Nature

An annual “ParkScore” released May 21 revealed Milwaukee and Madison park systems ranked 18th and 19th, respectively, among the nation’s 100 most populous cities.

Wisconsin’s 50 state parks comprise nearly 156,000 acres and are enjoyed annually by about 20 million campers, hikers, anglers and others. The parks differ in size, popularity, staffing and ability to maintain their amenities and natural resources.

The head of the first park in Wisconsin’s State Park System encouraged all residents to go out and enjoy the outdoors at one of the state’s many parks. 

A program started in 2013 teaches volunteers to identify rare plants statewide. The program coordinator told WPR that volunteer sightings help with conservation planning and identifying ecological threats.

Recently, Adam D’Angelo, director of research for Project Pawpaw, visited WPR’s “The Larry Meiller Show” to talk about efforts to introduce pawpaws to the masses. He also spoke about planting orchards, including one in Spring Green, to research and develop new varieties.

Orienteering, which originated in the late 19th century as a Swedish military exercise, involves physical and mental exercise, as participants are tasked with finding markers on an unknown course using only a map and compass.

There are many contradictory myths about Northwoods lumberjacks and the work they did in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were depicted as hard-living, violent men, but also as upstanding, conservation-minded gentlemen.

The prairie crayfish is native to six counties in southeastern Wisconsin.

A water feature could be a pond, stream or even a birdbath, said Chris O’Connor, the regional service manager at Aquatica.

Several species of bats call Wisconsin home. Naturalists herald these winged mammals as important pollinators and marvels of echolocation. Author Alyson Brokaw talked bats, bat boxes, and bat sightings on a recent episode of “The Larry Meiller Show.”