MooseWood Nature Center / Presque Isle Park / P.O. Box 773 / Marquette, MI 49855 Candlelight Ski, Snowshoe, or Hike Planned MooseWood will be holding the Candlelight Winter Fund Raiser which has become a well- known and enjoyable family outing. Under the guidance of Executive Director, Andrew Bek the event is being organized and run by volun- teers. Special thanks to Angela Stasewich for her hard work and time in organizing this event. Spring 2012 This year’s event will be held on Saturday, th Our Mission March 24 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on To Celebrate Nature the beautiful trails of Presque Isle Park. Tickets Through Education and Action will be available at the door for $3 per child in the Upper Peninsula (under 12 years) and $5 per adult. All ages are welcome. Families with little ones are encour- aged to bring a sled though there will be some Visitors and volunteers enjoyed the snowy evening during last Board of Directors years winter fund raiser. Scot Stewart, Chair on hand. Proceeds from this event will benefit Bob Kahl, Vice Chair educational programming and exhibits. Thank you to Econo Foods, Coco’s Restaurant Doug Russell, Treasurer Walk, snowshoe or ski. With the constantly Linda O’Brien, Secretary and volunteers for providing this years yummy Niko Economides changing and sometimes unusual U.P. weather, treats. we’re letting Mother Nature decide our means Danielle Miller A wonderful variety of silent auction and door of travel throughout the illuminated trails. Sue Payant prizes have been donated. We wish to thank Beverage tables will be stationed on the trail Tiffany Rantanen the individuals and businesses that were able to offering hot and cold beverages along with sev- donate items in support of MooseWood Nature Executive Director, Andrew Bek eral “learning” opportunities. Center. Some of these include: Dog Whispering The MooseWood News is To make the evening more enjoyable volunteers session from Andrew Bek, Snowy Plains Kennel published three times a year by from the local Astronomy Club will provide Dog Sled Ride, snowshoes from Switchback, MooseWood Nature Center, Inc. interpretation and telescopes for your viewing Carhart backpack, framed photographs and Ideas, articles, photographs, and pleasure. Viewing is weather permitting, but note cards, Papa Murphy’s pizza, Down Wind artwork are welcome. Submissions Club volunteers are always willing to chat about Sports coffee mugs, MooseWood family mem- must be received no later than the stars and planets. berships and t-shirts. the 15th of January, September or May. Send via email to In conclusion, we invite you to the Nature Cen- Volunteers are needed! If you or your family are [email protected] ter to warm your belly with a variety of delicious interested in volunteering for this event, please foods along with your toes at the fire pit. contact Angela at [email protected]. MooseWood Nature Center is located on Presque Isle Park in Marquette. Earth Day Fair and Art Contest Offered Mailing address: P.O. Box 773 Marquette, MI 49855 On April 21, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Moose- Wood Nature Center will celebrate Earth Day Phone: (906) 228-6250 2012 with a fair of exhibits, activities and an art [email protected] walk. Several presenters and allied organizations www.moosewood.org will be displaying, and there will be nature ori- Newsletter Editor ented activities and games for all. Tiffany Rantanen For the first time, thanks to a generous donor, we will be sponsoring an art contest with cash prizes. The contest will be open to all types of Spring Hours mediums with a general theme of nature and the Sat. and Sun. 12-4 p.m. Earth. Look for contest details and submission Closed Monday-Friday forms on our website, Facebook pages and at the Nature Center. Email coordinator, Kathy Powell Closed due to holiday: at [email protected] with questions or interest. An assortment of art from the Sandy Knoll After School Program is May 26 and 27 displayed during last years Art Walk. WWW.MOOSEWOOD.ORG Letter From the Executive Director We had a great fall and winter season, beginning with a cider workshop, cranberry hunt, Timber Wolves, a nature concert, and the most successful Haunted Bog Walk and Friendly Frights Forest ever. I had the oppor- tunity to represent MooseWood on a Sister City Delegation visit to Japan. We are keeping abreast of invasive plant species by continuing to attend the annual RRip-It Up conference. We are building relationships with the Marquette area Native American community and the NMU Center for Native American Studies by participat- ing in the Decolonizing Diet Project (DDP) which is looking at the health, environmental and social effects of a year-long indigenous diet, and by considering a wigwam project near the pond. Winter programming in- cluded furbearers of the Great Lakes, a wreath building program, quinzhee snow shelter building, snowshoe hikes and a birch bark craft program. Our year was capped with the annual meeting where NMU Professor Dr. John Anderton shared the secrets of Presque Isle’s natural history. As we transition into spring, we look forward to the return of our highly regarded maple syrup program, and the return of our annual late winter fund raiser, the Candlelight Ski, Snowshoe and Hike. Please join us for some great times, playing and learning out- doors. Andrew Bek Thank You Community Foundation! A big thank you to the Marquette County Community Foun- dation for contributing grant funding to install doorways be- tween the nature center’s main exhibition room and the multi- purpose former pool room in the back. Besides installing a full sized door, we removed some steel railings from the back room and opened up the wall between the rooms so that our members and visitors can easily access displays, programming and events held in the multipurpose room. The comments from our attendees have been very positive. The flow of a visitor’s experience at MooseWood Nature Center is enhanced by being able to see the live animals and displays, and enjoy a craft, program, concert or workshop. The new flow leads the visitor to the gateway to our pool to pond project, currently in planning and design stages. The new doorway the joins the Nature Center and the new multi-purpose room. GO WILD! Student Led Science Series With a MooseWood Birthday Party Students from the Marquette Senior High School Environ- A party for up to 12 children is just $70. Members of mental Biology Class and Environmental Science Club MooseWood receive a $10 discount (family membership will offer a science mini-series. A “Photography Scavenger th and up). Hunt” will be held on April 28 along with “Journal Making th Party goers receive: and Signs of Spring” on May 12 . Each program will be pre- sented by a team of students with mentor and teacher, Karen Private use of nature center inhabited by critters and Bacula in attendance. wildlife They will also attend upcoming MooseWood fund raisers later Professional educator to lead a 1-hour custom de- signed nature program (indoors or outdoors) this month and in April. During the Winter Fund Raiser on March 24th students will provide informational tables with fun Use of room for refreshments, gift openings and facts about native animals. During the Earth Day Fair and Art games Contest on April 21st, students will display the life cycles of Birthday child receives a free Jr. Moose membership some everyday objects. (for ages 5-12) We encourage you to come out in support of the students! Fun for kids and adults Call to schedule your child’s party today: 228-6250. For a list of available themes visit www.moosewood.org. WWW.MOOSEWOOD.ORG PAGE 2 Spring 2012 MOOSEWOOD NATURE CENTER Awaiting Approval as an Official Monarch Waystation Each fall, hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies migrate from the United States and Canada to overwintering areas in Mexico and California where they wait out the winter until conditions favor a return flight in the spring. The monarch mi- gration is truly one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, yet it is threatened by habitat loss in North America – at the over- wintering sites and throughout the spring and summer breeding range as well. Monarch Waystations are places that provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. Without milkweeds (the only host plant for monarch larvae) throughout their spring and summer breeding areas in North America, monarchs would not be able to produce the suc- cessive generations that culminate in the migration each fall. Similarly, without nectar from flowers these fall migratory mon- arch butterflies would be unable to make their long journey to The native Monarch butterfly is seen nectaring on a favorite food source. overwintering grounds in Mexico. To offset the loss of milkweeds and nectar sources we need to applied for certification as an official Monarch Waystation. We create, conserve, and protect milkweed/monarch habitats. Mon- are awaiting approval. arch Waystations can be created in home gardens, at schools, You are needed in this restoration project. Simply go to businesses, parks, zoos, nature centers, along roadsides, and on other unused plots of land. Without a major effort to restore www.monarchwatch.org and explore “Monarch Waystation Program.” milkweeds to as many locations as possible, the monarch popula- tion is certain to decline to extremely low levels. MooseWood has (Information in this article taken from www.monarchwatch.org) Will You Contribute to MooseWood? As members, volunteers or citizens of the greater Marquette community there are many ways that you can contribute to your Nature Center.