By: Discover Dodge Tourism – Juneau, WI
The next meeting of the Horicon Marsh Bird Club will be held on Thursday November 17th, at 7 p.m. in the lower level of the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center. Featured speaker will be Mariette Nowak who will give a presentation on the 50 best plants for birds.
Learn about the best plants to add to your landscape to attract Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, American Goldfinches, Eastern Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Cedar Waxwings and the beautiful wood warblers. Preferred habitats for these birds will also be discussed, along with tips on planting and maintaining your bird garden.
Why is this topic timely and important? Planet earth is the only place in the universe we know of with birds, plants, and a great array of other species, including us humans. Yet, the survival of many of the organisms around us is being threatened by loss of habitat, the arrival of invasive species, selective harvesting for food or other factors. We can play a role in preventing further loss of species by landscaping with plants in our gardens, parks, and other urban and suburban spaces to provide food, shelter, nesting habitat, and space needed for survival. Plants specifically important for birds will be shown and discussed.
Mariette Nowak is the author of the book, “Birdscaping in the Midwest”. She is also the past director of the Wehr Nature Center in Milwaukee County, where she served for 18 years. As an avid birder, she is the newsletter editor for the Lakeland Audubon Society and past board member of the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology. In addition, she is Founder and President of the Kettle Moraine Chapter of the Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes. She has also served as a past vice-president of the national organization. In Walworth County, she serves on the Park Committee and the Town of Troy Planning Commission.
The Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center is located at N7725 Hwy.28 in Horicon. Bird club programs are free and open to the public. For more information please call 920-387-7893 or visit horiconmarshbirdclub.com. The famous Horicon Marsh is the largest, freshwater, cattail marsh in United States.
Photo –
A female Ruby-throated hummingbird feeds on nectar at a Scarlet Lobelia otherwise known as Cardinal flower. Note the pollination that can occur when the bird’s head rubs on the plant’s anther and collects pollen,which is then carried to the next blossom. Lobelia is an excellent border plant for moist locations and is a hummingbird magnet. It also attracts butterflies and swallowtails. Photo by Jack Bartholmai
