A Northwoods Companion for Jan. 31 – Feb. 13, 2025 by John Bates
The Upside of Extreme Cold
The 3-day period from 1/19-1/21 where we had some serious sub-zero temperatures was very welcome. We hit -27°F as our lowest temperature on the morning of 1/21, and while I was standing close to our woodstove, I was applauding. And though some may think this as evidence of my ever-escalating insanity, it is only common sense. Cold is what helps to define us as the Northwoods. And actually, -27° is relatively minor in an historical sense. We used to hit between -30° and -40° regularly, once making us Zone 3 as defined by the plant hardiness zones established by the USDA. But now we’re considered Zone 4, with winter temperatures at their lowest reaching between -20° to -30°.
To state the obvious, severe cold creates hardships for plants and animals – the hordes of birds at our feeders during this period were visual evidence. However, hardship can be a good thing when applied to invasive species we don’t want in our area. For instance, emerald ash borer larvae burrow into ash bark for the winter where they cease feeding, purge all their stomach contents, and actually fold themselves in half. They are able to tolerate freezing by increasing the concentration of glycerol and sugars in their tissues to lower their freezing point – think of it like Prestone antifreeze. But like the antifreeze in your car, their antifreeze is only good down to a certain temperature, and then the fluids in their tissues freeze, and the insects die.
At 20 below zero, as much as half the population of emerald ash borers will die off. At 30 below, nearly all of the pests are likely to die.
Same is true for what were once known as gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar), now called spongy moths. They begin to freeze to death when temperatures fall to 17 below, with 22 below considered the limit for the cold hardiness of their eggs.
Likewise, hemlock wooly adelgids, an invasive insect primed to soon appear in northern Wisconsin, begin to die at 10 below, and most populations die at 20 below. If we get to 30 below, 99% typically die.
Still, while these extreme cold events dramatically lower these populations in the short term, they don’t completely do away with them. They can and do rebound over time.
Wisconsin boasts at least 18,000 species of insects, all with a complex ecology, and extreme cold is only one of many factors that may control a specific population. For instance, when spring arrives and insects resume activity, the effect of local weather conditions at the time of egg laying and the emergence of the first offspring can overshadow any population changes that took place during winter. A spring thaw that encourages insects to reproduce followed by a deep freeze, for example, can be devastating.
It’s complicated. Biological control of insects is a long game. Populations will swing up and down through time with the long-term goal being to find a balance. Still, extreme cold is one very effective tool for knocking back many harmful insect populations, and we should celebrate the cold when it comes.
And now I’m going to go warm my hands by the woodstove.
Birds So Far This Winter? Not Many!
During some winters we’re the recipients of battalions of birds visiting from Canada, while other winters provide us with only modest numbers. Their presence or absence at our feeders depends primarily on how abundant their food is in Canada – northern birds can tolerate cold, so that’s not really an issue. Given how few species have been present at everyone’s feeders so far, it appears there’s plenty of food in Canada for many of the bird species we often see.
To date (1/24), very few people are seeing pine siskins, redpolls, evening grosbeaks, pine grosbeaks, or bohemian waxwings. These species may yet wander down here if their food runs out in Canada, so there’s still hope.
male cardinal in Manitowish, 1/24/25
At our feeders in Manitowish, we currently have 13 species visiting: downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, pileated woodpecker, red-breasted nuthatch, white-breasted nuthatch, mourning dove, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, American goldfinch (40+), purple finch, American tree sparrow, one male cardinal, and one female grackle with a distended wing.
male purple finch, photo by Bev Engstrom
WinMan Success Story
If you’re not familiar with WinMan Trails in Winchester, the 1,300-acre site has evolved from its inception in 2011 into a remarkable complex of trails for biking (mountain and fat), hiking, running, skiing, and snowshoeing. It’s now a destination trail system for Midwesterners seeking self-propelled recreation, but its reputation draws folks from much further away. In 2024, visitors from 30 states utilized the trails, with three-quarters of the visitors citing WinMan as the primary reason for traveling to our area.
The organization recently issued its 2024 report, and noted that the system had 55,000 visits, which generated an estimated $4 million to the local economy. WinMan conducted a visitor survey from May to September in 2024, and found that 86% of the users lived outside the area. About half stay in a local residence owned by themselves, family or friends, and the other half spend money on lodging, as well as food, gas, restaurants, etc.
On average, survey respondents stayed in the area for 4 days, and they enjoyed other recreational opportunities in our area like our paved bike trails, paddling our rivers and lakes, boating, hunting and fishing. It’s a great story of “build it, and they will come.”
See the full report at https://www.winmantrails.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Economic-Impact-Report-2024.pdf
Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program
The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program (KNP) is up for refunding, and it’s important to know what it’s all about. The program preserves natural areas and wildlife habitat, protects water quality and fisheries, and creates opportunities for outdoor recreation. It was created 35 years ago and was named after two notable Wisconsin conservationists: Warren Knowles (R) Governor of Wisconsin 1965-67, and Gaylord Nelson (D) U.S. Senator from Wisconsin 1964-81.
While the program is used to acquire land and conservation easements, it also invests money in a huge array of smaller projects such as developing and supporting local parks, boat landings, campsites, beaches, and recreational trails. For instance, KNP has helped fund dozens of projects in Oneida County, including:
· The Minocqua boat landing
· The Town of Sugar Camp Lion’s Park (play equipment, basketball courts, bleachers etc.)
· The Brandy Lake beach in the Town of Arbor Vitae (play equipment, wood fiber base, timbers and access pad)
· Renovation of the City of Rhinelander Hodag Park public boat landing
· The Oneida County Perch Lake Park and trails (shelter, restroom and equipment storage)
· Fredrick’s public boat landing on the Wisconsin River near McNaughton
· The Bearskin State Trail (snowmobiling, biking, and walking) acquisition
· Minocqua-Kawaguesaga Lakes chemical treatment of invasive Eurasian water milfoil
· Parking lot, road, shelter, water system, toilet, and picnic area at the Town of Newbold Wooden Bridge Park
· Lake Tomahawk boat launch restroom facilities
· City of Rhinelander Boyce Drive boat landing
· Acquisition of land for the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest
KNP funds are budgeted by the Wisconsin Legislature. It’s currently funded through 2026, but is up for review during this legislative session.
The program is supported by every environmental organization I know, but also by a wide cross-section of other organizations including Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, The Ruffed Grouse Society, The Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation, Wisconsin Trout Unlimited, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, Wisconsin Counties Association, the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, as well as a large majority of Wisconsin residents from all political spectrums.
The program does cost money though. But as with anything, what do we want our tax dollars used for? The KN Stewardship program is estimated to cost each Wisconsin resident about $15/year and represents a tiny fraction of Wisconsin’s debt – only 2%.
See https://knowlesnelson.org for what we have received for that money.
The program is truly an investment in Wisconsin’s present and future, and I recommend readers take the time to become fully informed on it. Personally, I think it will be the best $15 I spend this year, and, if the program is fully funded again, for years to come.
Celestial Events
Tonight, 1/31, look after dusk for Saturn about one degree below the waxing crescent moon.
Today also marks the anniversary of the first U.S. satellite sent into orbit in 1958. Things have changed just a bit since then. As of 5/4/2024, the satellite tracking website Orbiting Now lists 9900 satellites in various Earth orbits, of which about half are non-operational space debris.
Operating satellites are now registered in 105 countries or multinational organizations, but only 14 countries had satellites as of 2000. In the last two decades, 91 new countries launched orbiting satellites. The U.S. leads all countries by far with nearly 3,000 operational satellites.
Back to watching the night sky: Nearly all planet watching takes place after dusk in February. Mercury can be seen extremely low in the southwest and setting quickly; Venus is low, but brilliant in the southwest; Mars is high in the east; Jupiter is very bright and high in the south, and Saturn is very low in the southwest.
Regarding sunrises, as of 2/9, the sun will be rising only a half hour earlier than our latest sunrise.
Why don’t the sunset and sunrise times coincide? There are two factors involved. The first is that the earth's axis is tilted with respect to its orbit around the sun, and the second is that the earth's orbit is not a circle but an ellipse. That’s the simple “answer.” But for the complex whole story, see http://www.larry.denenberg.com/earliest-sunset.html.
The full moon – “The Sucker Moon” or “Hunger Moon” or “Snow Moon” – occurs on 2/12.
Thought for the Week
If we’re not extremely careful about how we protect this incredible place where we live, this quote may come true for us: “Truly, we live in those long-ago times people will talk fondly of.” – John A. Murray
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