WXPR Field Notes

On the second Tuesday of every month, we hear from our contributors in the field. Susan Knight and Gretchen Gerrish both work for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Limnology at Trout Lake Station. Scott Bowe is the Director of Kemp Natural Resources Station.

Field Notes: Ruffed Grouse in the Northwoods

In this month's installment of Field Notes, Scott Bowe of Kemp Station discusses Ruffed Grouse – a hallmark species in the Northwoods.

09-09
04:29

Field Notes: The Fruits of Summer

One of the many wonderful things about summer is the arrival of fresh and tasty local fruits.

07-08
05:11

Field Notes: Mosquitoes in the Northwoods

In this month's installment of Field Notes, Scott Bowe of Kemp Station discusses mosquitoes – a favorite insect of the Northwoods.

06-10
05:08

Canadian Nightcrawlers: More Than Just Bait

While they’re famous among anglers, few people realize that Canadian Nightcrawlers—Lumbricus terrestris—have a fascinating biological story all their own, one that stretches across continents and ecosystems.

05-13
04:04

Field Notes: Nitrogen Fixation and Bombs

Though it may be a nuisance in some situations, tag alder has a magic trick – it can fix nitrogen.

04-08
05:02

Field Notes: Frost and Roads

In this month's installment of Field Notes, Scott Bowe of Kemp Station discusses frost and roads – all part of managing our sustainable natural resources.

03-11
05:02

Field Notes: Calling a fish a ‘fish’

‘Fish’ is one of those words, useful in the image it evokes but less reliable as a lineage, clearly defined.

02-18
03:33

Field Notes: Otters

Otters are mustelids and related to other Northwoods mammals including mink and weasels. They were common throughout North America until Europeans overharvested the animals for their warm, dense and beautiful coats.

01-14
04:57

Field Notes: The Fish of Vilas County

In this episode of Field Notes, Lonnie Parry Gillis takes us on an exploration of the fish of Vilas County, Wisconsin—an area blessed with an astounding 1,300 plus lakes.

12-10
04:15

Field Notes: Producers and Consumers

In this month's installment of Field Notes, Scott Bowe of Kemp Station discusses producers (plants) and consumers (fungi) in the forest world around us.

11-12
04:43

Field Notes: Bountiful Blooms in our Water Bodies

Seasonal blooms are common and often monitored in warm and high nutrient lakes throughout southern Wisconsin, but are less commonly reported in lakes up north. This makes it challenging to track and manage across the 1,000s of regional lakes.

10-11
05:59

Field Notes: Harvesting Ginseng

One of the crops most iconic to our area is ginseng, Panax quinquefolia. Marathon County, just south of Lincoln County is the center of ginseng farming, not just in Wisconsin but it is recognized as the largest source and the best quality of ginseng in the world.

09-10
05:38

Field Notes: Thermally Modified Wood

In this month's installment of Field Notes, Scott Bowe of Kemp Station discusses thermally modified wood, a chemical free way to preserve wood for outdoor use.

08-13
04:21

Field Notes: Know your salamanders

Salamanders, newts and mudpuppies are amphibians, and they are all salamanders, but not all salamanders are newts or mudpuppies.

06-13
05:05

Field Notes: Wisconsin Crappies

In Wisconsin, opening fishing applies to certain species of fish such as walleye, trout, largemouth bass, and northern pike. However, this season opener does not apply to panfish, which are open year-round. Panfish include species such as bluegill, crappie, sunfish, and yellow perch.

05-14
05:17

Recording long term data

There are many kinds of record keeping that scientists use to recapture recent and ancient history

03-12
04:51

The Amazing Apple Tree

Apple cultivars brought as seed from Europe were spread along Native American trade routes, as well as being cultivated on colonial farms. By the mid 1800s, United States apples nursery catalogues sold 350 of the "best" cultivars, showing the proliferation of new North American cultivars by the 19th century.

02-13
05:38

El Nino in Wisconsin

Open lakes, no snow, and sweatshirt weather was the scene this December in Vilas County. Much to the chagrin of ice anglers and cross country skiers, El Nino has taken hold and has had many implications for the local people, economy, and ecosystems.

01-09
03:51

Northern Watersnakes

The Common Watersnake, Nerodia sipedon, is common throughout much of eastern North America. Our local subspecies, the Northern Watersnake, is common throughout much of Wisconsin.

12-12
05:16

Welcoming Exotic Invasives

There are many exotic plants and animals that we don’t consider to be pests. Corn is native to Mexico, soybeans are native to Asia, tulips are native to Europe. Most of our domesticated animals are exotic with domestic cattle originating in Asia. Many of these plants and animals are exotic but not extremely invasive. They have become part of ecosystem around us.

11-14
05:34

Recommend Channels