Volunteer

Over the decades, Wisconsin has been home to some great conservationists and organizations that are connected to their visions and dreams. Wisconsin can proudly boast the likes of Aldo Leopold (Aldo Leopold Nature Center), Andy Larsen (Riveredge Nature Center) and Noel Cutright (Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory).  

Of great importance to the success of such organizations is the philanthropic visionary who shares the dream and can help fuel the cause. Lynde Uihlein is just such a visionary. A quiet, thoughtful, and private individual, Lynde has, through her intense commitment to conservation, helped found organizations and has sustained important science-based research through her generosity.

In a recent interview with Lynde, I had an opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the accumulated life experiences that have resulted in her passionate advocacy for the conservation of birds, endangered plants, and our freshwater resources.

Two years ago, after a brief retirement from the position, Lynde stepped back into the lead of the Brico Fund, which she founded in 1990. Today, Brico supports many environmental causes, but its lead concern began with water policy. A generous gift to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee resulted in building the Center for Water Policy, and Brico also sponsored the creation of the Water Policy Fellowship in Great Lakes Journalism at the university.

From time to time, the newsletter profiles one of the wonderful people who help us out at our events or make presentations that extend the reach of our organization. Board members of most non-profits are volunteers, too, and this issue honors board member Jill Kunsmann.

 
Jill has her fingers in most of the pies at the Observatory. She is Secretary of the organization and the head of the Development Committee, which encompasses the Events Committee. She is the public face of the Observatory’s events, and she provides much of the muscle behind the scenes. She teaches about pollinators, oversees the Observatory’s social media presence, and tracks down grant money, event venues, plants for native pollinator plant sales, box lunches, and porta-potties with equal aplomb. 
 
Like the duck that looks serene above the surface but is paddling wildly below it, Jill pulls off all of her tasks with grace, generosity, and humor. 
 
Before she turned her energies to the Observatory, Jill worked at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. When she’s not checking off items on her Observatory to-do list, she raises and tags monarchs and is a birder, an avid gardener, and a devoted mother and grandmother. 
 
Jill will be giving a talk about gardening for Monarchs at the W.J. Niederkorn Library on May 9, at 10 a.m.-- she’ll be the one wearing the Monarch cape.

Joel Trick may have retired from the Observatory’s Board of Directors, but he continues to make big contributions to us through his incredible bird photography. You will find many of his photos in our newsletters, annual reports, and Instagram account. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge and expertise to advance educational and conservation purposes.

Joel worked as a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Green Bay, Wisconsin field office for over 20 years prior to retirement in 2012. His work duties included review of federal projects, migratory birds, and endangered species recovery, including Whooping Crane, Piping Plover, Kirtland’s Warbler, Bald Eagle, Gray Wolf and Canada Lynx. He is also a well- known botanist and has collected thousands of plants and butterflies in northeastern Wisconsin.

In retirement, Joel continues to contribute to conservation initiatives and serves as an eBird reviewer for three Wisconsin Counties, as well as being the Manitowoc County coordinator for the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas.

We are grateful to have Joel as an Observatory friend and volunteer.

The Observatory is proud to call Milwaukee-based photographer and writer Eddee Daniel a friend and partner. Eddee is a true lover of nature and an experienced public speaker on topics relating to Milwaukee-area parks and urban nature. He attended both our first Southeastern Wisconsin Conservation Summit in 2017 and this year’s summit, where he delivered a talk entitled “A Wealth of Nature: Parks and Natural Areas in Southeastern Wisconsin.” What’s more, at our Monarch Tag-and-Release Celebration on August 25, he captured amazing photographs of butterflies being tagged and children enjoying the event. You can view the images on the blog, The Natural Realm. Eddee curates The Natural Realm for the website "A Wealth of Nature," which is a project of "Preserve Our Parks."

See more of Eddee’s work

Whether it's the Observatory's native plant sale, World Migratory Bird Day, our Monarch events, the Raptor Watch, or the Southeastern Wisconsin Conservation Summit, you are certain to find volunteer Barbie Hughes at all of them. Her dedication stems from a lifelong love of nature and a desire to make a difference through her volunteerism.

When she retired from her work as an occupational therapist in England, Barbie chose to build a home on the shores of Lake Michigan, a location that holds fond childhood memories of summers spent at her grandparents' cottage just north of her present location.

An avid gardener, Barbie has converted her yard to a haven for pollinators. Multiple milkweed species for Monarch caterpillars and numerous native nectar plants have created the perfect habitat, and she is richly rewarded for her efforts with clouds of butterflies that drift through her yard.  An avid bird enthusiast, Barbie takes advantage of her close proximity to the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust's Forest Beach Migratory Preserve to go on frequent bird hikes, and she has gone through the training sessions to become a Raptor Watch volunteer in the fall.

Thank you, Barbie, for all you do for the Observatory!