Where the River

Meets the Lake

FOLSR Newsletter | Summer 2023

Hello Michael,

I trust you are enjoying the "dog days of summer." The "dog days" span July 3 to August 11 and have little to do with actual dogs. This stretch of time references Sirius*, the Dog Star, the brightest star in Earth's night sky and part of the constellation Canis Major (the Great Dog). Ancient Greeks and Romans noted that the hottest days of the year occurred around now, when Sirius appears to rise with the Sun. They reasoned that this bright star joined in adding heat to summer days. We know now that typical dog-day heat is due to Earth’s tilted annual rotation around the Sun.

As you can read in the newsletter, the dog days of summer have not slowed FOLSR down. In part this is due to the efforts of our first-ever AmeriCorps member, Kate Murray. From creating sticker and t-shirt designs, to marketing and hosting events, to crafting this very newsletter, Kate's help has been instrumental in FOLSR's 2023 accomplishments. Kate will be leaving in August to pursue the next adventure but before Kate takes off, I want to say a big and sincere "Thank You!"

Look below for some of Kate's artwork and writing and to see what FOLSR is doing.

Your Friend,

Sharon

Sharon Moen, FOLSR Board Chair

*In Ojibwemowin, Sirius is called Gizhii’anung, with anung meaning “star.”

Join

Renew

Donate

Do Bit of Bird Watching

When: Aug 2, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Where: Lake Superior Estuarium

3 Marina Drive, Superior WI

Join us for a free, bird-focused morning!

In August fledglings begin to “graduate” into adulthood as they prepare for migration. Come join us for a celebration of this exciting adventure for the new adult birds!

FOLSR is even sponsoring a bus that will run from the Superior Library to the Estuarium and back from 9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. The bus can accommodate wheelchairs.

This accessible event is planned in partnership with the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve, the Lake Superior Reserve, Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, City of Superior, Wisconsin Sea Grant, and Embark Supported Employment.

Click here for details.

Birds, Birds, and More Birds!

FOLSR's late June birding walk, Birds With Friends, started off on a high note, as a bald eagle flew across a clear blue sky in the early morning, clutching a breakfast of fish. The Superior Municipal Forest is home to many amazing birds like this, and, led by expert birders, our dozen or so participants were excited to look for as many as possible.

Many of the birds identified that morning remained unseen. The foliage is thick and full in the forest, and small songbirds blend into the shadows. Instead of pointing out colors and beak shapes, our guides described the bird’s songs and used the Cornell Lab of Ornithology app Merlin to support identification by sound. Participants learned that some birds are even named after the sounds they make, such as chickadees that say “chick-a-dee-dee-dee.”

The “veer-veer-veer” of veeries particularly rang through the woods that morning. Bird songs often have complex layers that are revealed when the song is slowed down. Listen to a veery's song slowed down!

Over the course of the morning we observed 30 different species of birds. We hope you can join FOLSR for future FREE birding adventures.

Wisconsin Point Beach Cleanup and Knapweed Pull

A big thank you to everyone who came to pick up trash along Wisconsin Point in June! The volunteer team put in nearly 56 hours of work to remove mundane litter such as cans and candy wrappers, and weird stuff like unpaired shoes and jars still full of peanut butter.

It was nice to see dozens of community members coming out to support the Point. It certainly didn’t hurt that it was such a beautiful day! Caring about the estuary and taking steps to keep it healthy is something we can all do to support the ecosystem and the communities that rely on it.

Some of the people who attended helped out not just by cleaning up litter but by also identifying invasive spotted knapweed plants. Spotted knapweed is an aggressive nonlocal species that crowds out native plants that are important to the soil and foraging habits of local wildlife. The plants identified were logged on a map so that the Reserve can track its spread and organize treatment of the infestation. On Lake Superior Day the map was used to prioritize knapweed hotspots where volunteers worked on removing the adult plants.

Purple Loosestrife Beetles

What’s with the tent outside of the Estuarium?

The tent is being used to grow purple loosestrife, which, like spotted knapweed, is an invasive plant in Wisconsin. This particular patch of it has a purpose, however; it is also a nursery for Galerucella purple loosestrife beetles! These beetles are a form of biocontrol because they eat exclusively invasive purple loosestrife, and can significantly decrease the spread of the plant. Alongside Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources staff from Douglas County, FOLSR is helping to raise beetles to be released at infestation sites later this year.

Volunteer alert: There will be opportunities to help with this project but they will be heavily dependent on things like weather and the growth of the plants. The notice will be short when volunteer opportunities arise. If you are interested, please keep an eye on our social media for beetle updates. We also occasionally post updates on Colin, the vole that has been keeping the beetles company in the tent.

Pickle Pond Restoration

Have you noticed the construction near Barker’s Island? It is part of an effort to clean up polluted sediment from the small pond between the railroad embankment and the shore. This pond, commonly known as Pickle Pond, was created in the late 1800’s as the railroad pushed through. Since then the pond has been exposed to a variety of pollutants. At one point a sewage system even emptied directly into the pond! Now the City of Superior and the Wisconsin DNR are teaming up to clean the contaminated sediments, make the pond healthier habitat for fish and wildlife.

For more information visit the Pickle Pond restoration website.

Kate Murray Draws Things

A lot of my art is inspired by wandering around in the woods and thinking to myself, "Wow! Neat!" There has been no shortage of inspiration in the estuary. The water, animals, and plants are so varied and charismatic that there's always something to draw. Here's a few sketches and finished pieces from my time here.

Art is about communicating what you see, both literally and figuratively. When I am in the estuary I see all the ways that animals and water and people interact, and so I include those things in my art. What do you see in the estuary?