Northern Highland - American Legion State Forest

Presented by topic experts volunteering - In public service to environmental education.

Weekly Program, Every Thursday Evening, 6:30-7:30 pm Crystal Lake Nature Center

Crystal Lake and rainbow smelt: What do we do now?

In the past 15 years Crystal Lake’s ecology has been altered by the establishment of rainbow smelt, an aquatic invasive species that threatens many Wisconsin lakes. Find out why rainbow smelt are bad news for Wisconsin’s lakes, and hear updates about a unique whole-lake experiment being conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Trout Lake Station to eliminate this invasive species from your lake.

Presented by Zach Lawson (research associate), Eric Brown (research intern),
Ellen Heyn (undergraduate fellow) of UW-Center for Limnology and UW-Trout Lake Station.

June 11, 2011 - Saturday, 6 PM Crystal Lake Nature Center

World of the Sandhill Crane

Explore the wonder and natural history of a magnificent Wisconsin bird species. Learn how this once endangered bird made an amazing return to Wisconsin, even into the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest. This program includes discussion, video, and hands-on activity.

Presenter Bob Dall, is a State Forest Associate with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Bob and his wife Jan, have coordinated Oneida County’s participation in the annual Midwest Crane Count as volunteers for the International Crane Foundation the past 20 years.

June 18, 2011 - Saturday, 6pm - Crystal Lake Nature Center

Porcupine Ecology - The prickly secrets of a remarkable forest creature.

"Are porcupines born prickly?" "Can they shoot their quills at enemies?" "Does any animal eat porcupines?" "What can I do to get a porcupine to stop eating my siding or favorite tree?"

Hear answers to these questions and more during an entertaining and informative presentation about one of the Northwood's least loved creatures, the porcupine.

Presenter Jeremy Holtz was born and raised in Wisconsin. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Management from Colorado State University in 1999. In the course of his natural resource career, he has lived and worked in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Currently, Jeremy is the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist for Florence and Forest counties, where he has been for the last five years. He lives in Florence, Wisconsin with his wife and three little boys.

July 2, 2011 - Saturday, 6 PM - Crystal Lake Nature Center

Wildlife Ecology of the Northwoods

Wildlife Ecology of the Northwoods focuses on wildlife of forests and wetlands in Northern Wisconsin. This one-hour program concludes with interpretation of live native raptors and reptiles of Northern Wisconsin.

Presented by Chris Cold of the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources. Chris specializes in wildlife interpretation and outdoor education, and has shared his knowledge and expertise with us for several summers.

July 9, 2011 – Saturday, 6 pm - Crystal Lake Nature Center

Ghost Towns of Wisconsin & Michigan’s Northwoods

There are towns throughout the Northwoods which are but a shadow of their former selves. They are not haunted, but rather they are interesting monuments — historical markers to our past. Learn about the life and death of early Northwoods settlements.

Presented by local historian Dale Caskey. A wealth of knowledge, Dale travels the Northwoods to feed his craving for Wisconsin History. He delivers historical presentations throughout the state and works as an interpreter in local museums. A 3rd generation Northwoods native, Dale lives in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

July 16, 2011 - Saturday, 6pm - Crystal Lake Nature Center

Wisconsin’s Black Bears

Learn natural history and ecology of one of Wisconsin’s largest, and most impressive residents—the black bear. An expert wildlife biologist will share insights and facts about behavior and habits of this valuable, yet often misunderstood, native animal.

Presented by wildlife biologist Ron Eckstein. Recently retired, Ron continues his passion for natural resources doing volunteer work for wildlife conservation. His main interests are eagles, ospreys, wild rice, and old growth forests. Ron holds BS and MS degrees from UW-Madison in Wildlife Ecology. From 1974 to 2010 he was the Dept. of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist stationed at Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

July 23, 2011 – Saturday, 6 PM - Crystal Lake Nature Center

Logging History with Local History Expert Dale Caskey

Meet “Hans”- Lumberjack and Homesteader For an Evening of Historical Interpretation. Entertaining and educational for all ages!

Presented by Dale Caskey. A wealth of knowledge, Dale travels Wisconsin in search of history, and delivers presentations throughout the state. A 3rd generation Northwoods native and local historian, Dale works in museums and is a registered presenter with several state historical societies. Mr. Caskey lives in Rhinelander, Wis.

August 20, 2011 - Saturday, 4:30-5:30 pm - Crystal Lake Nature Center

Loon - Symbol of the North

The Common Loon has a lot of uncommon characteristics. For over thirty years, Loon Watch has been researching loons and the lakes they live on. At this presentation, you will learn about loons, their calls, their ecology, and hear stories that teach us how to protect them. Great program for adults and kids alike — with time for your questions.

Presented by Erica LeMoine, LoonWatch Coordinator. LoonWatch, a program of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute of Northland College, was formed in 1978. LoonWatch works to protect the Common Loon and its aquatic habit through education, population monitoring, and research.

August 27, 2011 - Saturday, 6:00 pm - Crystal Lake Nature Center

Soldiers of Poverty - A Tribute to the Men of the Civilian Conservation Corps

After Franklin D. Roosevelt passed the Emergency Conservation Work Act on March 31, 1933, approximately 23 Civilian Conservation Corps Forestry Camps began the daunting task of planting every tree in the cutover of Northern Wisconsin. The Trout Lake Nursery, known as the Cradle of Wisconsin Forestry, supplied up to 12 million seedlings a year in the post-logging reforestation effort.

Mary Schueller, a public speaker for the Wisconsin Humanities Council, will give a 45-minute powerpoint tribute to the men of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

She is the playwright of Welcome to Camp Crystal --- to be performed Saturday, August 13th, 11:30 a.m. at the Community Center in Boulder Junction --- telling the story of CCC Company 1601 who groomed the forest nursery at Trout Lake.

As the author of The Soldiers of Poverty, her passion for this topic comes from her father’s four years of service in the CCCs and her hope to tell this important conservation story to the next generation.

Programs are free and open to the public. However, a State Park Sticker is required on your vehicle for those programs located within the campgrounds. Children 10 years of age and younger must be accompanied by an adult. For programs requiring pre-registration, you must do so by noon on the day prior to the program.

For more information on program content or directions, please contact Bob Dall at 715-365-8993 or e-mail robert.dall@wisconsin.gov