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Dick Ellis Blog:

7/15/2024

Black, minority Trump supporters censored by Gannett, other media at 2020 RNC Convention. Expect the same as Milwaukee hosts 2024 RNC Convention. Look back four years Wisconsin, to compare and contrast Gannett’s corrupt coverage of the 2020 Republican and Democratic National Conventions to know what to expect July 15-18 when the nation’s eyes rest on Milwaukee, home of the 2024 RNC convention. The DNC will showcase its conventi...

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Outdoor Report: Help Wisconsin Bats

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report

Plan The Perfect Autumn Getaway

Plus, Help Wisconsin Bats & Slow The Spread Of CWD

An older couple reads near a campfire beside their small RV camper.

Photo Credit: Travel Wisconsin

Crisp leaves, perfect campfire weather and hiking without the heat: Fall is a beautiful time to camp in Wisconsin. Make plans now to get away and enjoy the season! Visit our reservations website to book your fall camping adventure.

If leaf-peeping is part of your fall plan, be sure to visit Travel Wisconsin's Fall Color Report for estimates of peak color across the state.

A CWD sampling kiosk, painted orange with its lid open.

Help Slow CWD's Spread: Adopt A Kiosk

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, infectious nervous system disease found in the deer family. The Wisconsin DNR began monitoring the state's wild white-tailed deer population for CWD in 1999; the first positives were found in 2002.

For the fourth year, individuals and organizations around the state have partnered with the DNR to place self-service kiosks and deer carcass disposal dumpsters out for hunters. This year, the Adopt-a-Kiosk and Adopt-a-Dumpster programs are looking for more volunteers to bring convenient CWD testing and proper deer carcass disposal options for hunters across Wisconsin.

Adopt-a-Dumpster partners can either donate the full cost of a dumpster or participate in the DNR’s cost-sharing program. The cost-sharing program ensures that after receiving DNR reimbursements, partners will not pay more than $500 for their share. In most counties, cost-sharing is available for up to three locations.

Learn how you or your organization can get involved with Adopt-a-Kiosk or Adopt-a-Dumpster this year.

Interested in the science behind CWD and the research being done? Learn more about CWD in Wisconsin by listening to this episode of the Wild Wisconsin - Off The Record Podcast.

Two little brown bats nesting in an attic.

Unwanted Guests? Humanely Keep Bats Out Of Your Home Now Through May 31

Little brown bats (pictured), big brown bats, northern long-eared bats and eastern pipistrelles are all threatened species in Wisconsin and receive legal protection, including a ban on exclusions (keeping bats out of homes and buildings) during maternity seasons.

While we want to keep bats safe, we don't always want them in our homes. Luckily, fall is a good time to safely and humanely evict bats from homes and buildings. Now through May 31, before the nursing and baby bat protection period begins, you can keep bats out of homes and buildings by following best practices.

The DNR provides do-it-yourself instructions and information on hiring a professional to get bats out of buildings humanely by sealing a building except for primary exits, outfitted with one-way doors that let bats exit and prevent re-entry.

Want more ways to help Wisconsin bats? Learn how to make a bat house to give bats a better housing option.

Girl Scouts Love State Parks Weekend:
Sept. 11-12

The Wisconsin DNR is partnering with Wisconsin Girl Scout councils for the third-annual Girl Scouts Love State Parks event, Sept. 11-12, 2021. The weekend celebrates Wisconsin State Parks and the Girl Scouts of the USA's (GSUSA) focus on outdoor adventures.

The National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) and the Girl Scouts created the Girl Scouts Love State Parks event in 2019 to offer nationwide opportunities, including virtual council-sponsored programs, self-guided activities, in-person events and outdoor recreation activities.

The DNR invites the public to get involved by contacting their local Girl Scout council to learn about local in-person and virtual events and other opportunities to join in the effort to get every Girl Scout outside and into a State Park System property. Drop-in events are listed on the DNR Events calendar and scouts and their families are also invited to attend public programs. Find resources and ideas for self-guided activities for Girl Scout families and troops on the OutWiGo webpage.

Join the celebration on social media with #GSOutdoors and #OutWiGo.

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