Posts by Bev Bryant
Judy Brooks-Levar, Wehr’s bundle of energy
It’s hard to imagine a time before Judy Brooks-Levar volunteered at Wehr. For 24 years, Judy has been a ray of sunshine to all she encounters at Wehr. Judy came to Wehr with a background in special education. She continues to share her enthusiasm for children of all ages by conveying her love and knowledge…
Read MoreMemories from Wehr’s Longest Serving Volunteer
Mary Gease has been volunteering at Wehr for 44 years. Mary shared these memories and stories in interviews in 2014 and 2023. Getting Started with Seed Collecting My first volunteer job was seed collecting. Mariette Nowak (Nature Center director), Jane Appleyard, and Sally Jean Lohr taught me how to process seed. Most were sold as…
Read MoreWhat is Going On With Wehr’s Lake?
First, thank you for noticing and being concerned. We are concerned as well and are working towards finding possible solutions. It is helpful to know some background information about the lake to understand its challenges. What is Causing the Lake to Decline? Like many things in nature, the answer is not one simple explanation. There…
Read MorePrairie Season at Whitnall Park
An Article Written by Mariette Nowak, former director of Wehr Nature Center, for the Greendale Village Life, August 20, 1975. This article from Wehr’s archives describes the origin of Wehr’s prairie and highlights tallgrass prairie natural history. The prairie was called “Whitnall Park prairie” in 1975 since it was established ten years before Wehr Nature…
Read MoreFrom Yard to Natural Habitat
Here’s How We Did It! by Sarah and David Stokes When my husband, David, and I moved to Hales Corners in 2017, our yard consisted of a green grass lawn and several trees. We are both environmentalists and knew that a natural yard was in our future, but were not sure how to get started.…
Read MoreWehr’s Natural Diversity: The Upland Woods
The all-season beauty of the upland forest along our Blue Trail makes it must-see for visitors to Wehr. The 53-acre stand is diverse. Oaks, hickories, and black cherry trees are common in drier areas, while sugar maples dominate in moist north facing locations. Everything in the woodland revolves around these trees. Competition for light creates…
Read MoreWorms Threaten Wehr’s Woodland
Wait, what? Worms are supposed to be good for the environment, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. All worms in Wisconsin are technically invasive. Worms were wiped from the Great Lakes’ landscape by glaciers that receded just 15,000 years ago. European settlers reintroduced worms such as nightcrawlers and red wigglers when they arrived. But while…
Read MoreMoving Forward Safely
Written by Deb McRae The warbers are back, the wildflowers are incredible, and we are still safer at home! But “safer at home” is taking on a little different look. Summer-like temperatures are teasing us, and all of us are tired of being cooped up. Everyone is heading outdoors. All of us at Wehr want…
Read MoreClimate Change is Changing Wehr
Written by Bev Bryant We tend to think of climate change as being a far-away problem; something that is happening in Australia or to Polar bears, or to our great-grandkids at some point in the distant future. The reality is climate change is happening right now and right here. At Wehr we have noticed the…
Read MoreA Great Time to be a Birder – updated 5/14/21
Written by Jennifer Rutten “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.” Aldo Leopold “A Sand County Almanac” In his foreword to A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold wrote these familiar words. They ring true to me as a newish birder (3 years now) for I along with others cannot lie…
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