Central Wisconsin Environmental Station

05/23/2026

05/18/2026

We are so grateful to Tina Giombetti for her long-standing and continued support of CWES and the Tomorrow River Community Charter Schools.
It was an honor to present Tina with the CWES Field Station Award this year!

05/14/2026

We hope you can join virtually or in person!

Join us this afternoon at 5 p.m. in the new Library, room 374, for a Graduate Student Public Seminar with Sarah Wood. She will be presenting “Exploring the Influences, Behaviors, and Motivations of Serious Young Adult Birders.” All are welcome!

05/13/2026

With summer camp season less than a month away, It's time for another round of staff introductions! Our next two counselor/naturalists are so excited for the upcoming summer season!

My name is Carolyn. I am from Oregon Wisconsin, currently working towards a Bachelor's in Wildlife Ecology with a certificate in Environmental Education. I am very excited to spend my summer in a natural area and have the chance to inspire younger kids with the same passion for nature that has driven me. My hobbies include writing and drawing, reading new mystery novels, learning, and talking walks in nature. My favorite outdoor activities are tree climbing and horse riding, though I have not done either in multiple years. I am on the autism spectrum, but I find it makes me more passionate, positive, and adaptable, as well as helping to make friends and notice things others may not.

Hello, my name is Adasyn! I was a camp counselor last summer and I’m super excited to return and have fun this summer, hopefully see some brand-new faces and some familiar as well! I'm from the metro-Detroit area in Michigan. A fun fact about me is that I have two birds, I also have a dog called a beagle, look them up, they are so cute! I am very passionate about the environment and look forward to spreading that passion to others. I spent my summers as a child going to day camps about frogs, turtles, butterflies, and birds. My major at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is Waste Resources and Environmental Protection and I'm also minoring in Environmental Education and Interpretation. I can't wait to meet you!

05/07/2026

On the last Saturday in April, CWES Graduate Assistant Sarah Wood and Aldo Leopold Audubon Society bird walk leader Rob Pendergast led community members on a bird walk around the property. It was a beautiful morning, we had a record turn out of 29 participants, and we observed 41 different species of birds! Check out Rob's write-up of the walk:

"As we started in the parking lot, we were treated with the song of a BROWN CREEPER; RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, PINE and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were also singing it up. We made our way down to Sunset Lake adding more species. A BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER sang a few times for us, but never revealed itself. On the lake, we were delighted to see the COMMON LOONS had returned for the nesting season. TREE SWALLOWS were busy near the frog pond, some gave us good looks while perching in the snags in this area. An OSPREY and PILEATED WOODPECKER called briefly.

Continuing uphill and over to Minister Lake we got ears and eyes on a ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK! The undergrowth was also good for turning up EASTERN TOWHEE and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS. Minister Lake offered HOODED and a lone COMMON MERGANSER. It was cool to learn some of the former plantation pine on the property has been cleared out for some of the understory is starting to regenerate. Sarah told us that this area is now producing some decent bird diversity. Plantation pine stands are a monoculture and tend to be ecological deserts, undergrowth and mixed tree diversity is an important component of forests! We poked along the trail at Minister Lake adding a TUFTED TITMOUSE and a busy RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH hard at work excavating a cavity for nesting. Heading back, we were able to pick up a duo of BROAD-WINGED HAWKS overhead.

Complete eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S327131448"

Special thanks to Claus Wich for sharing his photos from the walk! Pictured are Red-breasted Nuthatch, Common Loon, Song Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Tree Swallow, White-throated Sparrow, and Hooded Mergansers.

04/29/2026

⛺️🎯🛶🌳 Don't forget to register your camper for CWES summer camp!

Today we're highlighting our Adventure Trip, which runs from July 19-24. This off-site adventure camp is for ages 14-16. We only have two spots left, so don't wait to register your camper!

Kickapoo Canoe Adventure Trip participants will experience the wild beauty of Wisconsin's Driftless Region on a backcountry adventure. Campers will spend a night at Wildcat Mountain State park, then paddle 20 miles on the winding Kickapoo River. Campers will also spend two nights beneath the stars at the stunning Kickapoo Valley Reserve.

For more information and to register: https://www.uwsp.edu/cwes/home/summercamp/

04/28/2026

CWES is excited for our next project, a water catchment system located at our maintenance shop. This will allow us to collect rainwater from a roof which will be used to water plants at our greenhouse and garden. Thank you to UW-Stevens Point Student Government Association for approving this project with your amazing Green Fund initiative!

04/24/2026

This is a great opportunity to learn how to support Sunset Lake!

Dear Neighbors and Friends of Sunset Lake,

The Sunset Lake Association invites you to join us at Central Waters Brewing Co. on May 17, 2026, at 4:00 PM for a presentation on Portage County Lakes by Golden Sands RC&D. Please see the attached flyer for more details.

Following the presentation, we encourage you to stay and socialize with your neighbors. Sunset Lake Association staff will be available to answer questions and hear your feedback regarding our mission.

Your first beer is on us! We look forward to seeing you there.

12/12/2025

Yesterday, we lost two of our biggest heroes: Bruce Braun and George Meyer.

They each were board members at NRF, impactful visionaries, and committed to protecting nature in our great state throughout their lives.

Bruce Braun, who only recently stepped off our board due to his health, was Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin DNR for 11 years.

George Meyer, who also served on our board, was Secretary of the DNR for eight years. On Wednesday, we sadly lost them both on the same day, each to cancer.

These two men protected our state's natural resources with dedication, warmth, and enthusiasm. Their accomplishments, which are being touted across the conservation community today, are almost too numerous to list. They will be missed, and they will be remembered.

📸: Courtesy of NRF

Image: close up of Bruce Braun, close up of George Meyer