Will the next Reserve hold a freshwater estuary?
Scott Richardson ~ 2008-07-07
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle has nominated the St. Louis River in the northwest part of his state to become the 28th National Estuarine Research Reserve. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will determine whether to add the site to the Reserve system.
The Governor’s press release is here. The NERR System announcement is here.
According to the latter reference…
If NOAA approves the designation, the 15,000-acre St. Louis River site will become the second reserve in the Great Lakes. Ohio’s Old Woman Creek, on Lake Erie, was designated in 1980. The St. Louis River flowing between the cities of Superior, Wisconsin, and Duluth, Minnesota, is one of the largest freshwater estuaries on Lake Superior.
In simple terms, estuaries are “where rivers meet the sea.” In Wells, that sea is the Gulf of Maine, but the Wisconsin sea would be a large freshwater lake. We are used to thinking of estuaries as the places where fresh water and salt water mix. The idea of a “freshwater estuary” is not new, but it is controversial.
To learn about seiches and wind tides and how they contribute to the definition of a freshwater estuary, we recommend this University of Wisconsin Extension page. Follow the link for Freshwater Estuaries Defined.
Does the term freshwater estuary catch you by surprise?
Open all weekend - Happy Independence Day
Scott Richardson ~ 2008-07-03
Wells Reserve trails will be open as usual from 7 am to sunset, and the Visitor Center will even be open on the Fourth. Come enjoy the site!
Now that summer is in full swing, it’s time to plan ahead for a couple of our key events. Here are two fliers you can post on your refrigerator or on the bulletin boards of your favorite stops.
Help spread the word: Earth Day Celebration at Wells Reserve
Scott Richardson ~ 2008-04-02
Continuing a tradition that fits the mission, Wells Reserve and Laudholm Trust are holding a community celebration on the Saturday before Earth Day. The focus this year is on water and several special activities are planned.
- Trail Sign Dedication—10:30 am
- Water Tales with storyteller Debra Ballou—11:30 am to 12:30 pm
- Interpretive Nature Walk along Salt Marsh Loop—12:30 to 1:30 pm
- The Center for Wildlife presents, “Raptors, Reptiles, and Mammals, Oh My!”—1:30 to 2:30 pm
Please download our flier and post it where others will see it. We’d like a nice crowd to welcome spring with us.
Winter Program Calendar
Scott Richardson ~ 2008-01-11
Our winter calendar of programs and events has gone to press and will be mailed to members as soon as we have it in hand. If you just can’t wait to see what’s coming up from now to April, you can download a PDF right now.
We will add details to the online calendar, and that’s where you can find additions and last-minute changes to the schedule.
Joyeux Anniversaire, Karen
Scott Richardson ~ 2007-11-28
We Love Karen…
(sung to the tune of “I Love Paris in the Springtime”)
We love Karen here at Laudholm
We love Karen spring and fall
We think she’s so special, oh why oh why
Is she so special?
Now’s our chance to say it all.
She brings magic, joy and laughter
She brings cupcakes, pies and more
She turns gloom and doom to sunshine
She makes working less a chore
refrain
She drives out evil spirits that haunt us,
She wears clothes that make ours pale
She loves the frost and snow of winter
She makes every day a tale
refrain
Happy, happy birthday, Karen
Now’s our chance to drink a toast to you
We’re so glad that you work among us,
It’s our day to give you your just dues.
refrain
Happy birthday and thank you, Karen, from all of us.
lyrics by SDR
Stories of Laudholm
Scott Richardson ~ 2007-10-25
As part of our 25th anniversary, we created a video to tell the story of the very early days of the effort to save Laudholm Farm. The video, produced by William Lord, debuted at our August celebratory dinner and was very well received.
Here is a short preview of the 17-minute video. To order a DVD with the full video, simply click on the ‘Add to Cart’ button below.