Making our communities healthy for birds... and people
HIGH FLYER
A. Comply with Wisconsin's "Smart Growth" law for land use planning and resource management. This criterion is an option only for applications submitted before July 1, 2017.
The City of Two Rivers has adopted a plan that is in compliance with Wisconsin’s Smart Growth law.
B. Describe organized bird monitoring or data obtained from researchers or volunteers in the local park system. (Exclusions: Programs that receive credit under 4C: Christmas Bird Count, Great Backyard Bird Count, Swift Night Out)
Bird monitoring is a common practice in Two Rivers. Two Rivers is a popular place for birders to visit, and with the development of eBird, more and more lists are being recorded. Part of the Woodland Dunes preserve lies within the City of Two Rivers, and checklists are submitted weekly to eBird. Point counts are conducted during migration periods in spring and fall, and during nesting season. All checklists are submitted to eBird. In addition, Woodland Dunes has banded more than 30,000 birds in and adjacent to Two Rivers, more than 5,000 of them Northern Saw-whet Owls, and is still a licensed banding station. More than 260 species have been recorded at Woodland Dunes, more than 300 in the Lakeshore area.. Summer breeding counts, Christmas Bird Counts, weekly migration point counts, and special monitoring projects are done by Woodland Dunes and volunteers. Woodland Dunes operates two Motus stations which constantly monitor for transmitter-tagged birds. A red-shouldered hawk nest in the preserve is monitored and two adult birds have been fitted with transmitters in cooperation with researchers.
C. Provide evidence (e.g., official designation of natural areas, easements, etc.) that existing bird habitat within community limits has legal protection. (Exclusions: Leash laws; prohibitions against disturbing nests and wildlife; areas consisting primarily of mowed grass)
Several hundred acres of Woodland Dunes and Point Beach State Forest has been designated a State Natural Area.
F. Show that your community offers the public information on how they can control and remove invasive species in order to improve or maintain bird habitat.
The City refers the public to Woodland Dunes Nature Center for information on control of invasive species and has assisted Woodland Dunes in its efforts to remove invasive species on City property adjacent to the preserve. Woodland Dunes regularly provides programs and opportunities for hands-on management of invasive species and assists neighboring landowners with invasive species issues. The link from Woodland Dunes takes visitors to the Invasive Plants Association of Wisconsin website. The City and Woodland Dunes also work in partnership with the Lakeshore Invasive Species Management Area to assist landowners in management of invasive species.
G. Document that there is a segment of the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail or a designated Important Bird Area within or adjacent to your community.
Two Rivers has three stops on the Lake Michigan segment of the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail: Woodland Dunes, Point Beach State Forest, and Two Rivers Harbor and Neshotah Park. The City is working to improve access to the south pier area at Two Rivers Harbor in 2018, a popular birwatching destination. Woodland Dunes has also been designated an Important Bird Area by the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative.
I. Document a recent project that created or restored bird habitat in your community. (Exclusions: Bird feeders and small-scale artificial nesting structures)
Woodland Dunes continues to develop the 80 acre Henry Wetland, which will host a field trip for the Natural Resources Foundation this summer. This area has been found by Wilson's phalaropes during nesting season and short-eared owls in winter, along with many other raptors. Nearby, Woodland Dunes is restoring 2,500 feet of Forget Me Not Creek which was formerly ditched for agriculture. Forty acres of habitat around the stream and wetlands are also being improved by managing invasives and native plantings at the site. The City is also restoring several lakeside acres currently in lawn to native grassland/pollinator habitat along Mariner's Trail, which will benefit birds on the lakeshore, working with Woodland Dunes and funded by a grant from SOGL. The City and Woodland Dunes are converting an acre of lawn at Zander Park to a native wet prairie which will include a story trail for families, and will diversify habitat at the park.
N. Show that your community works on public lands to control invasive species that have significant negative impacts on bird habitat.
The City of Two Rivers and Woodland Dunes Nature Center continue their strong partnership, and recognize that the Lakeshore area near the City is a vital migratory stopover area for birds. As such, the City continues to support Woodland Dunes' Restore the Shore Project to restore and improve the quality of habitat, especially that within a mile of the Lake Michigan shoreline including invasive species management. In 2022 work continued along the Lake Michigan shoreline along Mariner's Trail and will in 2023 there and at Zander Park.
Woodland Dunes also works with not only the City but private landowners, giving information and advice, and assistance in managing invasive, non-native plants, sometimes in conjunction with the Lakeshore Invasive Species Management Area.
P. Demonstrate the implementation of a program to preserve Chimney Swift nesting and roosting sites (preferred) and/or to construct Chimney Swift towers.
Woodland Dunes refurbished its unused masonry chimney specifically for chimney swifts, which continue to use it as a nest site. Woodland Dunes and records data regarding their daily activity during the nesting season. Woodland Dunes also conducts a Swift Night Out event, highlighting chimneys in Two Rivers which serve as migratory roost sites. Woodland Dunes works with the City to emphasize the importance of preserving roost chimneys.
Q. Document the establishment of a program to promote the conservation of Purple Martins through research, state of the art management techniques, or public education.
Woodland Dunes has cooperated with others in banding purple martins, and intends to do so in 2023. This activity is used to raise awareness about purple martins for visitors and through social media.
R. Show how your community aids a local youth group (e.g., Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of USA, 4-H Club, etc.) or conservation group in bird conservation projects (e.g., bluebird trail, habitat restoration, Wood Duck nest boxes, etc.).
Woodland Dunes works with student groups from Manitowoc Lincoln, Two Rivers, and Mishicot High Schools on habitat restoration projects within its preserves and along the shore of Lake Michigan. Woodland Dunes sponsors units of both Scouting USA and Girl Scouts who participate in bird conservation activities.
T. Document that your community maintains a birding trail or hot spot location with educational signage and/or literature. (Note: A birding hotspot alone is not sufficient - your community must actively promote birding and public education at the site itself.)
Woodland Dunes has established and maintains seven miles of trails equipped with educational signage about birds and other natural features. All trails are open daily from dawn until dusk and are free of charge.
A. Demonstrate that your community has been awarded Tree City USA status by the National Arbor Day Foundation.
Two Rivers continues to be recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation following its initial award in 1991.
C. Document an ongoing community program to incorporate a significant number of native trees, native shrubs, native herbaceous plants, and/or cultivars of native species in public or large-scale private landscaping.
Included as part of the Restore the Shore project (see High Flyer 1M). Woodland Dunes continues to promote the planting of native hardwood trees and shrubs in home landscapes. At a recent wayside acquisition at the mouth of Forget-Me-Not Creek, the City planted approx. 50 native trees and Woodland Dunes planted 100 native shrubs to enhance migratory stopover habitat along Lake Michigan. Additional land was planted in native grassland and pollinator-friendly forb species. An 80 acre wetland restoration was also begun in 2019 in Woodland Dunes and within the City of Two Rivers to restore a mosaic of several wetland types for shorebirds and passerines. In 2020 native grasses and forbs, trees, and shrubs were planted on the site (5,500 native trees and shrubs). In another part of the preserve, 2,500 native trees and shrubs were planted by staff and volunteers. These efforts are still ongoing- 10,000 native trees and shrubs have now been planted, and 136 species of native forbs and shrubs have been planted in the wetland restoration. Additional funding was obtained in 2021 to extend tree and shrub planting in the State Nature Area for another 2 years (5,000 large trees and shrubs), and an additional coastal stopover area is now being restored at the south end of Woodland Dunes, 15 acres only a few yards from Lake Michigan. The City has committed to expanding native habitat along Mariner's Trail at the Spirit of the Rivers monument, which will begin in 2022.
B. Demonstrate that your community provides property owners with information on how to protect birds from window strikes (e.g., online links, brochures).
The City refers the public to Woodland Dunes Nature Center for information on free-roaming cats and window strikes via web links. Woodland Dunes has incorporated bird-safe glass in it's new building addition, and has developed other bird-safe measures for educational purposes on other windows. A display in the nature center educates about window strikes and what can be done to prevent them. At this year's WMBD event, one of the activities will be a program on making zen curtains for windows.
A. Demonstrate that schools in your community participate in a nationally-recognized environmental education program (e.g., Flying WILD, Audubon Adventures) or that your community organizes its own substantial education and outreach program for young people.
Woodland Dunes provides environmental education programs in which about 3,000 school children typically participate each year. Many of these programs have avian education components, including curricula about bird migration and owls in particular. Children participating ranged in age from pre-school through high school. Many family environmental education programs are also offered.
B. Provide web links or a community newsletter demonstrating that your community educates property owners on methods to create and enhance backyard habitat for birds.
Backyard habitat enhancement is a frequent topic of adult education programming offered each year, plus information is available through the links provided on the Woodland Dunes birding page. The Restore the Shore Project also is a conduit for information about bird habitat enhancement through signage and other public engagement. Some are done in cooperation with the Lester Library in Two Rivers, and the Two Rivers Parks and Recreation Dept. and include story times and Teen Nights, with various topics, including wild birds, addressed. In 2022 attendees at one teen night observed saw-whet owls being banded and released.
C. Demonstrate that your community is represented in at least one citizen science bird monitoring program (e.g., the Christmas Bird Count, Great Backyard Bird Count, Swift Night Out).
Two Rivers lies within a Christmas Bird Count circle, and areas within (including Woodland Dunes) and around Two Rivers are counted. Woodland Dunes also encourages participation in the Christmas Bird Counts for Manitowoc County, and in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Woodland Dunes also coordinates migration season point counts in Two Rivers through the Two Rivers Stopover Project, monitors birds year round in the preserve, and conducts annual breeding season surveys. Woodland Dunes coordinates both the Midwest Sandhill Crane Count and now the bald eagle nest monitoring project in cooperation with Madison Audubon. 15 volunteers monitor 12 eagle nests in the county. Also, a second Motus station was installed to monitor tagged migratory birds, information about which is shared with the City and the community.
D. Describe your community-sponsored annual bird festival. This must be a multi-day event or a truly exceptional one-day event.
The annual Bird Breakfast and Migration Celebration was founded in 1947 and has been held continuously at several different locations, but Woodland Dunes has hosted since the late 1970's. The day features guided bird walks at different area locations, talks, children's activities, and bird banding demonstrations, and is our community's WMBD event. More than 100 people attended in 2022.
E. Illustrate a program that involves schools, garden clubs, or other organizations in bird conservation activities.
Woodland Dunes provides a number of programs to children, both through its environmental education curriculum for schools, and for drop-in family visitors. Due to Covid school programs were somewhat curtailed but have been modified so that they take place entirely outdoors. Outdoor family programs for small groups were still conducted. Nature's Own Gardeners did visit for an outdoor program about our wildlife garden and native landscaping during the summer, as they did the previous year.
F. Demonstrate that your community understands the critical ecological role of pollinators by documenting your Bee City USA status or by describing another substantial effort to promote pollinator health (for ideas visit the Xerxes Society and the Pollinator Partnership).
The City and Woodland Dunes recognize that the shore of Lake Michigan is a significant migratory corridor for butterflies and other pollinators, and encourage volunteers who maintain gardens along the lakeshore Mariners Trail to include native plants which benefit them. Woodland Dunes has enhanced and is maintaining more than 300 acres of pollinator habitat within it's 1,500 acre preserves for the benefit of both native insects and grassland bird species. Woodland Dunes is part of the Bumblebee Brigade project, and submits data on bumblebee sightings in the preserve. In 2021, eight federally endangered rusty-patched bumblebees were found in the preserve, and grant funding was obtained to restore and maintain habiat for that species. Eight bumblebee species were documented. Woodland Dunes also offered programs on pollinators and monarch butterfly tagging. The Henry wetland project added about 80 acres of pollinator plantings and a public trail on which various pollinators, and grassland birds, can live and be observed. Woodland Dunes has a butterfly and bee garden with interpretive signage at its headquarters.
I. Show that your municipality promotes and supports a bird club or other environmentally/ecologically-minded club. (Exclusions: Garden clubs, unless you demonstrate a strong focus on native plants)
The Bird Brunch Bunch, our local bird club, now meets monthly at Woodland Dunes and regularly visits Woodland Dunes and other birding hotspots in the City of Two Rivers for field trips.. Woodland Dunes promotes this group to birders visiting the nature center.
J. Document that a municipal building has significant bird-friendly landscaping that features native plants AND signage that explains the importance of native plants and providing diverse habitat for birds (e.g., brush piles, water features).
While not a municipal building but one open to the public, Woodland Dunes has signage describing the several methods employed to make windows safe for birds, and has a demonstration area landscaped with native plants specifically for the benefit of birds.
K. Demonstrate that your community actively raises awareness of its bird assets. Examples include placing a remote web camera on a nest platform, offering bird watching field trips, or creating a significant educational resource on your community's bird life.
The Woodland Dunes Nature Center does a number of things to raise awareness of the avifauna of Two Rivers. One of the most significant actions is the Osprey nest cam that they have on a nest platform at their headquarters. This has generated a lot of interest including visits from Green Bay television and local radio and newspaper stories. The City of Two Rivers also has a harbor cam, which can be controlled to pan the harbor area and can be used to look at gulls and waterfowl, a tool that is very helpful in planning birding trips to the harbor. Woodland Dunes also provides additional information online on its website. Two Rivers and Manitowoc (Woodland Dunes) have been featured in a number of media publications including features in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine, local television news features, Wisconsin Public Television, and Discover Wisconsin, and the visitor guide for the Manitowoc Area Visitor and Convention Bureau- all highlighting the diversity of birds found in the area. Woodland Dunes also provides a weekly column to the Seehafer News website about wildlife- often the articles are bird related, and four or five times per year staff are guests on local radio (WOMT) to answer questions about local wildlife inculding birds.
L. Show that your community works with traditionally underserved communities to increase their access to natural areas, environmental education, birding resources, and local environmental experts.
Woodland Dunes intentionally provides access to its facilities and preserve at no charge so that none are excluded. For organized programs, fees are intentionally kept low, subsidized by Woodland Dunes membership and grants where available. Two Rivers has an excellent park system including access to the Lake Michigan shore freely available to all. Only State property like Point Beach State Forest charges fees for entry.
M. Show that your community participates in the Natural Resources Foundation’s Great Wisconsin Birdathon to raise money for your community and for statewide conservation.
Staff of Woodland Dunes participates on the River Raptors team for the Great Wisconsin Birdathon, leading a birding paddling trip on the West Twin River in May.
N. OTHER: Demonstrate in a narrative.
Woodland Dunes staff are featured seasonally on local radio, much of the time answering bird-related questions from listeners. Birds are also reatured regularly in social media posts for the nature center, especially on Facebook.
F. Demonstrate that your community participates in a community solar program or that a municipal building receives a significant percentage of its electricity from renewable energy.
The Lester Public Library has a significant solar array. Click here for more information about that system.
Two Rivers Water and Light, a municipal electric utility, also helped Woodland Dunes obtain its original solar array. In 2022, Woodland Dunes expanded its solar enerfy capacity, and now generates 60% of the electricity needed for our operations..
H. Describe your community’s efforts to educate residents about climate change.
Woodland Dunes frequently discusses climate change and its impact on local ecosystems, Lake Michigan, and birdlife. In 2022 climate change was discussed as part of a number of programs, one dedicated exclusively to that topic.
A. This community's municipal body passed the required World Migratory Bird Day resolution.
B. Document and describe your event that incorporates the annual IMBD theme in some fashion. If the event has not yet occurred, please share your detailed plans. For information on the current year’s theme and event materials, please visit the World Migratory Bird Day website. To see what other Bird City communities have done in the past, please view some other profiles on our website.
In 2022, Two Rivers held its annual Bird Breakfast at Woodland Dunes Nature Center in May, one of the oldest birding events in Wisconsin. During this event, World Migratory Bird Day is recognized and information about migratory birds is presented. This year the event will add more outdoor birding activities, with participants receiving information about birds and World Migratory Bird Day with their meal.
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