy Warren Director, National Wolfwatcher Coalition explains their ecological importance—plus pelts, tracks, and skulls to explore.

Wolves are often villainized and misunderstood.  Ever wonder, what good are they?  Now you can hear from National Wolfwatcher Coalition (NWC) Director Nancy Warren about the many ecological benefits wolves provide. Pelts, tracks, skulls and other information will be available for viewing.

Since 1993 Nancy has been committed to dispelling myths and unfounded fears associated with wolves by investigating facts and studying scientific research.

Her passion began when she learned that there were a handful of wolves in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and then saw her first wolf track and scat near Drummond with Wisconsin wolf biologists. By attending workshops, conferences and lectures she realized that for wolves to survive there needs to be human tolerance.  She believes one way to increase social tolerance is through education.

For Nancy, wolves are a part of the bigger picture.  Since the first Earth Day in 1970, she has been an advocate for environmental protections and causes.  She lives in Ewen, Michigan and shares her land with wolves, coyotes, bobcats, bears and other wildlife.

Since 2014, Nancy has been the Director of the National Wolfwatcher Coalition, an all-volunteer organization.  Find out more information: https://wolfwatcher.org/  

Wisconsin Wolves Through History. Peter David, retired Wildlife Biologist, discusses the role of wolves in Ojibwe and European traditions.

Retired Wildlife Biologist Peter David will share a thought-provoking talk on wolf/human relationships in Ojibwe and European cultures and how these relationships can promote wolf management and coexistence in today’s world. Peter David grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin (where he once sold hotdogs at Packer games). He is willing to date himself by noting he was born into a wolf-less Wisconsin. After obtaining BS and Master Degrees in Wildlife Ecology from UW-Madison, he headed north to work for the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, which was only in its third year of existence at the time. There his next education began as Ojibwe elders and individuals shared their Traditional Ecological Knowledge and world view on wild rice, waterfowl, wolves and the other “more-than-human beings” which his work was focused upon. His work with ma’iinganag, or wolves, included sharing Ojibwe perspectives and understandings with organizations and individuals throughout the western Great Lakes wolf range.

Since his retirement in 2022, he has remained active in wolf stewardship issues. He currently serves on the Boards for the Timber Wolf Alliance and the International Wolf Center – but he is also trying to spend more time with his wife harvesting wild rice, picking wild blueberries in the barrens, making a little maple syrup, catching a few fish, or doing just about anything else that gets him outdoors.

🪶 The Common Loon – Phenology, Habitats and Population Threats

July 20 from 1 pm – 2 pm at the MWP Chalet | Facebook | Registration

Environmental Educator Brandi Shapland will host a discussion about our beautiful symbol of the Northwoods, the Common Loon.  Things covered will be loon life cycle, phenology, habitats and threats, as well as what folks can do to help protect them. Brandi is an environmental educator based in Ashland, WI. She graduated from Northland College with a degree in Natural Resources and has led programs on the natural world for numerous organizations, including LoonWatch Coordinator.  When not in the woods you can find her sailing the Apostle Islands or at the local library

🐻 Black Bears – What We Know and What We Need to Understand

July 28 from 5:30pm – 6:30pm at the MWP Chalet | Facebook | Registration

Jeff Traska will provide an interactive presentation to answer all of your burning questions about our Northwoods neighbor, the American Black Bear. The Wisconsin Black Bear Educational Center (WBBEC) was founded by Jeff, a lifelong outdoorsman and reformed sport hunter who has been fascinated by bears since childhood.

In the early 1980s, armed with state-of-the-art camera equipment, Jeff began his own personal study of black bears in the wild. He soon learned that bears are not the highly dangerous animals portrayed in so many sensational news stories, but instead are intelligent, gentle animals who play a critical role in the functioning ecosystems they inhabit.

Jeff Traska’s passion for bears eventually led him to provide a home for his first bear named Vince. Over time, Vince’s modest enclosure expanded into a spacious, natural compound now heralded as one of the best in the region. Vince was eventually joined by two other bears, Sunny and Moon, and most recently by Sky. All four bears enjoy a quality of life seldom experienced by bears in captivity.
Wisconsin Black Bear Education Center is a not-for-profit private sanctuary presently housing four black bears. The bears are allowed to roam freely throughout the six-acre center which features a freshwater waterfall and pond, natural vegetation for foraging, open meadows and numerous hibernation dens.
The Center is dedicated to encouraging its resident bears to use their natural instincts to live normal lives in order to provide close observation for learning purposes. This concept makes it unique to Wisconsin and the educational opportunities. It is one of the largest, most natural bear enclosures in the U.S.
The only way to visit the bears is by appointment: https://wisconsinblackbears.com/wbbec/request-a-tour/
WBBEC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wisconsin-Black-Bear-Education-Center-100064812035463/

🦉Birds of Prey – Adaptation for Survival in the Northwoods

August 2 from 1 pm – 2 pm at the MWP Chalet | Facebook | Registration

Northwoods Wildlife Center Wildlife Educator Bart Kotarba will share information about birds of prey found in the Northwoods including learning about the unique and beautiful adaptations that help these fantastic birds hunt and survive. Since 1979, the Northwoods Wildlife Center has been rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife, while educating the public about how to be better neighbors to whom we share our environment with. They are a MWP partner located in Minocqua, Wisconsin.

Bart Kotarba holds degrees in Wildlife Management and Biology with an emphasis in Environmental Education from UW-Stevens Point. He completed several internships-including one at the Northwoods Wildlife Center (NWC) -where he was involved in all aspects of wildlife rehabilitation. Bart has been with NWC since 1992. Under his direction, our Education Department has conducted thousands of programs to educate students and adults about wildlife and the environment.
We also have a unique edition to our event, TOMMI, a red-tailed hawk wildlife ambassador who was admitted to Northwoods Wildlife Center in August 2016 after being hit by a car. The severity of her wing injury led to a partial wing amputation, leaving Tommi non-flighted. She now attends educational programs throughout the Northwoods, educating the public on the world of Red-tailed Hawks!
Find out more about the Northwoods Wildlife Center: https://northwoodswildlife.org/about-us/mission-and-history/