Previous Events

Fall 2018 Meeting:

Saturday, November 17: 10am-4pm
Room 151 in Russell Labs on the UW-Madison campus.

Join us for a day of insect fun and comradery!  Show up early (or stay late) to mingle with fellow insect enthusiasts.  Lunch will be provided around noon (Glass Nickel Pizza Co.), followed by our annual photo salon- you can enter up to five photos.  After this will be “Tales from the Field” by WES members, which showcases interesting and unusual discoveries from the current field season.  If you have something you’d like to share- even just a few brief words, pictures, or specimens- please do so! (email Kyle or PJ).

The UW-Madison Insect Research Collection (WIRC) will be available for visitation; if you would like to examine specimens or request loans please contact Dr. Craig Brabant (brabant@entomology.wisc.edu) or Dr. Dan Young (young@entomology.wisc.edu) to make arrangements.

A rough schedule can be found below:

Noon: Lunch (Glass Nickel Pizza)
1 PM: Annual photo salon contest (bring up to 5 photos on a flash drive or CD)
2 PM: “Tales from the Field”: a collection of short presentations and stories from WES members. Feel free to bring a presentation, a few brief words or pictures, or even specimens to share with the group.  If you have something you’d like to share- even just a few brief words, pictures, or specimens- please do so! (email Kyle or PJ)

If you have any questions about the fall meeting, feel free to email Kyle Johnson or PJ Liesch.


Spring 2018 Outing:

Our spring field trip will be Friday-Sunday, May 4-6, and features a “Bugs without Borders” theme.  We will start exploring the “central sands” of Jackson County, Wisconsin.  The next day will cross into Minnesota and explore the “blufflands” of Winona and Wabasha counties.  Our itinerary is below.

This trip will also highlight different sampling techniques including UV (ultraviolet) and MV (mercury vapor) sheets, UV traps, fermenting fruit baits, sweep netting, floral searches, and others.  If you have a sampling technique you would like to share, please do!

Please email Kyle (kejohnson4@wisc.edu) if you might attend.  Plans are subject to change depending on weather conditions.  Final trip details will be coordinated by email, so remember to respond!

Friday, May 4 (Night): @ Oxbow Pond & Barrens, Jackson County, Wisconsin (44.37309°N  90.70382°W).  Habitats include dry jack pine-oak barrens/woodland, pond, and river course.  About 8.6 miles northeast of Black River Falls: go 7.4 miles EAST on WI-54, then 2.7 miles NORTH on Cemetery Road, then 0.7 miles WEST on Oxbow Road.  We’ll like be parked just off the paved road, on a sandy 2-track (not at the main parking area).

Saturday, May 5 (Day): begin near parking area noted above @9:00am.  Later in the morning or early afternoon we may drive to other locations.  This include, but are not limited to: Bauer-Brockway Barrens (44.29852°N  90.74881°W), Martin Marsh (44.34180°N  90.55624°W), and Lone Pine Road/Peatlands* (44.32670°N  90.44472°W).  These sites include a variety of habitats including jack pine-oak barrens, sedge meadows, acid peatlands, and mixed forests.  *The access road is very sandy and getting stuck might be an issue depending on conditions; I haven’t driven it recently.

Saturday, May 5 (Night): @ Weaver Dunes, Wabasha County, Minnesota (44.27774°N  91.94085°W).  Habitats include sand prairie, dunes, and various wetlands.  Parking is off Highway 84 (at GPS point above) or along the sandy 2-track to the south (44.27664°N  91.94410°W).

Sunday, May 6 (Day):  Begin near above parking areas @ Weaver Dunes around 9am.  Mid-day we will explore Whitewater WMA in Winona County.  Habitats include mixed hardwood forest, oak savanna, sand prairie, bluff prairie, floodplain wetlands, and river course.  We will explore the 2-track 0.3 miles EAST of the junction of highways 30 and 74 (44.14981°N  92.00220°W).  The gate is locked but I have a key, and will try to get permission for others to drive back if possible (to access the best sand prairie).  Otherwise park on the road shoulder (do not block gate).

Sunday, May 6 (Night): @ Whitewater WMA, near the above parking area or in sand prairie farther in (44.16358°N  91.99097°W).


Fall 2017 Meeting:

Join us on the UW-Madison campus on Saturday, November 4th for a day of insect fun and comradery!  Show up early (or stay late) to mingle with fellow insect enthusiasts or visit the collections.  The fall meeting will be held in Russell Labs Room 150 (1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706).  Lunch will be provided around noon (Glass Nickel Pizza Co.), followed by our annual photo salon- you can enter up to five photos. After this will be “Tales from the Field” by WES members, which showcases interesting and unusual discoveries from the current field season. If you have something you’d like to share- even just a few brief words, pictures, or specimens- please do so! (email Kyle or PJ).

Directions can be accessed using the interactive map below, or are published below the map.  Parking is available behind Russell Labs in the Lot 36/Steenbock parking ramp off of Observatory Drive.  The gathering will run from 10 AM – 4PM.

A rough schedule can be found below:

Noon: Lunch (Glass Nickel Pizza)
1 PM: Annual photo salon contest (bring up to 5 photos on a flash drive or CD)
2 PM: “Tales from the Field”: a collection of short presentations and stories from WES members. Feel free to bring a presentation, a few brief words or pictures, or even specimens to share with the group.  If you have something you’d like to share- even just a few brief words, pictures, or specimens- please do so! (email Kyle or PJ)

If you have any questions about the fall meeting, feel free to email Kyle Johnson or PJ Liesch.

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Directions/Parking: Russell Labs is located at 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706. Free parking is located in the Steenbock Ramp behind Russell Labs (directly northwest).

Heading west-bound on University Avenue take the Babcock Drive exit (0.25 miles after the Charter Street intersection) and go straight through the stop sign (Linden Drive) and continue to next stop sign (Observatory Drive). Go left (west) 0.1 miles and turn left again (south) to enter the Steenbock Parking Ramp. Walk to the tall building directly to the southeast (Russell Labs) and look for signs.

Heading east-bound on University Avenue take the Old University Avenue exit (immediately after the University Bay Drive intersection). Continue 0.4 miles to Walnut Street; go left (north) for 0.3 miles to the round-about. Take the first right (east) off the round-about and continue just over 0.5 miles and turn right (south) to the Steenbock Parking Ramp. Walk to the tall building directly to the southeast (Russell Labs) and look for signs.


Summer 2017 Outing:

Join us at the Navarino State Wildlife Area (Shawano County) on Saturday, June 17 for a day (and night) of insect exploration and good company.  Navarino State Wildlife Area is located in Shawano County about 40 minutes north of Appleton, WI. The area features a wide range of habitats from dry oak-pine woodlands and sand blows to extensive wetlands, and mid-June we would expect a wealth of interesting insects and other wildlife. We will set up UV/MV lights and baits on Saturday night, and those interesting in camping may do so on site (let Kyle know as he will handle the special use permit). The nearest motels are located in Clintonville, Shawano, and New London.

We will initially meet at 9 AM in one of the parking areas on County Highway K 1.6 miles north of the junction with Highway WI-156 (44.65679°N 88.58124°W) and reconvene in the area late evening to set up for blacklighting. We will order pizza and wings for pick-up and bring to the site for lunch/dinner.

We may blacklight on Friday night as well, and have Sunday as an alternate day in case of poor weather. More details to come as the event gets closer, but be sure to mark your calendars now!



Fall 2016 Meeting:

Join us on the UW-Madison campus on Saturday, November 5th for a day of insect fun!  Show up early (or stay late) to mingle with fellow insect enthusiasts or visit the collections.  The fall meeting will be held in Russell Labs Room 150 (1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706).  Lunch will be provided around noon (Glass Nickel Pizza Co.), followed by our annual photo salon- you can enter up to five photos. After this will be “Tales from the Field” by WES members, which showcases interesting and unusual discoveries from the current field season. If you have something you’d like to share- even just a few brief words, pictures, or specimens- please do so! (email Kyle or PJ).

Directions can be accessed using the interactive map below, or are published below the map.  Parking is available behind Russell Labs in the Lot 36/Steenbock parking ramp off of Observatory Drive.  The gathering will run from 11 AM – 4PM.

A rough schedule can be found below:

Noon: Lunch (Glass Nickel Pizza)
1 PM: Annual photo salon contest (bring up to 5 photos on a flash drive or CD)
2 PM: “Tales from the Field”: a collection of short presentations and stories from WES members. Feel free to bring a presentation, a few brief words or pictures, or even specimens to share with the group.  If you have something you’d like to share- even just a few brief words, pictures, or specimens- please do so! (email Kyle or PJ)

If you have any questions about the fall meeting, feel free to email Kyle Johnson or PJ Liesch.

Directions/Parking: Russell Labs is located at 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706. Free parking is located in the Steenbock Ramp behind Russell Labs (directly northwest).

Heading west-bound on University Avenue take the Babcock Drive exit (0.25 miles after the Charter Street intersection) and go straight through the stop sign (Linden Drive) and continue to next stop sign (Observatory Drive). Go left (west) 0.1 miles and turn left again (south) to enter the Steenbock Parking Ramp. Walk to the tall building directly to the southeast (Russell Labs) and look for signs.

Heading east-bound on University Avenue take the Old University Avenue exit (immediately after the University Bay Drive intersection). Continue 0.4 miles to Walnut Street; go left (north) for 0.3 miles to the round-about. Take the first right (east) off the round-about and continue just over 0.5 miles and turn right (south) to the Steenbock Parking Ramp. Walk to the tall building directly to the southeast (Russell Labs) and look for signs.


2016 Summer Swarm & National Moth Week Event:

Join us at spectacular Perrot State Park on Sunday, July 31st for a day (or more) of insect fun!

The indoor meeting will be held 1pm-4pm in the park’s nature center, and will feature several talks and chance to mingle with fellow insect enthusiasts. Talk titles are pending (if you will like to contribute please email Kyle Johnson or PJ Liesch) but will include themes of the “Driftless Area” of western Wisconsin (and adjacent states) and the park itself.  Afterwards we will head to Sullivan’s Supper Club for dinner.

Vista in Perrot State Park
Vista in Perrot State Park

Be sure to enjoy the wonders of the park itself! Beyond spectacular scenery, the park offers a wide variety of habitats from steep bluff prairies and rich deciduous forests to the mighty Mississippi River. Field activities range from casual enjoyment of the park by day to all-night blacklighting. Potential dates are from Friday, July 29 through Tuesday, August 2 but will ultimately depend on weather and member interest (please contact Kyle Johnson). The dates are near the new moon and should offer a diverse show of nocturnal insects; they also allow us to participate in National Moth Week.

NOTES

If you have any questions feel free to email Kyle Johnson or PJ Liesch.


Fall 2015 Meeting:

Join us on the UW-Madison campus on Saturday, November 7th for a day of insect fun!  Show up early (or stay late) to mingle with fellow insect enthusiasts or visit the collections.  The fall meeting will be held in Russell Labs Room 150 (1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706).  Directions can be accessed using the interactive map below, or are published below the map.  Parking is available behind Russell Labs in the Lot 36/Steenbock parking ramp off of Observatory Drive.  The gathering will run from 11 AM – 4PM.

A rough schedule can be found below:

Noon: Lunch (Glass Nickel Pizza)
1 PM: Annual photo salon contest (bring up to 5 photos on a flash drive or CD)
2 PM: “Tales from the Field”: a collection of short presentations and stories from WES members. Feel free to bring a presentation, a few brief words or pictures, or even specimens to share with the group.  If you have something you’d like to share- even just a few brief words, pictures, or specimens- please do so! (email Kyle or PJ)

If you have any questions about the fall meeting, feel free to email Kyle Johnson or PJ Liesch.

Directions/Parking: Russell Labs is located at 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706. Free parking is located in the Steenbock Ramp behind Russell Labs (directly northwest).

Heading west-bound on University Avenue take the Babcock Drive exit (0.25 miles after the Charter Street intersection) and go straight through the stop sign (Linden Drive) and continue to next stop sign (Observatory Drive). Go left (west) 0.1 miles and turn left again (south) to enter the Steenbock Parking Ramp. Walk to the tall building directly to the southeast (Russell Labs) and look for signs.

Heading east-bound on University Avenue take the Old University Avenue exit (immediately after the University Bay Drive intersection). Continue 0.4 miles to Walnut Street; go left (north) for 0.3 miles to the round-about. Take the first right (east) off the round-about and continue just over 0.5 miles and turn right (south) to the Steenbock Parking Ramp. Walk to the tall building directly to the southeast (Russell Labs) and look for signs.


Spring 2015 Meeting:

Join us on Saturday, April 25th for a full day of insect fun!  The spring 2015 meeting will be held at the Nordic Shelter of the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest (42.82168°N 88.60084°W).

Directions from South: From junction of US-12 and County Road “H” in La Grange, go NORTH on County Road “H” for 1.5 miles- facility is on right.
Directions from North: From junction of WI-59 and County Road “H” in Palmyra, go SOUTH on County Road “H” for 4.7 miles- facility is on left.

A tentative schedule of the spring meeting can be found below:
8AM-1PM– field expeditions in prairies, wetlands, and woodlands of the Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest (weather permitting).

1PM-3:30PM: Lunch (pizza/wings) and mingling, with casual exploration of the woods around the shelter as weather permits.

3:30PM-5PM: Short Talks by Nancy Collins (Potential Effects of Host Plants on Tree Cricket Coloration), Steve Bransky (Preliminary Moth Inventory at Bong State Recreation Area) and PJ Liesch (Trends and Tales from the Insect Diagnostic Lab). Also room for others to share pictures, discoveries, etc.

5PM into the night: Return to the field for nocturnal insects, weather permitting. We’ll have dinner at a local establishment.


Fall 2014 Meeting:

Join us on the UW-Madison campus on Saturday, November 1st for a day of insect fun!  The fall meeting will be held in Russell Labs Room 150 (1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706).  Directions can be accessed using the interactive map below.  Parking is available behind Russell Labs in the Lot 36/Steenbock parking ramp off of Observatory Drive.  The gathering will run from 11 AM – 4PM, so feel free to show up early (or stay late) to mingle with fellow insect enthusiasts or visit the collections. A tentative schedule can be found below:

Noon: Lunch (Glass Nickel Pizza)
1 PM: Annual photo salon contest (bring up to 5 photos on a flash drive or CD)
2 PM: “Tales from the Field”: a collection of short presentations and stories from WES members. Feel free to bring a presentation, a few brief words or pictures, or even specimens to share with the group.

If you have any questions about the fall meeting, feel free to email Kyle or PJ.


Late Season Collecting at Avon Bottoms(Updated 10/16/14)

WES will be holding a late season collecting event on Saturday, October 18th at the Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area in Rock County.  We’ll plan on having multiple light traps and sugar bait stations for moths and other insects.  We’re planning to meet at 2:00pm, along Smith Road parking 0.25 miles east of County Road T (3.5 miles west of Avon).  For those showing up late this will be one of our night stations [42.55825°N 89.36168°W].  For dinner we’ll have chili at the Applied Ecological Services building on Smith Road; other options are also available nearby.

If interested in participating, please contact Kyle Johnson (kejohnson4@wisc.edu) or PJ Liesch (pliesch@wisc.edu) to RSVP, so we can have a head count of how many participants to expect.

Updates will be posted here in the event of inclement weather.


National Moth Week Event 2014: (Updated 7/16/14)

WES will be holding an official event in celebration of National Moth week (http://nationalmothweek.org/) on Saturday July 26th, 2014 at the Erickson wetlands property near Argyle, WI.  The event will be officially starting at 4:00 PM for some daytime collecting and will continue after dark with baiting and light traps for moths.  Anyone is welcome to stop by and participate.

The event is being hosted in cooperation with the Driftless Area Land Conservancy (http://www.driftlessconservancy.org/).   The newly established Erickson wetlands property borders a portion of the Pecatonica River and is in need of a biotic survey.

Moth Week 2014 Map
The Erickson Wetlands property is outlined in purple. The parking area is located at the Argyle Legion Community Park (P on the map). Directions for locating the parking area can be found using the interactive map below.

Spring 2014 Meeting:

The meeting will be held on Sunday, April 27, 2014 from 11am-4pm at the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center in Stevens Point, WI. The Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center is located at 2419 Northpoint Drive, Stevens Point, WI 54481. The visitor center can be easily accessed from I-39/US-51. Take the Stanley Street/WI-66 exit, go West for 0.1-0.2 miles, then take the first right (north) on Northpoint Drive. Follow 1 mile to the visitor center (on the left).

Join us for a day (or more) of insect fun! The main meeting takes place in the visitor center and will feature a few short talks and a chance to share stories, pictures, and specimens. Lunch will be provided at noon. Before/after the indoor meeting we’ll explore Schmeekle Reserve itself along with nearby sites including Dewey Marsh and Buena Vista Grasslands. Field outings may take place anytime Friday-Monday and are weather dependent and thus will be coordinated via email (make sure your email address is up to date).


View Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center in a larger map

Additional information about the center can be found at:
http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/schmeeckle/Pages/home.aspx.