New savanna: seeded!

Amy AlstadCare for the Earth, Volunteers Leave a Comment

Submitted by Amy Alstad, director of land management and environmental education This Wednesday, a group of 30 volunteers and coworkers gathered to plant the newly-cleared oak savanna. Thanks to many helping hands, the task of planting 1.5 acres went quickly and was infused with a lot of joy and celebration. The work of the past three months has involved cutting, treating, hauling and burning a huge volume of buckthorn, honeysuckle and other invasive shrubs to restore the open, sunlit structure of a true oak savanna. Once cleared, the space was ready to receive the seed mix made up of 70+ species …

March phenology (the awakening season)

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCare for the Earth, Friends of Wisdom Prairie, Phenology 3 Comments

By Sylvia Marek Phenology is a science focused on observing and recording biological events from year to year and their relationships to the change of seasons and climate. These are the “normal” phenology events we expect to see here and in the Madison area this month. We would love to hear about what you are seeing on the grounds of Holy Wisdom Monastery. Please comment on this post with what you are observing, where at Holy Wisdom and the date you observed the event. No month ends or begins overnight. Events can be a few weeks early or late. “For, …

February phenology

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCare for the Earth, Friends of Wisdom Prairie, Phenology 5 Comments

By Sylvia Marek Phenology is a science focused on observing and recording biological events from year to year and their relationships to the change of seasons and climate. These are the “normal” phenology events we expect to see here and in the Madison area this month. We would love to hear about what you are seeing on the grounds of Holy Wisdom Monastery. Please comment on this post with what you are observing, where at Holy Wisdom and the date you observed the event. “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without …

Holy Wisdom Monastery awarded to RENEW Wisconsin 2023 Clean Energy Honor Roll

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCare for the Earth 1 Comment

Jodi Jean Amble (Deputy Director RENEW WI), Erin Trondson (Executive Director of Holy Wisdom Monastery/ HWM), , Mark Hanson (volunteer and sustainable energy consultant), Sister Mary David (HWM Prioress), Neil Heskin (HWM Board Member), Toby Grabs (HWM Direcot of Operations), Josh Stolzenburg (CEO Northwind Solar), Niels Wolter (owner of Madison Solar Consulting), Sam Dunaiski (Executive Director RENEW WI) Submitted by Toby Grabs, director of operations Holy Wisdom Monastery’s new 300 kW solar array was selected for inclusion in RENEW Wisconsin’s 2023 Clean Energy Honor Roll. Images of Clean Energy Honor Roll projects were shown at RENEW Wisconsin’s 13th annual Energy Policy Summit. …

January phenology

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCare for the Earth, Friends of Wisdom Prairie, Phenology 2 Comments

By Sylvia Marek Phenology is a science focused on observing and recording biological events from year to year and their relationships to the change of seasons and climate. These are the “normal” phenology events we expect to see here and in the Madison area in January. We would love to hear about what you are seeing on the grounds of Holy Wisdom Monastery. Please comment on this post with what you are observing, where at Holy Wisdom and the date you observed the event. Characteristics Coldest month Days gradually lengthen Stars are very bright on cold, clear nights Resident birds …

junco at Holy Wisdom Monastery

December phenology

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCare for the Earth, Friends of Wisdom Prairie, Phenology 3 Comments

By Sylvia Marek Phenology is the science of observing and recording plant and animal activities from year to year and their relationship to season and climate.  The following Madison area observations are from notes I have kept over the years.  We would love to hear about your observations here at Holy Wisdom.  Please comment on this post what, where, and the date of your observations. “I heard a bird sing in the dark of December.                       A magical thing and sweet to remember.”    —Oliver Hereford Earliest sunsets of the …

November phenology

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCare for the Earth, Friends of Wisdom Prairie, Phenology 2 Comments

By Sylvia Marek Phenology is the science of recording plant and animal activities from year to year and their relationship to season and climate. November events can vary when the month is warmer or cooler, wetter or dryer than average. The following Madison area observations are from notes I have kept over the years. “In that little leaf was all the poetry of fall, The first soft prelude of the symphony just finished. The cycle was complete once more, Now the snows could come.”       -Sigurd Olson Daylight in mid-November decreases to about 9.5 hours of light Daylight saving time ends …

October phenology

Sylvia MarekCare for the Earth, Friends of Wisdom Prairie, Phenology Leave a Comment

Heron on Lost LakePhenology is a science focused on observing and recording biological events from year to year and their relationships to the change of seasons and climate. These are the “normal” phenology events we expect to see here and in the Madison area this month. We would love to hear about what you are seeing on the grounds of Holy Wisdom Monastery. Please comment on this post with what you are observing, where at Holy Wisdom and the date you observed the event. October Phenology The following favorite observations are from notes I have kept for many years. October …

New England aster with rigid leaf goldenrod

September phenology

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCare for the Earth, Friends of Wisdom Prairie, Phenology Leave a Comment

by Sylvia Marek Phenology is a science focused on observing and recording biological events from year to year and their relationships to the change of seasons and climate. These are the “normal” phenology events we expect to see here and in the Madison area this month. We would love to hear about what you are seeing on the grounds of Holy Wisdom Monastery. Please comment on this post with what you are observing, where at Holy Wisdom and the date you observed the event. September Phenology The following September phenology is from my phenology notebooks. These phenomena do not occur at …

Argiope spider

August phenology

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCare for the Earth, Friends of Wisdom Prairie, Phenology 2 Comments

By Sylvia Marek Phenology is a science focused on observing and recording biological events from year to year and their relationships to the change of seasons and climate. These are the “normal” phenology events we expect to see here and in the Madison area this month. We would love to hear about what you are seeing on the grounds of Holy Wisdom Monastery. Please comment on this post with what you are observing, where at Holy Wisdom and the date you observed the event. August Phenology I have kept records of August observations for many years. My entries for August …