When an invasive species overruns an ecosystem, it is often assumed that the organism recently arrived at its new home and rapidly took over. But a report published in the journal, BioScience, says that many new arrivals aren’t nearly as impatient as this narrative implies. In fact, it is not uncommon for “sleeper populations” of …
For those of us lucky enough to live where our lakes freeze in the winter, one of the true joys of the season is getting out on the ice. Suddenly, a space that was only available for the boat owners among us becomes available to anyone who lives near its shores. This winter, in particular, …
If you’ve been checking the forecast for Christmas Eve here in Wisconsin, you’ve no doubt seen that a bit of a cold snap is on its way. While the past several days have hovered just above freezing, we’re about to see single digit lows and highs in the teens for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning …
Last week was the first time in a while that hunkering down at home for days on end was a response to weather and not a decision driven by spiking COVID numbers. Here in south/central Wisconsin, it was day after day of gray skies and persistent rain and the perfect conditions to ponder profound questions. …
by Julia Buskirk – In 2015, Petra Wakker began her college experience alongside Lake Mendota. She was no stranger to this waterway—before walking alongside the lake on her way to classes at UW–Madison, Wakker had already been working at the Center for Limnology for two years. “I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want …
Back in March of this year, just as it was becoming clear that “business as usual” was about to be a thing of the past, Petra Wakker walked into Room 101 of Hasler Lab and walked out with a high-powered compound microscope. No, it wasn’t a random act of scientific espionage, it was a carefully …
Holding History, a UW–Madison-based project, helps students explore how cultural knowledge is made and preserved and share what they learn with broader audiences. Their series, Water Lines, is produced by 2019 Trout Lake Station summer student, Julia Buskirk. Story and images by Julia Buskirk Lake Mendota, like most bodies of water, is part of a …
Most people think of green, algae-filled waters when talking about southern Wisconsin lakes. And, sure, these highly productive bodies are full of nutrients that run off from the landscape and feed huge algae blooms every year. But, each Spring, we get a little break between ice-out and algae season. And, depending on certain climate conditions, …
Remember when songs like this used to mean something? Well, it’s Friday again and, if that doesn’t exactly mark the end of the work week the way it once used to, it does at least mean that it’s time for Water We Talking About? Kids have questions and we find answers. This week, Paul from …
Another year, another ice-off for Madison’s lakes. Yesterday, the Wisconsin State Climatology office – specifically Ed Hopkins (you should read this great write-up in the Wisconsin State Journal) – officially declared the surface of Lake Mendota to be more open water than solid ice – so the date of March 22nd, 2020 will go down …