Wisconsin Wildlife Update: Spring Activity To Watch For

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• Program Helps Private Landowners Manage Wildlife On Their Property

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  According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 85 percent of Wisconsin’s 35 million acres of land are privately owned, indicating that landowners could be a key element in the success of conservation efforts.

  Land stewardship, however, can be expensive and daunting. The Wisconsin Coverts Project aims to help by providing resources and support to private landowners who want to manage a woodland habitat for wildlife.

  Jamie Nack is a wildlife outreach specialist in the Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a coordinator of the Coverts Project for the state of Wisconsin. Nack said that the program, which has been running since 1994, is run by several Wisconsin partners. That said, it’s open not only to resident Wisconsin landowners, but also to owners of Wisconsin land who do not live in the state and to owners of land in surrounding states as well — so long as they own at least 10 acres of property.

  “The workshop focus is to provide educational resources on forest and wildlife management, including information on what kind of species you may want to manage for and how to go about it,” Nack said.

  While deer and turkeys are some of the most common species to inhabit woodlands, Nack said that information is also shared on how to manage land for ruffed grouse, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians and a wide range of birds.

  Information is presented classroom-style, but Nack said that there are many field trips incorporated as well so that landowners can see the techniques and principles in practice.

  Nack said that the program focuses on landowners who, once they’re trained, would then be in a position to do outreach to others.

  “This is a true ‘train the trainers’ type of workshop. We’re looking for people who are committed and engaged in their community, so that if we get them through this workshop, they’re going to do good things on their own property and they’re going to share these key messages with others,” Nack explained.

  The 2015 Coverts workshop will be Aug. 13-16 at Kemp Natural Resources Station in the northern Wisconsin town of Woodruff. It’s free of cost to participating landowners. The application deadline is June 15.

  Interested landowners can get more information and can download the application from the Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology web site.