Even “standing room only” wasn’t enough. As if the lively chatter, hearty laughter and spontaneous rounds of applause weren’t proof, the line of people snaking out the door of the Minocqua Brewing Company‘s Divano Lounge confirmed that interest was alive and thriving in Wisconsin’s Northwoods.
No, it wasn’t a Packers playoff game. It was “Science on Tap.”
On Wednesday, February 6th, the Center for Limnology, Kemp Natural Resources Station, the Lakeland Badger Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association, the Minocqua Public Library and the brewery all teamed up to host the first installment of “Science on Tap-Minocqua.” The topic was “Wisconsin’s Northwoods: A Changing Landscape in Changing Times.”
Seats were filled before the conversation even kicked off at 6:30 p.m. and, by the time it was all said and done, more than 150 people had squeezed into the lounge to hear Trout Lake Station director, Tim Kratz, and Kemp Station director, Tom Steele, discuss the past, present and future of Northwoods lakes and forests. The casual event featured short talks by both men and an hour and a half of robust Q & A with the audience. Questions ranged the prism of ecological topics – from invasive species to forest management to mining impacts to the observed rise in Canada geese populations on area lakes.
While organizers were admittedly overwhelmed by the more-than-capacity crowd, they are already taking steps to maximize space for next month’s event.
On Wednesday, March 6th, at 6:30 p.m., science will again be on tap at the Minocqua Brewing Company. This time around, the topic will be “Climate Change in Wisconsin: Future projections and impacts for the Northwoods.”
CFL director emeritus, John Magnuson, and Ankur, Desai, associate professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at UW-Madison, will kick off the conversation with brief presentations on the latest in climate science, ongoing experiments in northern Wisconsin, and what predictions may mean for a community that relies on mild summers and cold, snowy winters for its quality of life. The floor will then be opened for any and all questions, comments and observations.
If it’s anything like the last event, it’ll be a lively discussion and an unforgettable experience. So, if you’re in the area, come on down, grab a beer, find a seat, bring your questions and discover what kind of science we’ve got brewing in northern Wisconsin!
