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This elegant sandhill crane, Grus canadensis, may seem like a strange sight for a forest habitat, but this crane is likely one of the cranes nesting in the boggy wetlands of the Big Bay lagoon. Perhaps it was out for a stroll to find some food for dinner. If you were on the island this past summer, you probably heard their ancient rattling call from the lagoon area. Click READ MORE to see film clip from July 12, 2022…
Read MoreHoot! Hello all! Here we have a juvenile Great-horned Owl, Bubo virginianus. At six weeks old, Great-horned Owls will begin to practice flying, but they'll have to wait four to six more weeks to lose their down feathers. After six months, they should fully be on their own, searching for a new territory and mate. Click READ MORE to see film clip from July 29, 2022…
Read MoreSome may think coyotes, Canis latrans, were put on this earth to be the tricksters of the natural world. This is not the case, they happen to be an essential part of our ecosystems. Coyotes are relatively common on Madeline Island. Click READ MORE to see film clip from June 28, 2022…
Read MoreYou may know them from running in front of your car or eating your bird seed, I’m talking about white-tailed deer! Or, to us science folk, Odocoileus virginianus. Click READ MORE to see film clip from July 9, 2022…
Read MoreDear Madeline Island Wilderness Preserve Members,
"The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.” ee cummings
Poet E.E. Cummings often commented on the beauty of our natural world. "Mudluscious" could have been describing one's delight in a summer hike on our North End Trails. Many of our trails provide an intimacy with nature that is hard to find anywhere else. Yes, sometimes they have puddles and are muddy, but they are luscious and wonderful at the same time! Our trails provide an opportunity for an up close look at a wide variety of mosses, ferns, mushrooms, trees and fauna. With your help…
Update to Kathy Kromroy’s spongy moth island survey article in the MIWP 2022 newsletter: I was completely taken aback at the widespread occurrence of spongy moth caterpillars and the extent of their defoliation on the Island this summer. I had been completely unaware of egg masses in other areas of the Island—areas that I had not viewed as high risk for introduction! There are things you can do to protect high value trees in a yard or small woodlot. Click the link below to read the article for more info… REMEMBER: Human movement of infected items is the main way spongy moth is introduced to new locations. Before leaving the island and before coming to the island, inspect and destroy all forms of spongy moth (egg mass, caterpillar, pupa, or moth) on any items you are carrying, including firewood and your vehicle. Read the full update article in Education & Advocacy.
Read MoreWe are pleased to announce that the new parking lot for the Sowl Trailhead on the North End Trails is open! We moved the Sowl trailhead and included additional parking for the benefit of hikers on the North End Trails.
Read MoreIt was a gorgeous autumn day, and everyone especially liked traversing the Capser Trail’s new Fisherman’s Loop! Be sure to check out our new trail maps on our website. You can enjoy the Fisherman’s Loop year round. Plan to cross-country ski the Loop this winter!
Read MoreIn 2020, Madeline Island Wilderness Preserve began sponsoring the Madeline Wild Project. Northland College Professor Erik Olson and Intern Sydni J Bennette are leading the research. This past June they installed 25 cameras around Madeline Island to monitor and identify wildlife. They returned in August to check the cameras and were excited to find what the cameras caught. In this clip, a mother bear, Ursus Americanus, and her cubs enjoy a sunny day on Madeline Island. June 19, 2022, 8:39am.
Read MoreHere are pictures from our hike with Samantha Dobson to learn about and find mushrooms. It was a perfect day after the rain kind of hike; the sun came out and so did the mushrooms.
Read MoreThe Madeline Island Wilderness Preserve is a non-profit land trust dedicated to the protection and preservation of natural areas on Madeline Island. The nature preserve lands are open to the public for hiking, skiing, berry-picking and hunting. MIWP is committed to education and advocacy — each summer we sponsor field trips and evening programs. Madeline Island is adjacent to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on the South Shore of Lake Superior in Wisconsin.
© 2014 Madeline Island Wilderness Preserve (content and photographs)
PO Box 28
La Pointe, WI 54850
info@miwp.org
