Abbie Meyer, Conservation Specialist for local land trust Mississippi Valley Conservancy (MVC) will present a program on Coulee Region Birds at 7 p.m. at the Ho Chunk Nation building, lower level, 725 Main Street, La Crosse, across from the Main Branch of the La Crosse Public Library.

Mississippi Valley Conservancy owns several nature preserves throughout the Coulee Region. Learn where these preserves are, how to access them for hiking and birdwatching and what birds you may find as you visit them. Possibilities range from grassland to wetland to woodland birds.

Habitat loss is frequently cited as a cause for declining bird populations. Abbie will discuss what MVC is doing to manage these preserves for bird habitat and what you can do locally to help out Wisconsin birds!

Abbie has a B.S. in Biology from Loras College and spends her time at MVC working with private landowners to permanently protect their land. This includes doing site assessments, species inventory, and habitat restoration. Abbie has been working in Natural Resources since 1997.

The program is free and open to the public.

The Coulee Region Audubon Society will meet Wednesday, April 15th at 7 p.m. at the Ho Chunk Nation building, lower level, 725 Main Street, La Crosse.

Dr. Eric Anderson, a professor in the Wildlife Program at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point will present a program on The Wild Cats of Wisconsin. Wisconsin is home to 3 native cat species: bobcat, lynx, and mountain lion which is making its return after a 100 year absence from the state. Find out about the natural history and current status of these cats, as well as the role they play in Wisconsinís ecosystems. Join us as we explore what we know and don't know about the feline predators of Wisconsin and how concerned we should be about our safety in the woods.

Dr. Anderson teaches courses in conservation biology, ecology, biostatistics, and wildlife field techniques. He has won numerous teaching awards. Although teaching is his passion, he maintains an active research program. His work has focused primarily on carnivores, particularly bobcats, wolves, and black-footed ferrets, but he has also worked with songbirds, turtles, bats, and flying squirrels.

He has authored numerous scientific journal articles on North American carnivores, and particularly on the bobcat. He has also co-authored 6 book chapters dealing with carnivores and wildlife habitat selection. Currently, Anderson and his graduate students are modeling the distribution of bobcats in the state and investigating the return of the cougar to the wilds of Wisconsin.

The program is free and open to the public.

Pat Manthey, Wisconsin DNR, Bureau of Endangered Resources will present a program on the Trumpeter Swan Reintroduction Project.Trumpeter swans - named for their resonant, trumpet like call - are thelargest native waterfowl species in North America. Adults have white plumageand can stand up to four feet tall and weigh between 20 and 30 pounds.

Trumpeter swans were found in Wisconsin until the 1880s, when market huntingand feather collecting almost drove the species extinct.

Beginning in 1989, Wisconsin biologists flew to Alaska for nine consecutiveyears to collect surplus trumpeter swan eggs that were then hatched inincubators at the Milwaukee County Zoo. After they hatched, the young swans were either placed in a captive rearing program or decoy rearing program until they were released to the wild. Pat will discuss the progress of the project and resulting success.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Ho Chunk Nation Building, lower level, 725 Main Street, La Crosse.

The program is free and open to the public.

The Coulee Region Audubon Society will meet Wednesday, February 18th at 7 p.m. at the Ho Chunk Nation building, lower level, 725 Main Street, La Crosse.

Speaker will be Rick Kyte, director of the D. B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University. Kyte is also president of the Coulee Region Chapter of Trout Unlimited. His presentation is titled, "How to Ruin the River or Ten Practical Steps that Anyone Can Take to Ensure that the Upper Mississippi River Valley Becomes Just Another Indistinguishable Place on the Way from Here to There."

Kyte will discuss several Trout Unlimited grants and projects as well as answer questions.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Ho Chunk Nation Building, lower level, 725 Main Street, La Crosse.

The program is free and open to the public.

Christmas is over and the new year has started. This means that the annual meeting of the Coulee Region Audubon Society is almost here! On January 28th, we will hold our annual elections. For this meeting, we will also have a potluck dinner and give members an opportunity to share their pictures of special trips and of the outdoors. It is always a fun meeting and I urge you to show up with a dish to pass!!

The potluck will start at 6:00 and the business part of the meeting will start around 7:00. The election process will not take long so we should have plenty of time to share special pictures. Otherwise, please bring your own equipment.

In addition to pictures, please bring along ideas about field trips and/or speakers that you would like to see in the next year. The board is always interested in ideas to make our programming even better and fresh ideas are always appreciated.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Ho Chunk Nation Building, lower level, 725 Main Street, La Crosse.

The program is free and open to the public.

Steve Betchkal of Eau Claire will present a program called “Birding By Ear” (a well-received and always popular talk with lots of inter-active elements -- like his "simulated May"...)” and will also discuss his new book - All of This and Robins Too: A Guide to the 50 Or So Best Places to Find Birds in Wisconsin.

Steve has these comments to introduce himself:

As an experienced Wisconsin naturalist, I know where the buzz about birds is coming from. Since identifying my first wild bird in 1969 (American Robin, what else?), I have been chasing birds across Wisconsin and the North American continent. 42 states (every state in the lower 48 but the mid-Atlantic coast from RI to VA), 54 national wildlife refuges, 39 years, and some 7 or 8 binoculars along, I am approaching 600 (599 and 1/2) different birds seen in the U.S. and Canada, and with trips to Isla de Mujeres, Mexico in 2005, and Zihuatanejo, MX in 2006, have begun exploring places outside temperate North America.

I have a sharp eye – which I credit to enduring commitments to birding, my profession as a videographer, and reffing adult volleyball – and am quite experienced at identifying birds by song or call. Each June I conduct two of Wisconsin’s 90+ Breeding Bird Surveys coordinated by the US Geological Survey (one in the region of Bloomer, the other runs through Augusta).

I have been writing about birds for the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram since 1998, and am featured as a regular columnist for Wisconsin West Magazine. My bird articles have also appeared in Cabin Life, Northland Adventures, and Birder’s World. (I am currently working on several more Birder’s World articles, including camping in the Dry Tortugas last May). All of This and Robins Too: A Guide to the 50 Or So Best Places to Find Birds in Wisconsin is doing well and getting great reviews, and I hope to soon have it for sale alongside "Bird Haunts" in the ABA catalog.

I not only write about birds, but have produced award-winning TV stories about them while working for both the NBC and ABC affiliates in the Chippewa Valley. I also enjoy drawing and painting birds, and have had my work displayed in the ArtsWest show at the LE Phillips Library in Eau Claire. I attended college at UW- La Crosse (late 70's -early 80's), and worked in three national parks – Glacier, Yellowstone, and Big Bend – before settling in Eau Claire. Two of my fondest nature memories are interviewing Roger Tory Peterson and birding with David Sibley. My favorite bird is the Swallow-tailed Kite, which I saw for the first time soaring above the Santee River in coastal South Carolina, April 2003.

Birds are beautiful and captivating – whether describing their behaviors, their diversity and physical adaptations, or the music they make. They are also central to discussions about global warming, and other current environmental topics. Over the years I have led many hikes and tours and have presented programs on topics ranging from “100 Birdy Things Everyone Should Experience Before They Die” to “The Sordid Life History of Birds in Film”. (In September I presented to the Chicago Ornithological Society about bird-finding in WI). I love talking birds and birding, and I encourage questions and the sharing of bird stories.

In addition to my interest in ornithology (birds) and writing, I am a passionate gardener, environmentalist, movie buff, canoeist, and camper/backpacker (fresh returned from a packtrip into Canyonlands NP in Utah), and I also enjoy identifying wildflowers, insects, trees, clouds, and constellations.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Ho Chunk Nation Building, lower level, 725 Main Street, La Crosse.

The program is free and open to the public.

Pat and Bobbie Wilson will present a program and show slides of their trip this summer to the Svalbard Archipelago, a Norwegian territory at the same latitude as Northern Greenland, closer to the North Pole than to the Arctic Circle. Some of the birds sighted include nesting Glaucous Gulls, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Thick-billed Murres, Dovkies, Black Guillemots, Northern Fulmars, Long-tailed Jaegers, Great Skua, Purple Sandpipers, Snow Buntings, Red Phalaropes, Pink-footed Geese, Barnacle Geese and Common Eiders. They also have photos of polar bears and Arctic fox, walruses and seals, along with great scenery and a few adventure tales.

Pat and Bobbie are long-time Audubon and Sierra Club members. Some of their travels have taken them to Central America, Ecuador and kayaking in the Arctic.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Ho Chunk Nation Building, lower level, 725 Main Street, La Crosse.

The program is free and open to the public.

Scott Craven, state specialist in Wildlife Ecology with the University of Wisconsin Extension will present a program on "Challenges to Wildlife Conservation in Wisconsin" at the Coulee Region Audubon Society meeting on Wednesday, September 17th. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Ho Chunk Nation Building, lower level, 725 Main Street, La Crosse.

Craven is well-known around the state for his monthly appearances on Wisconsin Public Radio where his knowledge of wildlife provides answers to questions people have about their encounters with wildlife, hunting, birdwatching and habitat for wildlife.

He has a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has done extensive research in wildlife damage control and wildlife management on private lands. Additional duties include teaching and providing support for the network of county agents in Wisconsin. Statewide programs focus on wildlife damage management, urban wildlife management, youth education, and wildlife-based recreation.

There will be time for questions from the audience.

The program is free and open to the public.

Meet at the Gun Club. Bring a dish to pass and your own dishes and utensils.

A bird walk in the marsh will follow the picnic. The public is welcome to attend the pot luck and the bird walk.

The Coulee Region Audubon Society May program will be presented by Ken and Terry Visger on Wednesday, May 21 at 7:00 pm at the Ho Chunk building.

Terry will act out a story about a clammers wife in the early 1900's. She is a professional storyteller, founder of the Bluff Country Storytelling Guild, and actively involved the the La Crosse Storytelling Festival held each fall. Her story will depict the multi-million dollar clamming industry on the Upper Mississippi.

Ken is a self-described "old river rat with a passion for preserving what we have left of our great Upper Mississippi River resources." He will talk about the threat to our native mussels and the life cycle of mussels He is active in both the Friends of the Upper Mississippi Fishery Services and Mississippi River Wild, a refuge friends group.

Kim Grveles of the WI DNR will be conducting Kirtland's Warbler survey training at 6:00 for those who signed up to help with that project.

The Coulee Region Audubon Society will meet Wednesday, April 16 at 7:00 PM at the Ho Chunk Nation building, lower level, 725 Main Street, La Crosse.

The program is free and open to the public. The program will feature Kim Grveles, Assistant Zoologist/Ornithologist, Bureau of Endangered Resources, Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources . Her topic is "Kirtland's Warbler Says 'Yes'to Wisconsin". (The program is rescheduled from February.)

The federally-endangered Kirtland's Warbler was found nesting on Plum Creek Timber Company land in central Wisconsin in 2007. This was the first ever documented breeding of the species in Wisconsin, and the first nesting outside of the State of Michigan since the 1940's. The species population has increased in recent years to the point where the available habitat in Michigan is mostly saturated, resulting in the pioneering of new habitats such as Wisconsin. In 2007, the annual Kirtland's Warbler census documented an estimated 1,697 singing males in Michigan alone, a significant increase over the 1,478 counted in 2006. This is the highest total ever recorded for the census, which was started in Michigan in 1951 and has been conducted annually since 1971. Given the events of 2007, it seems possible that Kirtland's Warblers could be found at additional locations in Wisconsin. In an attempt to better define the breeding status of this species in Wisconsin, the Department of Natural Resources is working in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a widespread and organized census effort beginning in 2008.

The 2007 Wisconsin nesting activities, bird life history, conservation and management issues and other related Kirtland's Warbler topics will be presented. An opportunity to sign up as a volunteer for the Kirtland's Warbler 2008 survey will also be offered.

Kim has a masters degree in conservation biology from Central Michigan University. She has conducted and coordinated bird surveys for Michigan State Parks, Michigan Natural Features Inventory, The Nature Conservancy, and other organizations. An internship with the International Crane Foundation brought her to Wisconsin in 1998. Kim went on to serve as a Conservation Educator with Adams County and then as an all-bird planner for the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative before her current position in the Bureau of Endangered Resources. In addition to her leadership role on the Wisconsin Kirtland's Warbler Conservation Strategy, Kim coordinates a migratory bird stopover habitat protection project and tracks rare and endangered birds for the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory Program.

The Coulee Region Audubon Society will meet Wednesday, March 19 at 7:00 PM at the Ho Chunk Nation building, lower level, 725 Main Street, La Crosse.

The Coulee Region Audubon Society will meet Wednesday, March 19 at 7:00 PM at the Ho Chunk Nation building, lower level, 725 Main Street, La Crosse.

Speaker, Joyce Powers, a consultant on ecosystem restoration, will discuss The What, Why and How of Rain Gardens. Joyce is an ecologist with a vast amount of experience in restoring native ecosystems in Wisconsin. With undergraduate degrees in biology and English, she has a masters degree from the University of Chicago in zoology and a masters in Natural Science Communications from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Starting with native prairie plants, she founded Prairie Ridge Nursery in 1974, branching out to include wetlands, savannas and woodlands where she worked on restoration of native ecosystems.

In her talk and slide presentation, Joyce will discuss the concept of rain gardens, what they are, why they are needed, and how they work. Included will be examples and pictures of native plants that thrive in rain gardens. Finally she will describe how to establish a rain garden. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Meeting time: 7 pm at the HoChunk Three Rivers House at 8th & Main.

We have had to make a last minute speaker substitution for the Audubon meeting tomorrow night. Kim Grveles, our scheduled speaker was injured in a fall and is not able to travel.

Kurt Brownell, a natural resource specialist for the US Corps of Engineers and a member of our board, has graciously offered to give a talk entitled "Bugs and Plants The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" that focuses on invasive species of the Mississippi floodplain, how the Army Corps of Engineers uses insects (biocontrols) and other methods to battle these invasive species, and insects that spread disease and cause damage to the floodplain forest.

It should be an interesting presentation and I hope to see you there!!