In this issue Statehouse Salutations The Prez Says Birding Festival Bird Mounts Snack, Sip, Socialize (& Shop) Local Students Success! TrivEa Time

Thanks for reading.

Bruce

Statehouse Salutations

Spring has sprung - a very busy time here at The Center. Among the more newsworthy recent events: We've developed some exciting new programs and events. Program guides have been distributed, lots of people are registering for classes already and new staff and volunteers have joined our team. We've entered into an exciting cooperative venture with Camp Jorn and we are moving forward with our plan to create a residential school-based Environmental Education program. Our Bird Club is exposing the Center to a new and motivated group of people and BirdFest looks to be a winner! These are great days to be associated wth the Discovery Center. Please, won't you join us?

	The Prez Says
Spring arrived early in the Northwoods this year and it feels refreshing to turn our attention toward the new activities the season brings. It is also exciting to see the Discovery Center come alive as we prepare for the upcoming spring and summer activities. Our staff and volunteers are already busy at work planning our activities and getting the facilities spiffed up. We are thankful that we have such a large cadre of volunteers and others who are willing to roll up their sleeves and pitch in each spring. We got lots done during Volunteer Helping Hands Days on May 13-14, but the work lists are long and we can always use more help. Don't wait for an organized work event. Call us any time - we can always find ways to put your talents and energy to good use! The Center offers something for everyone. This past year the Bird Club literally took off with an active and growing membership participating in a wide range of birding activities. Getting up close and personal with the Great Gray Owls during winter bird outings was a tremendous experience. Heading out at 5:00 a.m. to count Sand Hill Cranes was an eye-opening adventure too. I hope you don't miss the Birding Festival on May 21 at the Center - a jam-packed agenda featuring several noted bird experts. Coming up soon is the Membership Social and Silent Auction: Sunday, May 29 from 4:00 - 6:30 p.m. The event is always a great time and gives people a chance to catch up with their friends and neighbors as they arrive back in the area. The Silent Auction offers a treasure trove of items with the proceeds all going to benefit the Center. This year we are asking all our members to bring a friend or relative to enjoy the festivities and hopefully encourage them to become a new member. There is much to see and do and a wealth of things to get involved in at the Discovery Center. We invite you and your friends to come on down and join in the fun. Till next time, Jerry Rayala, Board President Photo: Discovery Center member Jeff Wilson, Board President Jerry Rayala and Former President Peggy Johnson Weissner get up close and personal with a Great Grey Owl Send an email to Jerry... »

	Birding Festival
An exciting date is finally here - Saturday 21 May 2005 - the day of our inaugural BirdFest hosted by the Discovery Center Bird Club. Explore the wonders of birding in Wisconsin's North woods during peak spring migration. Great Lakes area birding experts will lead field trips and offer presentations and workshops aimed at improving general birding knowledge, bird identification skills, and habitat conservation and improvement. Keynote speaker is Laura Erickson sponsored by Birder's World Magazine. Other presenters are wildlife photographer Jeff Richter, WDNR Wildlife Educator Christian Cold and Bird Bander Dr. Charles Kemper. These are just a few of the featured speakers and field trip leaders. Many presentations will include live raptors and birds in the hand. Don't forget to stop by Bill & Jack's Bird Shack where you can build a great birdhouse to take home as a souvenir. The festival hours are 6:00am - 5:00pm. Please call 715.543.2085 for details and to register. Or simply show up on Saturday morning and register on-site. A full schedule of the day's activities is on the Special Events page on our website. For information click on the link below.   More information on the Birding Festival »

	Bird Mounts
A few months back, Board member Dwight Logan and his wife Barbara found a very recently-deceased owl as they were doing roadside clean-up. The specimen was in such good condition Barb brought it to us, thinking it would make a great teaching aid. She offered to pick up the tab for having it mounted. As the adjacent photo proves, the end result is wonderful and our new saw-whet mount has already been used in a couple of classroom raptor presentations. Our thanks to artist, wood-carver and taxidermist Wiley Miller of Boulder Junction for his excellent work, and to Barb & Dwight Logan for their generosity. Barb's gesture got us thinking about how best to make use of a fairly substantial collection of birds we currently have in a special storage freezer. (As an educational institution, The Discovery Center holds a "wildlife salvage permit" from the US Department of Fisheries and Wildlife). Wouldn't it be great if some of those salvaged birds could be similarly mounted and included in our teaching collection? Among the 40+ birds waiting to be prepared for display are: Indigo Bunting; Great Horned Owl; Red Tailed Hawk; Pileated Woodpecker; Cedar Waxwing; Evening Grosbeak; and a Belted Kingfisher. The Center's Bird Club has already committed to pay for the mount of a Great Grey Owl, but as you can see, we have many more species waiting for a sponsor. If you would like cover the cost of a display mount for one of those salvaged birds, please give us a call or drop us an email and we'll send you a complete list of our collection, and the approximate cost of each mount. By the way, the saw-whet is the smallest of Wisconsin's northern owls. A fully-grown adult male measures just 8 inches in length, with a wingspan of 17 inches. You may have heard the call of the saw-whet; if ever you've been in the woods and heard a series of low whistled toots ("toit...toit...toit...toit") repeated about two times per second - a little like the "backing up" warning tone of a small truck - then you may just have been in the presence of a saw-whet. I'm interested in sponsoring a mount - send me some info... »

	Snack, Sip, Socialize (& Shop)
Our annual Member Social & Silent Auction will be held on Sunday May 29, 2005 from 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm. As in previous years, sumptuous hors d'oeuvres will be provided by Pine Baron's and wine tasting will be hosted by Dennis Kohl from Trig's Cellar 70. New this year is the involvement of Wisconsin vintners, Wollersheim Winery. We thank the good folk from Wollersheim for their support and look forward to welcoming them to the Discovery Center. Among the items to be auctioned are: A Pet Portrait by Artist Mindy Schnell; Gourmet Baskets; Jewelry; Weekend Getaway Packages; Fine Wines; Woodcarvings; Hotel/Casino Packages; Designer Housesehold Items; Guided Fishing Trip; Sporting Equipment; Floral Baskets; Show Tickets; Golf Packages; and much much more. One item sure to attract a lot of attention is a four course gourmet dinner for six, prepared in your home by master chef Jesse Van Rossum. A graduate of New York's Culinary Institute of America, Jesse has held sous chef positions at Little Palm Island in the Florida Keys and L'etoile on Martha's Vineyard and was later Executive Chef at the Ocean Key Resort complex in Florida. He and his wife Michelle now run the Boulder Beer Bar in Boulder Junction. All members received a written invitation and ticket order form earlier in May and reservations are rolling in. If for some reason you did not receive an invitation, please give us a call at the Office, and we'll sign you up. Questions about the event can be directed to Event Organizer Marilyn Gabert. Photo: Chef Jesse Van Rossum and his wife Michelle at the Boulder Beer Bar. Come to the Silent Auction and bid on an evening of Jesse's expertise, delivered in your home! Marilyn, I have a question... »

	Local Students Success!
A team of five (5) local high school students, participants in our Woods & Waters program, recently competed in Envirothon. Not only did they compete, they did us proud with a seventh place overall out of 18 participating schools! And with just a few more points, they would have moved up another two or three places. Envirothon is a multidisciplinary, environmental problem- solving competition for students in grades 9-12. Teams rotate between testing stations where they take an "exam" in four different natural resource areas - aquatic resources, forestry, soils and wildlife. At a fifth station, teams deliver an oral presentation addressing a current environmental issue. All Discovery Center members can be proud that these students acquired much of their knowledge and interest in environmental issues through their participation in our Woods & Waters program. Isn't it a great feeling to know that we are truly making a difference in the lives of local kids? Congratulations to the students, and to team coaches Hurley biology teacher Diane O'Krongly, MaryJo Gingras of the Iron County Land Conservation Department and the Center's own Zach Wilson.

	TrivEa Time
Put the old thinking cap on - it is time for a little Discovery Center TrivEa. Be the first to call or e-mail with the correct answer and an exciting Discovery Center gift pack will be yours. Last month's question: What structure used to be adjacent to the sauna? As you can see in the center of the adjacent photo, there used to be a rock and cement waterslide by the sauna. Last month's winner was Janet Akey of Preque Isle. Janet's son was a YCC camper here in the early 70s. As you might imagine, the waterslide was one of the highlights for many of the kids who made the Statehouse Lake Camp their home for six weeks each summer. Now, for this month's TrivEa Question In most camp environments pulling kitchen duty was not considered a choice job. Here at the Statehouse Lake YCC camp though, campers actually sought out KP duty. Be the first to tell us why and the Discovery Center gift pack will be yours. The answer and the complete story will be in the next issue of Discover-E News. Hey Bruce, I think I know the answer... »

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