Spring…It Is for the Birds

Like everyone else in Madison, I’m having a slightly mixed up response to this week’s beautiful and springlike weather. We are VERY happy to see the sun and pop open our windows. It seems like half the town is wearing shorts today. But we’re also realistic Midwesterners and pretty much everyone I talk to thinks that we’ll still get hit with one more snowstorm.

So I thought I’d check with the experts: my neighborhood birds. Today was the first morning that I heard them chirping outside my window. Unfortunately, I’m not a bird watcher so I can’t tell you who was singing. I did see several robins hopping around looking for lazy worms, so perhaps it was them.

Here at EnAct, we often talk about how wonderfully sustainable Dane County is. This ethic includes land and water protection, which means it is also a great place for birds. Just ask the kind folks at the Madison Audubon Society! They have a handy printable brochure (pdf) that points out the best places in Madison to find our fine feathered friends.

Bridge on Yahara River-perfect for birding

My favorite birding spot is just outside my front door: a paddle down the Yahara River between Lakes Monona and Mendota finds lots of birds along the shores and nesting underneath the bridges.

Sandhill Crane, copyright International Crane Foundation

This is also a great time of year to open your ears and cast your eyes skyward. If you’re lucky, you might see a flock of sandhill cranes making their way from warmer climes back to our cozy Wisconsin marshes. They are huge birds, with a wingspan of 6-7 feet and they look a bit like a flock of geese overhead. But they have a very distinctive call that many people say sounds like children laughing. I have to give a shoutout to one of Wisconsin’s unique places: The International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, where you can see many different species of cranes close-up; it is a great road trip adventure.

I’m pretty sure that where ever you are in Madison, birds are there, too. Here’s a red-tailed hawk that a friend took from his apartment balcony just last week. They are one of my favorite urban predators.

Redtailed hawk, copyright Rob Pflieger

So go on, get outside to see who has arrived and decide for yourself if spring is here to stay. Remember…the early bird gets the worm! (You knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?)

Be green. Have fun.

–Maria

Water, Water Everywhere?

As I slogged through the muddy and puddle-strewn Yahara Parkway this morning with my trusty sustainability companion, Pixie the wonderdog, I couldn’t help but think about water. It was seeping into my supposedly waterproof shoes, and spring means several weeks of soggy ground.

So, what’s with water? As with so many sustainability issues, one seemingly simple question makes me realize how little I know. About anything. And everything. Like, for example, where does your water come from, Madison? I mean, we’re surrounded by lakes, so presumably we all know the answer. Except I didn’t. Do you?

Copyright ibm4381

The Nature Conservancy recently posted a nifty interactive feature called, “Where does your water come from?” Unfortunately, Madison isn’t on their map. Can I assume that my water comes from the same place as Green Bay’s or Milwaukee’s?

Which led me to my next resource: Wisconsin’s Water Library. Where I learned that this is Groundwater Awareness Week. What a coincidence, and now we’re all aware, yes? I also found this neat info:

Early French explorers called this area “Ouisconsin,” derived from a Native American word meaning “gathering of the waters.” The state’s liquid assets include more than 32,000 miles of perennial rivers and streams, more than 15,000 lakes, and more than 5 million acres of wetlands.

Well, I’m glad that I picked water to blog about this week. However, helpful and interesting though the site is, it didn’t answer my question.

Thank goodness for the City of Madison Water Utility (a fine organization that just happens to be an EnAct sponsor and on our Board)! They have a great Frequently Asked Questions section where I finally found my answer:

Q: Where does Madison’s water come from?
A: Madison drinking water comes from a deep sandstone aquifer, an underground rock formation where water collects in small spaces among the rocks.  Groundwater originates as rain or snow, soaks into the ground, and is naturally filtered through layers of soil and rock before replenishing the aquifer.  The Madison water system consists of 23 wells, 31 reservoirs, and 840 miles of interconnected pipes.

Gee whiz, I was completely wrong in assuming Madison’s water comes from the Great Lakes. Look for me to investigate water in future posts…because I’m discovering that my understanding of this issue is a little muddy.

Be green. Have fun.

–Maria

I love my electricity provider!

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, so of course I’m thinking of love. And I have a confession:  I am in love with Madison Gas & Electric. This is the first time I’ve been enamored with a utility provider but I refuse to be ashamed.

Though MGE is EnAct’s most important sponsor, that’s not the only reason I am infatuated. Every time I meet with them or participate in an outreach event with them, I am so impressed by the services they offer to their customers and to our community.

Here are my top 10 reasons why I love MGE:

1. Looking for a tip on anything from caulking to dehumidifiers to furnaces? Visit their website for a brochure full of answers.
2. Need assistance in Spanish or Hmong? MGE has a full Spanish-language site and representatives who speak Hmong.
3. Want to borrow a book or a portable energy meter to check your energy use? Check out their library partnership.
4. Considering solar power in your home? MGE offers advice and also example projects in the area. (Did you know that the UW Bike Path is one of the nation’s largest solar installations?)
5. Want to reduce your carbon footprint? Their CO2gether program includes a calculator that is linked directly to your energy use for real-life tracking.
6. Want to invest in green power? MGE offers options.
7. Considering an electric car? They are creating the first charging network in the country.
8. Looking for something to do this month? Check out their events calendar, go to a Power Tomorrow Worksh0p, or attend a Community Energy Resource Fair this spring (watch their website for details).
9. Need energy conservation tips specifically for renters? They’ve got it.
10. Want advice? Visit their web channel and “Ask Bob” a question (Bob is on the EnAct Board and is a great resource).
11. Wondering where to find one of only 3o peregrine falcon nests in Wisconsin? Where else but at the MGE station on Madison’s East Side!

I could go on, but I don’t want to make MGE blush. Thanks, MGE, for taking me to a whole new level of enviro-love.

Be green. Have fun.
–Maria