Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center

06/19/2024

Happy Pollinator Week! Our second featured pollinator of the week is the Yellow Banded Bumble Bee. These expert foragers have bright social lives, living in colonies containing a founding queen bee, female worker bees, male bees, and new queens. Yellow Banded Bumble Bee colonies are annual, meaning that only the new queen overwinters and then starts a new colony in the spring.

Because these bees don't overwinter, they don't produce honey. Instead, they gather pollen through the spring and summer months to bring back to the colony. Their bodies are large and fuzzy, this makes gathering pollen easier and more efficient. Yellow Banded Bumble Bees also use a pollination technique called buzz pollination. Buzz pollination consists of a worker bee using their jaw to hold an area of a flower with pollen and then using their wing muscles to vibrate their bodies to dislodge the pollen. This allows the Yellow Banded Bumble Bee to collect pollen other bees may not be able to.

To learn more about the Yellow Banded Bumble Bee visit: https://www.fws.gov/species/yellow-banded-bumble-bee-bombus-terricola

Photo Credit: Yellow-banded bumble bee, Thomas Wood, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0, https://www.fws.gov/banner/yellow-banded-bumble-bee

06/19/2024

‼️UPDATE AS OF 9:30 A.M.‼️ STH-13 from Herbster to Port Wing is now open. STH-13 just west of Cornucopia is still closed. ⚠️

‼️UPDATE:‼️STH-13 is currently closed between Cornucopia and Port Wing due to flooding at multiple locations from Romans Point in Cornucopia to the Flagg River in Port Wing. Crews are working to make repairs so the road can be reopened. STH-13 at Meyers Beach is closed between Cornucopia and Red Cliff. County C from Cornucopia to Washburn is open but has washed out shoulders. ⚠️ PLEASE USE CAUTION DRIVING IN THESE AREAS! ⚠️ WE WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THIS POST AS AREAS ARE ASSESSED. ⚠️

06/19/2024

06/18/2024

Happy Pollinator Week! Today's featured pollinator is the Monarch Butterfly. Despite weighing less than a paperclip, these fluttering friends migrate every winter, sometimes traveling distances of up to 1,864 miles to reach overwintering sites in Mexico and Southern California.

Monarchs lay their eggs to hatch on Milkweed plants, the only plant that the caterpillars eat upon hatching. Milkweed contains a toxin called cardenoildes and by eating milkweed, Monarch caterpillars and larva store up this toxin making them both poisonous and bitter to predators. A Monarch’s bright orange coloring on their wings sends the message to predators to “back off! I’m poisonous!”

To learn more about Monarchs visit: https://www.fws.gov/initiative/pollinators/monarchs



Photo: a Monarch butterfly perched on a New England Aster flower drinking nectar.

06/14/2024

06/14/2024

FREE MATINEE: See the show that started it all when the Blue Canvas Orchestra perform Riding The Wind on Sunday, June 16 as part of the Essentia Health Free Family Matinee Series.

Everyone is welcome, and no one needs a ticket – just show up!

Find more information about this event and the Free Family Series online at bigtop.org/free-family.

06/13/2024

It’s going to be a busy weekend at Legendary Waters Resort & Casino as they welcome Native American Tourism of Wisconsin (NATOW) for their annual conference along with a BBQ bash and a car show! Lots to enjoy!

06/06/2024

Here's the latest on the progress of the parking lot project⚠️

This very large machine “pulverizes” and grinds up our existing asphalt on site, then immediately re-uses it by applying it while it slowly drives. This allows for our asphalt to be completely re-used and recycled on site, instead of being thrown away. Our entire parking lot was completed in roughly one day!

They are also working to remove three islands in the lot to create a more efficient parking-lot space design.

Progress is going smooth and on time!

06/03/2024

Lake Superior Circle Tour enthusiasts‼️
We are sorry that we will not be open in June to stamp your books. We’re getting a new parking lot so you won’t have to dodge the potholes 🚗💥 when you visit next time. In the meantime, the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce has offered to stamp your book for you. They are located just east of us on Hwy 2 and are open Monday-Friday from 8am-4pm. We look forward to welcoming you back in July! 🎇

06/01/2024

It’s raining but we are still having fun!! Join us today until 1pm for the 24th Annual Kids Fishing Day!! Rods and bait provided!

ALSO special guest Smokey 🐻 will be here! Come give him a hug or high five!

05/30/2024

Spongy moth caterpillars are out, crawling and chewing their way up trees all over Wisconsin. Last year, a record 373,000 acres of state forestland was defoliated by the hungry invasive insects.

Want to know more about spongy moth and how to fight it? A new and improved resource, the Spongy Moth Resource Center, has been created to steer you toward information that should be useful to you: spongymoth.wisconsin.gov

Especially in the southern regions of the state, the caterpillars have emerged from their egg masses and begun feeding on the leaves of various trees and bushes.

Trees often recover from defoliation in a few weeks, using their energy reserves to create a new set of leaves. However, this regeneration leaves trees susceptible to decline and even mortality if additional stresses come along, such as drought, disease or another insect infestation.

Do you have a couple of trees in your yard with spongy moths? Do you own a larger woodlot with an infestation? Are you a logger trying to minimize damage? Are you interested in details on possible aerial spray options, or do you want to know about other control methods to fight the caterpillars? The Spongy Moth Resource Center offers answers to each of those questions and more, using a simple FAQ format.

You can have your spongy moth questions answered by the state spongy moth hotline at 1-800-642-MOTH (6684) or via email to [email protected].

05/30/2024

𝓕𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓢𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓲𝓬𝓮 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮

𝓓𝓪𝓿𝓲𝓭 𝓡. 𝓞𝓫𝓮𝔂 𝓝𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓷 𝓖𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓛𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓼 𝓥𝓲𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓸𝓻 𝓒𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓬𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓹𝓾𝓫𝓵𝓲𝓬 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓮 3 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓮 29, 2024 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓵𝓸𝓽 𝓻𝓮-𝓹𝓪𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓳𝓮𝓬𝓽

The David R. Obey Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center will be closed to the public from June 3 through June 29, 2024. During this time the Visitor Center parking lot and entrance drive will be re-paved.
“We are all excited to see this project completed. This will greatly improve our visitor experience and service,” said USDA Forest Service Visitor Center Director Lauren Romstad.
The Aldo Leopold Trail system remains open and available for hiking. The gravel parking lot for this trail system is located off County Highway G, 0.3 miles west of the Visitor Center entrance.
Visitor services will temporarily be provided at the Washburn Ranger District office of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Tuesdays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Washburn office is located 9 miles north of the Visitor Center along Highway 13, at 113 E. Bayfield St. in Washburn, Wisconsin. In July, the Washburn office will return to regular hours Tuesday through Thursday.
USDA Forest Service specialists are available at the Washburn District office to provide information and visitor services such as:
• Information about recreation opportunities, trail conditions, and more;
• Permits for collecting forest products, including fire wood;
• Interagency Passes for access to federal lands;
• Annual Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest stickers for use at day-use fee areas.
The Ashland Chamber of Commerce and the Washburn Area Chamber of Commerce are also resources for local residents and visitors. The Ashland Chamber of Commerce is located at 1716 Lake Shore Drive West, Ashland, Wisconsin, 54806. The Washburn Area Chamber of Commerce is located at 100 W. Bayfield St., Washburn, Wisconsin, 54891.
Updates will be posted on our website https://nglvc.org/ and page. We hope to see you in July when we re-open!
The David R. Obey Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center is located at 29270 County Hwy. G, Ashland, Wisconsin, 54806.
Our staff will continue to work remotely to provide similar services. Visit our contact page on our website for questions and to email specific staff.
More information about the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is available online: www.fs.usda.gov/CNNF; Facebook; and Twitter/X: .

05/26/2024

They're b-a-a-a-a-c-k!! Yes those tiny little caterpillars that you may have been seeing lately are recently hatched Spongy Moth Caterpillars!!! https://buff.ly/43O6W8h Check out our website for links to information on getting rid of these invasive pests that defoliate our trees, shrubs and even some flowers! Spongy moth caterpillars emerging from egg mass. Credit: Dode Gladders, UNH.

05/25/2024

The Keynote Speaker for tonight’s Bird and Nature Fest is Tiffany Kersten “Birdie Big Year: Elevating Women Birders”.

Tiffany Kersten’s career path took her across the country, and her love of birds came with her. She researched honeycreepers in Hawaii, performed bird surveys at Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin, served as a field naturalist for Cape May Bird Observatory, worked for New Jersey and Massachusetts Audubon, and was a Visitor Services Specialist at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey and at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in south Texas. With Kersten’s passion for wildlife and her desire to represent women in competitive birding, her goal was going for the 2021 Big Year world record travelling to the lower 48 states and tallying 726 birds.

And….. she helped coordinate the first Bird and Nature Fest at the NGLVC! Some of you may recognize Tiffany as a former ranger at the visitor center after she had graduated from Northland College. So honored to have her return tonight to be the keynote speaker!

05/24/2024

We are halfway through Bird and Nature Fest, and so many sightings so far!

05/22/2024

Chequamegon Bay Birding and Nature Festival registration packet pick-up starts tomorrow afternoon at the center. We are excited to see all the birders!

Three days of birding and nature programs on the south shore of Lake Superior at the peak of migration is an event every nature enthusiast will enjoy. The Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland is the headquarters for the Chequamegon Bay Birding and Nature Festival, which is happening on May 23, 24, and 25. This year there are over 60 field trips being offered and last year 176 different species of bird were identified!

If you attend the festival, make sure to stop in at the History Center and Archives operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society on the second floor of the Visitor Center. They have several Owen Gromme bird paintings on display, as well as historical records for eight northern Wisconsin counties.

📸: Focus Photography , Pam Mika
Birders on the trail at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center

05/19/2024

Summer is sailing in fast! It’s time for an Open House!

Our Madeline Island Museum staff have been busy getting ready for the Summer Season and we can’t wait to share the museum with you! Our 2024 Open House will be held on Thursday May 23rd from 5-7pm. Stop on by and see our new island exhibit “Passages: Ojibwe Migration to the Place Where the Food Grows on the Water!
The 2024 Open House event is free and open to all. Light refreshments will be served.

05/18/2024

It’s not too late to sign up for Bird and Nature Fest!

05/17/2024

Looking for tips to attract fireflies? Check out the post below.👇

Where did all the fireflies glow?

We get asked the question all the time - hey, why don't I see that many lightning bugs anymore? The simple answer is, maybe your community is no longer a good habitat for them. Before we get to the longer answer of why you're not seeing them anymore, you need to know how this beetle starts out life.

Fireflies lay their eggs in the ground where they then mature into glow worms. It's during this larval stage where they spend all their time eating other, tinier insects. Born and raised in the duff, they need the leaves that naturally litter the ground.

That’s why it's important to leave your backyards and street sides as untouched as possible every autumn to preserve the larvae and small insects living in the leaf litter. This helps to ensure a healthy, new year of fireflies.

Ok, leave the leaves, but what are some other ways to help?

💡Turn off outdoor lights in the evening. If you have inside lights on, close the blinds
💡Plant native plants
💡Mow grass less frequently and raise the length of the cut to 4 inches
💡When leaves drop in the fall, rake them if you want, but keep them in your yard
💡Use non-pesticide solutions for insect control

Check out the comments for more ways you can help re-glow and re-grow the firefly population.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Lucia (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

05/12/2024

The NGLVC sends Mother’s Day greetings to all mothers, of all species. 🐣

📸: Leah W, USFS. Canadian Geese and babies in the pond behind the center.

05/11/2024

Are you familiar with the story of elk in Wisconsin?

Once widespread across the landscape, unregulated hunting and habitat loss eliminated elk from our state in the 1880s.

Successful reintroduction efforts began in 1995 by releasing 25 elk into the Clam Lake Elk Range. Starting in 2015, we partnered with the state of Kentucky and other stakeholders to procure and relocate 150 elk from Kentucky to bolster the Clam Lake herd and establish the Black River Falls herd.

Both herds continue growing, and Wisconsin’s elk population is projected to reach over 500 animals after this year’s calving season, roughly 350 in the Clam Lake Elk Range and 180 in the Black River Falls Elk Range.

This means additional opportunities to view elk on the landscape and, for a fortunate few, the chance to hunt elk in Wisconsin.

But applying to hunt elk is about more than just a once-in-a-lifetime hunt. For each $10 application fee, $7 supports elk habitat management, research, population monitoring and more. The funding generated from elk hunter application fees directly contributes to the future of elk in Wisconsin.

Support Wisconsin’s elk population and apply for the 2024 season by May 31 at:
https://gowild.wi.gov/

05/11/2024

Wow. Check this near-term forecast graphic. Anyone seeing the northern lights now?

05/10/2024

The Spirit of the North Gift Shop In the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center has a great selection of Mother's Day gifts. Mention this post to get 10% off your total. Open Tuesdays thru Saturdays from 9 to 5.

05/09/2024

A visitor spotted this snapping turtle making its way through the yard today!

05/09/2024

Please share with your friends what is happening at the NGLVC in May!
It's always a good idea to call ahead to confirm programming before driving a long distance. Also note, the center offers space for community groups offering programming. The views and opinions of community offered programs may not represent the ideas of the NGLVC.

05/09/2024

05/07/2024

It's National Tourism Day! Travel enthusiasts can focus on travel planning, while marketing professionals can put their skills into increasing the local economy through tourism, which is exactly what we did yesterday!
Regional professionals got together to celebrate tourism and plan for the upcoming busy summer season. And of course, tourism folks are fun people to be around, so we had to take one serious photo, and one funny one. 😜

Iron River Area Chamber of Commerce
Cable Area Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Forest Service - Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Bayfield and the Apostle Islands
Bayfield County Tourism
Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce
Legendary Waters Resort & Casino
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
NWG Creation
Native American Tourism of Wisconsin (NATOW)
Wisconsin Historical Society