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Mosquito Hill, Inc Viewfrom the A newsletter for friends and membersHill of Friends of Mosquito Hill, Inc. | Summer 2021 Our Mission The Friends of Mosquito Hill (FOMH) The Dog Days of Summer support, promote and Mike Hibbard, Director enhance Mosquito Hill Nature Center. The time period from early July to the That’s not the case at all. The term Dog (MHNC) We realize middle of August is often referred to as Days of Summer came to represent the this mission through the Dog Days of Summer. Have you ever 20 days before and 20 days after the volunteerism, wondered where the term came from alignment of Sirius with the sun—from fundraising and our and what it has to do with dogs? about July 3 to August 11 according to shared passion for the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Many people today use the phrase to nature. mean the hot, humid days not fit for a “Dog Days are approaching; you must, dog, or the weather in which dogs go therefore, make both hay and haste while mad. Originally, the phrase had nothing the Sun shines, for when old Sirius takes to do with dogs or even with the sultry command of the weather, he is such an days of summer. Instead, it turns out, unsteady, crazy dog, there is no dependence Follow Mosquito Hill upon him.” the dog days refer to the Dog Star, also Nature Center! –The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1817 known as Sirius, and its position in the night sky. The name “Sirius” stems from While this period is typically the hottest ancient Greek word seírios, meaning stretch of summer, the heat is not due “scorching”. Sirius, a blue giant star to any added radiation from Sirius, or Facebook: www.facebook.com/ that’s twice the size of the sun and 25 anything else for that matter. The heat mosquitohillnaturecenter times brighter, is the chief star in the of summer is simply a direct result of Twitter: @mosquitohill constellation Canis Major, also known Earth’s tilt. During summer, the sun’s Instagram: as the Great Dog. rays hit the northern hemisphere at mosquitohillnaturecenter a more direct angle, and for a longer Sirius was thought to be responsible for period of time throughout the day. summer’s hot days. Each year, on July 23, it rises and sets in conjunction with Although hot, steamy days are not for Published by the sun in certain latitudes. Because the everyone, we take consolation in the fact Friends of Mosquito star is so bright, ancient Romans believed that the Dog Days of Summer ARE great Hill, Inc. it actually gave off heat and added to the for jumping in a lake, tomatoes and a sun’s warmth, seemingly accounting for cold brew. Cheers! New London, WI the long stretch of oppressive weather. Photo "Summer Fun" by gfpeck | creativecommons.org www.mosquitohill.org Birthday Parties at Mosquito Hill! What’s included? weeks before the party with the • Personalized Invitations balance due on the day of the Within a week of scheduling event. your party, we will send you How do I schedule a party? themed invitations to send to your child’s friends. They will Party Time! Contact us by calling 920-779- include directions to MHNC and 6433 or emailing mary.swifka@ suggestions for how to dress for A sample schedule for a birthday outagamie.org at least three outdoor activities. party at MHNC (tailored to your weeks in advance. Parties may • Outdoor Hike group to be age appropriate): be held Tuesdays – Sundays led by a Mosquito Hill naturalist between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM Hour 1: Staff Led • Indoor Craft depending on staff and facility led by MHNC staff • Arrival and welcome availability. • Party Ware • Outdoor hike led by a Mosquito What is your role? We’ll provide cups, plates, Hill naturalist napkins and utensils if you Send invitations to party guests. • Indoor craft led by MHNC staff choose to use them. Provide refreshments such as cake and ice cream if you like. • Wolf River Lodge (2 hours) Hour 2: Guest Led We ask that you bring at least You will have access to the Wolf • Refreshments (if you choose to one adult for every 10 children River Lodge 30 minutes before provide them) and 30 minutes after the party. to help supervise. • Indoor exploration on your own • Food Storage (supervised by your adults) Choose your party theme: You will also have access to a Nature Detectives, Pond Study refrigerator and freezer. • Gift opening Safari, Insect Investigations, How much does it cost? • Outdoor exploration of the Outdoor Survival or Wisconsin property and/or Playscape Animals. The fee is $150 for up to 10 (supervised by your adults) children (including the birthday We are excited about this new child). There is a $5 per child fee • Goodie bags provided by MHNC adventure and look forward to for each additional child above 10 and distributed by the birthday hosting many parties. with a maximum of 20 children child to his/her guests total. A $50 deposit is due three Photo by Angelia’s Photography | creativecommons.org 2 | View from the Hill | Summer 2021 Naturalist’s Corner Naturalist’s Corner Property Projects Update Adam Brandt, Park Ranger There is never a shortage of projects on our 441-acre We would also like to thank two scouts who recently nature center. We would like to take a moment and wrapped up their Eagle Scout projects to benefit update you on some of the larger projects that are MHNC. Logan Zahn raised money and helped turn currently in the works at Mosquito Hill Nature Center the lower east field into an oak savanna planting. (MHNC). This project includes two new interpretive signs, the purchase and planting of several bur and swamp On April 2 and 13, we closed trails to conduct prescribed white oak trees, and the purchase and planting of burns. A prescribed burn is an intentionally started, native prairie seeds. controlled fire that helps to maintain open habitats like prairies and savannas by eliminating woody Foster Friedrich raised money, built and installed 26 vegetation and can also be helpful in controlling wood duck nesting boxes on the property. The boxes invasive species. replaced old, worn out boxes and have been placed on poles instead of high up in trees. The new placement Fox Valley Technical College’s Wildland Fire crew allows for easier monitoring and maintenance and helped to burn roughly 23 acres of the property, aligns with up-to-date recommendations from the mostly on the south side of the hill, including the national Wood Duck Society. main prairie planting. We are excited to continue Finally, we are grateful for the numerous volunteers working with the FVTC crew in the future. We invite who dedicated so much time and energy to make all of you to watch as the charred areas rebound splendidly these projects possible. If you are interested in getting with many flowers and healthy plant life. involved in future property projects, please contact In 2020, we received some generous donations to me at [email protected] or 920.968.2438. remodel the bird feeding area outside the main building. Led by volunteer Faith Schlaeppi, work started during the summer and will be completed this summer. The area includes a new pond, bird feeding posts, native flower and shrub species, and a wildlife viewing blind that can hold the whole family. We hope you can find some time to relax and watch the birds with us. As you hike the trails this summer, you may start to notice some new signs popping up. Friends of Mosquito Hill (FOMH) is working with nature center staff to make and install new wayfinding kiosks off the parking lot, maps at trail intersections and trail markers along the way. This is part of an effort to make the property and trails more user friendly. Thank you FOMH! View from the Hill | Summer 2021 | 3 MOSQUITO HILL NATURE CENTER Calendar MOSQUITO HILL of NATURE CENTER Events www.mosquitohill.com Please note: Outagamie County will continue requiring limited program enrollment Snakes of Mosquito Hill Nature Center and social distancing practices into early July. Advance registration and payment are Saturday, June 26 required for all programs. To register, please call us first (920.779.6433). You may 1:00 – 2:00 PM either pay over the phone with a credit card, or mail your check payable to MHNC. To Snakes aren’t just awesome reptiles, they’re check on the status of a program, visit www.mosquitohill.com or our Facebook page. also very beneficial for the environment as many of them eat rodents or insects that are overabundant in an area. Snakes are Spring Mini Portrait Tyke Hike also on the menu for many raptors and mammals. Of the 21 snake species found in Sessions with Gregory Wednesdays, June 16, July 21 Wisconsin, 14 of them are considered rare T Photography & August 18 and listed as endangered, threatened or Saturday, June 12 9:30 – 10:30 AM of special concern. Join naturalist Jessica 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM Miller and volunteer (and snake enthusiast) Come out and explore who lives on the Ben Scott as they introduce you to the Photographer Greg Prellwitz is scheduling nature center property during our slower- snakes that make MHNC their home. mini portrait sessions at MHNC. Scenic paced, family-friendly Tyke Hikes. Each of $6/person or $10/household. Registration photo areas will be used around the the hikes (3 in total) will focus on a specific and payment due June 20.
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