Year: 2017

Stares on the Stairs: Hasler Lab’s Rotating Art Exhibits

If you’ve ever visited our comfy confines here on the Lakeshore Path, you know that the inside of Hasler Lab is, well, of the white cinder-block school of interior design. But, thanks to Hasler Lab Coordinator, Kelly O’Ferrell, and a lot of local artists and UW students, our entry stairwell is awash in color with …

Trout Lake Research Rewind: Monitoring Macrophytes & Crushing Chlorophyll

by Riley Steinbrenner Week Eleven After spending the first part of their summer working with the Citizen Lake Monitoring program—which recruits lakeside-dwelling citizens to monitor water clarity using a Secchi disk—the Aquatic Invasive Species crew have spent their last few weeks recording plant populations on surrounding lakes by taking point-intercept surveys, or sampling at predetermined …

Lake Is a Rainbow: Weird, Warm Fall Makes “Three-Layer Lake Cake”

by Luke Loken Autumn is typically associated with fall colors, pumpkin spice lattes, and cool temperatures. However this year, much of the Midwest has been stuck in summer-like conditions. And these record temperatures come with unexpected consequences. Usually, as the air cools in autumn so do the surfaces of our lakes. When a lake’s surface …

Trout Lake Research Rewind: Tricking the Turf & Sampling the Surf

by Riley Steinbrenner Tree Skirts? Ever since Dom got stuck between a hand drill and a hard place the first time I ventured out with him and Patrick, this whole “tree skirt” situation had just been a figment of my–well everyone on station’s–imagination. That is, until one day at the end of July when Dom …

A Tale of Two Science on Taps: Tonight in Madison AND Minocqua!

This is just a friendly PSA to let you know about an exciting opportunity to talk science tonight in both Madison and Minocqua. The CFL is helping host two science cafes where we leave the lecture behind, grab a drink and start a conversation. Details below: Invasives Attack! – Science on Tap-Madison – 7pm, Nomad …

Trout Lake Research Rewind: Mega Buoy & Mini Mammals

by Riley Steinbrenner Week Eight Launching Mega Buoy If you ever walked up to the station’s main lab at any time during the beginning of summer, a giant conglomerate of solar panels, wires, metal framing and heavy-duty floatation devices would be hard to miss among the row of terrestrial fleet vehicles. Affectionately known as “Buoy …

It’s a Jungle Down There: Zebra Mussels Transforming Depths of Lake Mendota

by Mike Spear In September 2015, a single zebra mussel about the size of a fingernail sent alarm through the Center for Limnology. (CFL). It signaled the arrival of one of the world’s most notorious invasive species in our own Lake Mendota, and it was big news. Today, zebra mussels carpet the rocky bottom of …

A Final Farewell to the Best Summer Job I’ve Ever Had

by Riley Steinbrenner Goodbyes are hard, especially when it comes to saying them to people you’ve lived with and developed friendships with over the past two-and-a-half months. (Seriously, where did the time go?!) And so, I’d like to start off my final post as Trout Lake Station’s science communication intern by thanking all the wonderful …

Despite Changes in Climate, Land Use and Management Practices, Lakes Stay Surprisingly Static

Over the last few decades, change has defined our environment in the United States. Agriculture intensified. Urban areas sprawled. The climate warmed. Intense rainstorms became more common. But, says a new study, while those kinds of changes usually result in poor water quality, lakes have mostly stayed the same. The authors of the article, published …

Trout Lake Research Rewind: TLS Open House

by Riley Steinbrenner Despite early-morning drizzles and a steady wind throughout the day, this summer’s Trout Lake Station Open House was a  big success! Nearly 200 visitors from all corners of the Northwoods – Boulder Junction, Sayner, Minocqua (and even nearby campgrounds) joined us for a day of free Babcock ice cream, arts and crafts, …