WNR magazine NEWS & REVIEWS July 2019

July masthead

News & Reviews

July 2019

photo contest

Snap your best for photo contest

The annual state properties photo contest sponsored by Friends of Wisconsin State Parks is open! Get out to state parks, forests, trails, recreation areas and more to snap pictures of these beautiful properties and people enjoying them. Then enter your favorite images in the competition. Deadline for entries is Sept. 3 and winners will be featured in the 2020 Friends of Wisconsin State Parks Calendar, included in the Winter issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine. For photo contest details and more about Friends Groups, check fwsp.org.

Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts and state parks

Girl Scouts and the outdoors go together like a campfire and marshmallows, and a special weekend is coming up that encourages Wisconsin-based Girl Scout councils to get out and enjoy the Wisconsin State Park System. The initiative is part of a larger partnership between the National Association of State Park Directors and Girl Scouts of the USA designed to get every girl outdoors and into their state parks. The inaugural weekend in Wisconsin is July 13-14. Efforts will include engaging girls in service projects, teaching them to camp and offering activities and instruction focused on outdoor skills-based recreation and nature education. On social media, use hashtags #gslovestateparks and #GirlScOutWiGo. Check with your local Girl Scouts organization for details.
camping

Good time to go camping
(plus fireworks reminder)

The upcoming Fourth of July holiday means summer is in full swing — there’s no better time to consider a camping trip to the Wisconsin State Park System. To make a camping reservation, go to wisconsin.goingtocamp.com. And one reminder for park users at this time of year: Fireworks are prohibited at all DNR lands. Anyone using fireworks anywhere should take precautions to prevent them from causing wildfires.

Happy Independence Day!

wildlife poster

Keep Wildlife Wild winners

More than 200 students in fourth to sixth grades entered the inaugural Keep Wildlife Wild poster contest designed to educate on the natural behaviors of wildlife species. Winners were chosen in each grade. Fourth grade: Cecilia Castillo, Cudahy, first (shown here); Camryn Phelps, Park Falls, second; Emily Kasper, Juneau, third. Fifth grade: Giselle Sanchez, Burlington, first; Kaiya Davis, Grantsburg, second; Michaela Venden, Burlington, third. Sixth grade: Sofia Crowley, Oshkosh, first; Chloe Bittner, Phillips, second; Tauren Estrada, Burlington, third. To see all winning entries, click here. And check dnr.wi.gov, keywords “Keep Wildlife Wild” for more on the initiative.

drinking water

Agencies announce updates on groundwater protections

With 2019 declared the "Year of Clean Drinking Water" by Gov. Tony Evers, it's fitting the DNR and other state agencies are working together to ensure the water you drink is safe. To that end, the DNR along with the Department of Health Services and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection have reviewed key compounds that can be in the state’s groundwater and the effects they could have on health. In late June, officials released groundwater quality standards recommendations for more than two dozen substances including two per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known as PFAS. The action is part of the rule-making process outlined by state law regarding groundwater quality standards, designed to protect groundwater and safeguard public health. For more information from the DNR on a wealth of drinking water topics, click here.

WNR cover

Get the latest WNR

Sign up for Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine and receive the latest Summer issue delivered directly to you. Check out stories on trumpeter swan success, dazzling dragonflies, kids and nature, fishing the Brule River, a Friends anniversary and more! To subscribe, call 1-800-678-9472 or click here.
DNR at 50

Anniversary special available in print

A special publication, “Celebrating 50 years of DNR,” is now available in a commemorative print edition. DNR Service Centers around the state have free copies available. Copies also can be found at Havenwoods, Horicon Marsh, Mead and MacKenzie education centers plus three fish hatchery visitor centers, Thompson, Wild Rose and Les Voigt. The publication features 50th anniversary stories from the 2018 Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine and historic DNR Facebook posts that ran all year. Get your copy today or find it online at wnrmag.com!
podcast logo

More offerings go "Off the Record"

More podcasts have been added to the DNR’s Wild Wisconsin – Off the Record series, including “So you want to try fishing,” “Are there cougars in Wisconsin?” and “How do you OutWiGo?” Listen and subscribe to this relaunched podcast production on iTunes, Spotify, PodBean or Stitcher. Find details and links at dnr.wi.gov, keyword "connect."
pollinator

Pull for pollinators

June 17-23 was “Pollinator Week” in Wisconsin per gubernatorial proclamation and it's never too late to consider ways to aid these important contributors to the ecosystem. Get involved to create habitat, monitor species, join helpful projects and more. The DNR has all the details on its “Saving Wisconsin’s native pollinators” page at dnr.wi.gov, keyword “pollinators.”