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The Truth

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Gathering Waters, SoWBA, numerous statewide and local conservation organizations, and thousands (yes, thousands) of citizens have lobbied legislators for four years to save this program. It's politically popular with the public across partisan lines and is wildly successful. We celebrate STEW’s big successes like SoWBA's purchase of the 300+ acre Hillside Prairie Sanctuary, but it helped fund all sorts of impactful projects around the state, which benefit communities and folks.

Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA

Perfect

The mission was to collect heaps of New England aster and rattlesnake master. The former is a key source of nectar for the latest batch of monarchs departing for Mexico and the latter is a mainstay of southern Wisconsin prairies. Much of this seed is needed for a 50 acre restoration at Hillside Prairie Sanctuary, our newest sanctuary near Cambridge. Fifty acres is a really big restoration requiring barrels of seeds.

Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS

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Autumn 2025

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Autumn 2025

This season at the sanctuaries (Autumn 2025): learn what’s been going on behind the scenes, who you can expect to find when you visit, and how to get involved in the coming few months!

photo by Gary Shackelford

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Help gather Milkweed seeds: Fall 2025!

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Milkweeds are the host plant for monarch caterpillars, making them essential for healthy monarch populations. This fall, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance and in particular our staff at Goose Pond Sanctuary have established a goal for volunteers to collect 100 pounds of pure, live milkweed seed for the butterflies, and we need your help!

The primary focus is on common, butterfly, whorled, and swamp (red) milkweed seeds.

SoWBA photo

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Who's That Singing? Chimney Swift

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Who's That Singing? Chimney Swift

Early September is a fabulous time to listen for Chimney Swifts, as they are migrating in full force from the US (including Wisconsin) to the Amazon basin in South America. During this time, Chimney Swifts will form big flocks at sunset through dusk, swirling around in a tornado of birds above a big chimney. Eventually they drop in and cling to the inside of the chimney, where they sleep for the night. It’s an amazing sight to behold, and full of the most adorable Chimney Swift twittering noises you can imagine! It’s so fun to watch, events called Swift Night Out are held around the country, including in Wisconsin.

Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA

 
 
 
 
 
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