From 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 MoreForest Bathing Opportunities Come to Wehr Nature Center
Many of us have had the experience of going into nature to “get away from it all.” Intuitively we have sought refuge in our green spaces for various reasons, such as rest, relaxation, stress relief, and personal reflection. We are guided instinctually to seek these spaces out; however, recent scientific evidence has shown that our…
Read MoreMemorial Donation Keeps Frogs Happy
I love Wehr Nature Center. I know. That might sound obvious. After all, I’ve been here for over 26-years, but I really do. Wehr is of course special. It’s an island of green in an increasingly urban metropolitan area. But what I really love are some of the special places within this special place. One…
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 MoreGhost Pipes
Dried out Ghost Pipes are always something interesting to find in the forest. During seed set and capsule formation, stem dries down to a twig-like stalk with an upturned seed capsule that can persist into the next growing season. What are Ghost Pipes? Ghost Pipes are a plant but they contain no chlorophyll and therefore…
Read MoreVolunteers
We had a volunteer recognition luncheon on November 6th. Thanks to the 397 volunteers who logged in 12,635 hours in the last year to support the Nature center and it’s programs. Jim Wroblewski, Deb McRae and Ted Bosch; all shown in the photo, were the three Friends who logged in the most hours last year…
Read MoreDon’t feed the animals
Thank you to the nice human that thought they were doing something kind for wildlife by leaving a large pile of bread next to the trail in the woods. Unfortunately, it is not a great thing for wildlife to eat. Think about that gluten intolerant friend or family member that can’t eat bread and what…
Read MorePrairie Burn
You may notice cutting of the vegetation on the perimeter of the prairie areas. We are preparing fire breaks for a burn in the spring. Our goals of the burn is to set back woody species like: 1. Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) a species that contains a chemical called Juglone which controls competition and if…
Read MoreBird Blind
Construction began on the replacement bird blind on November 3rd. The new bird blind will have a wall with openings at three heights for increased accessibility. There will be two benches and a pergola covering. The long term plan is to extend the boardwalk to the wall and onto the parking lot to complete our…
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