In Celebration of Nature

2008 Wild Ones Annual Meeting
and Conference

August 22 - 24, 2008
At the Wild Ones EcoCenter, Appleton, Wisconsin

The Wild Ones Annual Meeting and Conference will be held in conjunction with the first viewing of the Wild Ones EcoCenter.

The Tours on Sunday

Prairie Restoration Tour with Bob and Carol Niendorf Bob and Carol invite you to walk through the prairie they have restored at their home just west of Oshkosh which sits on the shore of pre-historic “Lake Oshkosh.” In 1989, with the help of Prairie Nursery, the Niendorfs converted a half acre of lawn to a prairie garden. Delighted with the results, they converted two acres of old field to a shortgrass and tallgrass area in 1997. They have about 50 or 60 species. Bob Niendorf is Emeritus Professor of Finance, UW-Oshkosh. Carol Niendorf is Retired Manager of the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra. We will also stop at Sheldon Nature Area/Oakwood Environmental Charter School restoration project. 3-1/2 hours with travel.

Rain Garden and Raptors Tour with Ann Rosenberg Ann lives on the homestead of her great, great grandparents in rural Neenah. She purchased the home and just under three acres of land in 1998 and is slowly landscaping her yard. She wants to reduce the amount of mowed lawn and create spaces requiring less maintenance that encourage wildlife. Her rain garden was awarded to her by the Fox Valley Area Chapter as part of an “extreme yard makeover.” This has given her the opportunity to spread the word about Wild Ones and native landscaping as she educates and excites people about our environment and rehabilitates raptors. 2-1/2 hours with travel.

Remnants & Restoration Garden Tour with Marilyn and Ron Stroud The Strouds began their prairie project following Marilyn’s University of Wisconsin course on the environment at which Carol Niendorf of Wild Ones was a featured speaker. Their garden is 35 acres consisting of fifteen acres of prairie that was planted in 1998, a native remnant, a one acre wildlife pond, eight acres of wildlife swamp, and a five acre oak savannah. 3-1/2 hours with travel.

Wild Ones EcoCenter Restoration Plans with James Havel Located on the west side of Little Lake Butte des Morts, the Wild Ones EcoCenter is currently comprised of deep and shallow water marshes bordered by hardwood, floodplain forests. Throughout the last several decades, anthropogenic activities from the surrounding urban setting have impacted water quality and floral diversity within the wetland complex, which has directly impacted wildlife and their habitats. Wild Ones along with Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust (NEWLT) and several other conservation rganization partners will be improving aquatic, near-shore and riparian habitat quality in the lower Fox River by conducting restoration activities over the next few years at the Stroebe Island Marsh. James Havel will explain the various activities to be undertaken from rain gardens to improving the Stroebe Island Road causeway. James Havel has a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Science with an emphasis in ornithology from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife Management and Biology from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point. He is currently employed by NES Ecological Services as a wetland/restoration ecologist. 1 hour.