Bone Lake Management Plan
Wildlife & Natural Beauty Committee
Committee Goal: To protect and enhance Bone Lake's natural beauty, wildlife populations and habitat.
Objective: To help property owners learn how to provide essential wildlife habitat at their lakeshore property and around Bone Lake; while maintaining and enhance Bone Lake's natural beauty.
Committee members: Cris Dueholm; Karen Engelbretson, chair; Wayne Wolsey, recorder.
About Canada Geese
Information about how to repel and reduce the goose population. For Wisconsin lakes.
Shoreland Lighting
Light Pollution and Wildlife | Light Pollution and Safety | Light Pollution and Energy (International Dark Sky Association)
Security Light Frequently Asked Questions (Polk Burnet Electric Cooperative)
Children's Activity Book "Nighttime Rocks" (International Dark Sky Association)
Practical Guide to Residential Lighting (International Dark Sky Association)
Includes sample letter to a neighbor about a bright light
Our Fading Universe, reprint from Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine
Bird Survey. Get the survey (PDF) In May and June of 2011, ornithologist and biologist Brian Collins conducted a 54-point auditory bird survey around Bone Lake's 12.5 miles of shoreline. This survey recorded 88 different species of birds, including 16 species specific to the Tamarack forest at the north end of the lake. Setting out in his canoe before dawn, Brian used GPS to record his equally spaced stops around the shore. He spent ten minutes at each location listening and recording the birds he heard in a 50-meter radius and beyond. Brian is one of a very few biologists in the United States with the gift of identifying birds in this way. He works throughout the summer surveying birds for Wisconsin DNR in habitats as dense as black ash swamps.
Frog Survey Get the survey (PDF) In early spring, 2012, biologists Matthew Berg and Brian Collins conducted a frog inventory around Bone Lake at the same locations plotted for the bird survey. Bone Lake is home to three major taxonomic groupings of frogs and toads and home to a total of seven frog and toad species. The survey includes images and information about all of Bone Lake's frogs and toads.
Bone Lake Frogs
Bone Lake frogs and toads with audio of their calls PDF
(Photos, descriptions and audio of calls. You must open the file in Acrobat to access the calls)
Bone Lake frogs and toads print version PDF
Wildlife and Habitat Map In 2014 the Wildlife and Natural Beauty Committee produced an illustrated Bone Lake Wildlife and Habitat map including data from our Bird Survey, Frog Survey, and habitat studies. Our goal is to show you the diversity of nature around Bone Lake's shores, and encourage you to help improve habitat for wildlife at your lakeshore which in turn protects Bone Lake's natural beauty and works to improve water clarity.
Previous events:
MIKE LYNCH STARWATCH PARTY
Friday evening, August 10, 7:30 p.m.
Bone Lake Fair featuring U of M Raptor Center presentation with live birds
native plant sale, exhibits by Bone Lake LMP committees Saturday, May 19, 2012, 9-11:30 a.m.
Nature Workshop with Jim Gilbert. On June 11, 2011 we held a Nature Workshop, featuring a native plant sale, exhibits, and guest speaker Jim Gilbert. Attendees enjoyed learning about the benefits of native plants for wildlife and water quality, and spent an enjoyable hour discussing nature and phenology with Mr. Gilbert.
Nature's Landscaping. On Saturday, October 1, 2011, the Bone Lake Wildlife and Natural Beauty Committee hosted a walk through Straight Lake State Park, just north of Bone Lake (on CR GG, one mile north of Hwy 48), guided by plant ecologist Barb Delaney. Dazzled by the fall colors we learned about native plant communities and micro habitats in the woods and along the banks of the Straight River and the shores of Straight Lake. Participants went home with a list of recommended plants and the memories of a morning spent in the woods.
The Ice Age Trail winds through Straight Lake State Park. The park is rustic, overnight camping is not allowed, and there are no facilities, which makes it a terrific spot for a quiet time in nature. More about Straight Lake State Park | More about the Ice Age Trail