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TGVG BLOG
Get ready for adventures, discoveries, and tons of fun!
Our blog is packed with exciting stories and helpful tips for kids and their families. From exploring cool local attractions and can't-miss events to diving into the wonders of science and the amazing world of animals, there’s something for everyone! Whether you're planning your next family outing or just looking for something awesome to read, we’re here to spark curiosity and make learning feel like an adventure. Let’s explore, learn, and laugh together!
Wisconsin Frogs Don't Croak!
Wisconsin is home to eleven species of frogs and one toad, which makes learning their calls easier than learning the songs of the hundreds of bird species in our state.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
The Elusive Hunt for the Morel Mushroom
The seasonal pursuit of the morel mushroom, prized for its rarity, flavor & mystery.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
The Great Horned Owl: Silent But Deadly
I am Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). We are Wisconsin’s largest year-round resident owl coming in at a height of 18-24 inches, weighing 2-5.5 pounds, and possessing an impressive 40–60-inch wingspan.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
Leaf Stomp 2025 Brings Families Together to Support the Kettle Moraine
Leaf Stomp 2025 Brings Families Together to Support the Kettle Moraine. It is a chance to build fall memories!
TGVG
Red Squirrel: Tchick Tchick Tchick
“Tchick-tchick-tchick!” “Tcher-r-r-r!” Did you hear my scolding, and see my tail flicking and my foot stomping? That’s my way of saying GET OUT of my territory!
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
Common Nighthawks: Peent, Boom!
“Peent, peent!” Where is everybody? They said to meet at the forest lake 30 minutes before sunset. We need to catch our supper of flying insects before flocking to head south for the winter. There they are!
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
A Summer Mystery: The Hummingbird Clearwing Moth in Wisconsin
My search led me to hummingbird clearwing moth (Hemaris thysbe), a member of the sphinx moth family.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
Cheerily, Cheer Up: The American Robin Greets the Day
“Cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up!” That’s how an American robin (Turdis migratorius) greets the day, sings for a mate, and defends a territory.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
Conk-la-ree! Red-winged Blackbirds Return
We, red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), just arrived from our winter homes in the south returning with our fellow blackbirds in large mixed flocks.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
Winter Eagles
What’s a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) to do when the lakes freeze? Pairs need to leave their warm-weather territories of forest bordered lakes, rivers, and marshes to head to places with open water.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
The Striped Skunk: A Noxious Stench
You really should announce yourself when approaching a striped skunk. You could have gotten a face-full of really bad smelling oily, yellowish musk.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
Witch Hazel: In Search of Late Bloomers
That means it flowers after the frosts of fall through the first snows of winter. Unbelievable! I must find this incredible late bloomer, American witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), to see it for myself.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
Mammoth Moths: Cecropia Moth
We cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia) caterpillars grow quite large – up to five inches long and as round as an adult human’s thumb.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
Wiley Walleyes
I heard you came for some night fishing with us walleyes (Sander vitreus), the largest member of the perch family.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
Big, Blue & LOUD: The Blue Jay
You know us blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) love stable platform feeders filled with sunflower seeds and raw peanuts.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
Bears, Oh My! – American Black Bears
As fall approaches, we American black bears (Ursus americanus) experience hyperphagia – the need to eat almost fulltime.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
Deer Ticks: Eight-legged Menace
To avoid becoming one of the deer ticks hosts, humans should follow the following steps.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
Snowy Owls: White Winter Wanderers
Ah, the balmy Wisconsin winters make for a perfect retreat from the harsh Arctic weather for us snowy owls (Bubo scandiacus)!
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
Buzz, Rumble Goes the Bumble Bee
Did you know bumble bees existed on this planet for a very, very long time?
Ann Bradley, Assistant Naturalist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Welcome to the Cunning Coyote’s School of Life
Head to the open fields where our keen coyote vision works the best to spy that elusive prey.
Jackie Scharfenberg, Retired DNR Naturalist
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