Author Archives: Andrew Sabai
What Good is a Grass Fire?
The benefits of fire may be somewhat obvious, but there are others we forget today. People throughout the world have used fire to alter their environment to their benefit. On a small scale, traditional fires may have cleared a portion … Continue reading
Lake Poygan Time Lapse
While my son and I were working hard at harvesting phragmites for transplanting, I set up my GoPro Hero 3+ on a tripod to record some time-lapse footage of the marsh and sky. When it came time to plant the … Continue reading
What is Detritus?
Detritus is debris or waste of any kind. When we think specifically of detritus in lakes and wetlands we think of the undecayed organic matter of plants and animals. It is this that is typically the main source of nutrients … Continue reading
West Bay Cane Bed Flight
The West Bay Cane Beds in Lake Poygan have been in decline for decades, but the last decade has been particularly unkind. The beds are rapidly eroding from wave and ice action. The beds are now so small that a … Continue reading
What is a Forb?
A Forb is a herbaceous or non-woody plant that is not a grass, sedge, or rush (graminoids), so practically all wildflowers fall into that category. “Wildflower” is a loose term in itself and could be said to include roses, which … Continue reading
Mouse Tunnels in the Snow
Winter finally showed up and dropped a little snow, but the temperatures fell much harder. For the last several days the temperature has dipped below freezing, so what little snow we got is going to stay with us for awhile. … Continue reading
Rough Day on the Lake
It was a rough day on Lake Winnebago recently. Steady winds at 30 mph and gusts to 50 mph were driving large waves on the lake. Lake Winnebago is no pond, but it is not one of the Great Lakes … Continue reading
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
The Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is a small heron of about 18 inches in length with a wingspan of 26 inches. It is well camouflaged, and like all herons, it often remains motionless, but when it does move, it makes … Continue reading
Northern Shrike Storing Food
All too soon it will be that time of year when a few hardy birds from the north come down to spend the winter in the less harsh climate of the Upper Midwest. One of those birds is the Northern … Continue reading
Looking for Wild Rice on the Rat River.
Today I took a little trip on lakes Poygan and Winneconne looking for Wild Rice. I was curious to see how it was faring this year, and also looking for a bit to harvest. Formally these two lakes, especially Lake … Continue reading