The BogHaunter - Friends of the Cedarburg Bog
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The BogHaunter
the newsletter of the Friends of the Cedarburg Bog
Volume 16, Number 1 WINTER 2020
lichen fungi are very particular about who Cyanobacteria are nitrogen-fixers that
they partner with. contribute to the fertility of the soil.
There are between 3,500 and 5,000 How do they work? The fungus provides
species of these often-overlooked structure and stability, and it absorbs
“composite organisms” in North America moisture and nutrients, primarily
and more than 15,000 worldwide. Fungi from the atmosphere. It absorbs
have been taking advantage of the “lichen indiscriminately, and some species,
lifestyle” for 400 million years. Visually, sensitive to air pollution, are considered
they are cataloged by growth form, and indicators of air quality. The alga also gets
the three most common groups are the water and minerals from the air, and the
foliose (leafy), crustose (crusty), and food it makes through photosynthesis is
fruticose (shrubby) lichens. used by both partners.
Lichens are pioneer plants, the first to Lichens can reproduce sexually or
grow on rocks or bare earth, and some asexually/vegetatively. Vegetative lichen
persist in extreme climate conditions reproductive structures are little “starter
(they have been grown in simulated kits” that contain cells of both (all)
Martian conditions). They survive drought partners. They may be special structures
and heat by suspending metabolism, but, (diaspores - algal material in fungal
according to Joe Walewski in Lichens of wrappers) produced and released by the
Foliose Lichen on White Cedar Trunk
(Photo: Danielle Bell)
the North Woods some species continue lichen, or they may simply be a piece
to photosynthesize when temperatures of the existing plant that breaks off and
What are those things? drop below freezing. grows where it falls. Less commonly,
Those crusty green or gray (or orange) The species that grow on rocks are soil- lichens reproduce sexually, making spores
growths that look like they’ve been makers, penetrating the rock surface that carry the genetic material of the
pounded or sprayed onto rocks and tree minutely and allowing moisture to enter, fungus. It’s a chancy proposition, since
trunks. The small, shrubby clumps of freeze and ultimately to crack off tiny rock spores must come in contact with the
“leaves” attached to tree branches. The flakes. Lichens may live for a long time, appropriate algae in order to grow.
tiny gray-green chalices or gnarled fingers but eventually, their decay adds organic This win-win partnership is often labeled
topped with red knobs. The answer: matter to the surface and sets the stage as mutualism, a relationship from
lichens. for mosses, grasses, and wildflowers. which both partners benefit. Because
Lichens are two organisms in one
package, a fungus and an alga (usually),
and if you had been reading about them
a few decades ago, they would have been
classified as non-flowering members of
the Plant Kingdom. Because a fungus
contributes to the characteristic shape
of most lichens, the majority are in the
Fungus Kingdom. Green and yellow-
green algae, the typical algal partners,
are plants, but some lichens contain
cyanobacteria, and others may house
both. Only about 20% of fungus species
are able to “lichenize”, but they are so
dependent on their plant partners that
when they are grown in a laboratory
and deprived of their partners, they are
essentially shapeless. Most, but not all, Pixie Cup Lichen (Photo: Danielle Bell)
the algal partner can exist in nature root beer floats at meetings and events.
without the fungus, but not vice-versa, Annual Winter Hike & He may well have greeted you and helped
some scientists call it commensalism, a
relationship in which one partner benefits Chili Potluck you park your car at a Friend’s event.
Ron was a consummate conservationist
and the other is unaffected. is going Virtual in 2021! who supported numerous organizations
Join us on January 31, 2021 for a virtual in addition to the Friends. Among these
guided hike into the Bog with Jim Reinartz were sharing his writing talents for the
as our guide. Muir View, volunteering at Riveredge
Nature Center, The Ridges, and the Ice
Make your favorite chili recipe and enjoy Age Trail. He also led many insightful trips
the beautiful winter scenes of the Bog to the Boundary Waters, ancient native
from the comfort of your couch. American lands of SE Utah and hikes and
canoe trips in Wisconsin.
Be sure to check our website,
www.bogfriends.org and social media for
more details as the date approaches. An
Fruitcose Lichen on branch (Photo: Danielle Bell)
email will be sent out with details on how
to access the Zoom call.
Lichens do not go unnoticed by wildlife.
Questions? Email fieldstn@uwm.edu or
Northern Parula Warblers and Ruby-
call 262-675-6844
throated Hummingbirds incorporate
them into their nests, and lichens are
eaten by deer and flying squirrels as well The Cedarburg Bog is a Wetland Gem
as by a variety of insects, snails and slugs. and an Important Bird Area
Humans use them as an emergency food
(George Washington’s troops at Valley
Forge ate a soup made with rock tripe
lichens), for medicine, and for dyes.
Walewski writes that some scientists feel Ron Horn with Anne Reis volunteering to construct
that lichens are “not organisms at all, but the floating boardwalk in the string bog
are actually small ecosystems containing Ron’s love and caring for nature were
a producer (algae or cyanobacteria) and always evident. With his generous spirit,
a consumer (fungus)”. Walewski also he provided encouragement to novices
quotes a lichenologist who describes and experienced outdoor visitors. On his
lichens as “a fungus that has discovered well-organized trips, he always carried
agriculture”. the heaviest pack. Ron managed to
One thing that lichenologists seem hand churn butter pecan ice cream on
to agree on is that even with today’s many trips. His trips were frequently
scientific tools, the more we study documented with amazing slide shows
lichens, the more questions we raise. that were recalled with lots of stories
Enjoy their various forms in the field Ron Horn and Nathaniel Reinartz during a previous and humor. Ron’s fireworks shows were
(bring a hand lens), and remember, a winter hike into the Bog (Photo: Chuck Stebelton) equally enjoyable. His trips were made
lichen is a “fungus and an alga that have more adventuresome by his VW camper
taken a liken’ to each other”. Final Portage that needed “adjustments” along the
-Kate Redmond way, an example of his insightful problem
We are saddened by the passing of Ron
solving abilities. He is survived by his twin
Horn earlier this year. He passed at the
brother Bob of Woodbury, MN and many
BogHaunter in the Archive age of 75 on August 25th, making his
friends. We will miss him.
final portage. He was a good friend and
The special collections library at
neighbor to the Friends of the Cedarburg
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Bog. A stalwart volunteer for the Friends,
has acquired and cataloged a full set
Ron was involved in the construction President’s Message
of BogHaunter newsletters, beginning
of the board walk to the string bog and Greetings Friends! I hope that you and
with the first issue. The newsletter was
the board walk and floating pier at Mud your loved ones are well and safe as
established by Kate Redmond in 2006.
Lake. He was very generous with his time, we navigate the uncharted waters of
During its run, the newsletter has been
talent and treasure. He is remembered COVID-19. As I am sure you are, we are
animated by Kate’s delightful storytelling
for his ready smile, a twinkle in his eyes, happy to have put 2020 behind us and
style and scientific acumen. PDF copies of
his sense of humor and his trademark eager for the pandemic to end so that we
all past issues are also available to view,
red Jell-O fruit salad at our Winter Hike can enjoy your company on a hike and
download, or print at the Friends website,
and Annual Meeting and Picnic. He also share a Bog story or two around a shared
https://bogfriends.org/boghaunter/
delighted in treating folks to Black Cow- meal at the Field Station.
Meanwhile, consider spending some John L. Riley, The Once and Future Great
time in nature to cope with COVID cabin Lakes Country: An Ecological History
fever. Both Watts Lake and Mud Lake Francis Pryor, The Fens (a great audiobook
public access areas afford visitors an version is available, narrated by the
opportunity to get away from it all and author)
be embraced by the serene beauty of
the Bog - an opportunity to enjoy a crisp Joe Walewski: Lichens of the North
winter morning or moonlit snowshoe trek Woods: A Field Guide to 111 Northern
across newly fallen snow. In the safety Lichens
of open space, you may be fortunate May Theilgaard Watts, History Book
to get a glimpse of a pair of bald eagles with Flexible Cover, or The Records
that have been in the area or others of in a Quaking Bog (from Reading the
our feathered friends that are wintering Landscape of America) The Worth of Water:
at the Bog. Winter can be a time to -Chuck Stebelton A Great Lakes Story
regenerate as we anticipate the return of
“When the well is dry, we know the worth
longer, warmer and better days. It also
Bi Booniig of water.” -Benjamin Franklin
provides us the opportunity to reflect on
events of the past year and chart a course Boonipon apii biboong miidash Congratulations to Friends of Cedarburg
forward. dakaanimad odishiwe Bog director Julia Robson and her
daashkikwaading collaborator Alyssa Armbruster on
the premiere of their remarkable
Boonitamaang madwezigoshkaag documentary film project, The Worth of
miinawaa bizindaamagidwaa Water: A Great Lakes Story. The Worth
wewenjiganoozhiinhyag of Water culminates a project begun
Boonigidetaadiwag mii maajii-aamiwaad as Walk to Sustain Our Great Lakes, in
epiichi makwamiiwaagamaag which Robson and Armbruster set out
Booniiwag enaazhi- on a 343 mile walk from the shores of
zhingobiiwaadikwanan nanegaaj Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
waaboozwaagonagaag to Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula
Watts Lake in Winter (Photo: Kate Redmond)
of Michigan. The two women interview
Until we can meet again unfettered by Boonam gegapii miidash boonendang aki political leaders, educators, activists and
social distance and pesky masks, take biinish bookoshkaag professionals to help bring a greater
good care of yourselves and your loved Landing Here understanding of the issues these Great
ones. And enjoy the Bog virtually. We’ve Lakes face, as well as highlighting the
been busy creating videos that allow When it stops snowing in winter and progress that has been made in restoring
you to do so. See the backside of the deep cold arrives to crack the ice the lakes since the establishment of
newsletter for ways to stay connected We stop hearing the freezing then listen the Clean Water Act in 1972. In a note
with FOCB. for the great horned owls of thanks to supporters of their project
Julia Robson writes, “It is our hope
To all of you who have responded to our They forgive one another and begin to
that this film will be utilized not just
year end membership appeal, Thank mate while the world is frozen
to inspire but to inform and thereby
you!! Your continued support makes it Landing on pine branches as snow falls empower the general public to act. We
possible for us to continue our work of gently in large flakes would be honored if you would consider
fostering appreciation for the Bog by
Eventually she lays an egg then ignores viewing and sharing our film. In order
Preserving, Protecting and Providing.
the world until it breaks to be as accessible as possible we have
Jim Ellis, President made the film available for free.” Visit
-Margaret Noodin,
What the Chickadee Knows: www.theworthofwater.com to view the
film online and read about their many
Wonderful Winter Reading Poems in Anishinaabemowin and English
accomplishments along the way.
Alison Hawthorne Deming, “Letter to
2050,” in Scientific American, January
2021
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gathering Moss: A
Natural and Cultural History of Mosses
Donald Kroodsma, The Singing Life of
Birds: The Art and Science of Listening to
Birdsong
Margaret Noodin, What the Chickadee
Knows: Poems in Anishinaabemowin and
English
Fellow Friends on a previous Winter Hike to Long Lake (Photo: Chuck Stebelton)
C/O UWM Field Station
3095 Blue Goose Road
Saukville, WI 53080
Volume 16, Number 1 WINTER 2021
CEDARBURG BOG FRIENDS EVENTS
Events are currently suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We hope to host events in the future when it is safe to do so. Please check our website at
www.bogfriends.org/event-registration for updates on the status of upcoming events, when registration will
open, and proper safety protocols that will be required. If you have questions or are unable to register on the
website, email fieldstn@uwm.edu or call (262) 675-6844.
Quarterly Board Meeting Virtual Winter Hike
January 7, 6:00 p.m. January 31st, 2021 via Zoom
All members are welcome to join the FOCB board Snuggle up on the couch with your bowl of chili
meeting. The October meeting is being held virtually while Jim Reinartz narrates a hike to the center of
via Zoom. Please contact admin@bogfriends.org if the Bog. More details to come!
interested in the agenda and to receive access to
the Zoom meeting. Trees at Watts Lake
Join Danielle Bell as she goes on hike to explore the
trees commonly found in the Bog, focusing on those
seen along the trail at Watts Lake.
Ways to Stay Connected with FOCB
Like us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/TheFriendsoftheCedarburgBog/
Follow us on Instagram Various colors of Lichen
https://www.instagram.com/friends_cedarburgbog/
Join our Email List Friends of the Cedarburg Bog: Supporting stewardship
https://bogfriends.org/mailing-list/
and appreciation of the Cedarburg Bog through land
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel management, preservation, research and education.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHHu5lWILc0mc4GTpDzScOQ
EVENTS HAPPENING ELSEWHERE WGLBBO - Western Great Lakes Bird & Bat UEC - Urban Ecology Center
Observatory 3 Branches - Riverside Park, Washington Park and
Many of our partners have created unique virtual 116 W. Grand Ave., Ste. 207 Port Washington Menomonee Valley
ways to keep everyone connected with our natural https://wglbbo.org/ https://urbanecologycenter.org/
world as we continue to keep our distance.
LLC – Lac Lawrann Conservancy SEWISC – Southeast Wisconsin Invasive Species Consortium
Please check their websites listed to the right 300 Schmidt Rd, West Bend 360 Cedar Sauk Road, West Bend
for more details and to ensure you are following http://laclawrann.org/ www.sewisc.org
recommended or required safety protocols if you NRF - Natural Resource Foundation
RNC – Riveredge Nature Center
are attending an in-person event. 4458 County Hwy Y, Saukville Field Trip Fridays
Tea & Topics by RNC https://www.riveredgenaturecenter.org/ https://www.wisconservation.org/virtual-field-trips/
Wetland Coffee Breaks by WWA MNP - Mequon Nature Preserve WWA - Wisconsin Wetlands Association
Kid’s Craft Corner by MNP 8200 W County Line Rd, Mequon Virtual Wetland Walks
UEC Podcast by UEC www.mequonnaturepreserve.org https://www.wisconsinwetlands.org/wetland-walks/
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