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 Wisconsin Rapids Smart Growth Plan was adopted on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 and remains in effect.
E. Describe your community’s ordinance demonstrating that your community does not restrict natural/native landscaping that emphasizes native plants and non-turf lawns.
The Wisconsin Rapids Council adopted the International Property Maintenance Code of 2009 on June 15, 2010.
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.
Booklets on the control of garlic mustard, buckthorn, reed canary grass, and others can currently be found in the brochure racks at the Wood County Land & Water Conservation office in Wisconsin Rapids. The location of these booklets is also mentioned on the City of Wisconsin Rapids' website. The booklets include Wild Parsnip, Japanese Knotweed, and Invasive Exotic Plants. See attachment to Invasive Exotic Plants booklet.
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.
In Wood County, we have four designated State Wildlife areas. They include Mead, https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Lands/WildlifeAreas/mead.html Paul J.Olson, https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Lands/WildlifeAreas/pauljolson.html Sandhill, https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Lands/WildlifeAreas/sandhill and Wood County, https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Lands/WildlifeAreas/woodcounty.html.
See Attached pdf booklet titled, Great Wisconsin Birding & Nature Trail: Central Sands Prairie Region.
Wood County also has a number of state natural areas which provide unique habitats for a wide range of species. Hiles Wetlands;https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=524 Hog Island Tamaracks; https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=579 Mead Conifer Bogs;https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=373 Owl Creek Fen Savanna; https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=521 Powers Bluff Maple Woods; https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=131 Red Oak Bottoms; https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=523 Skunk Creek Woods; https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=522 and the Yellow River Floodplain Forest. https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=580
H. Show that the local Chamber of Commerce or a similar group (e.g., an Audubon chapter, Wild Ones, etc.) takes an active role in the planning process for protecting and enlarging favorable bird habitat.
In 2018 a Monarch Encouragement project was adopted by Clean Green Action, a 501(c)3 local organization dedicated to sustainability and the environment. As part of this project a test prairie was planted along the Wisconsin Rapids Riverview Expressway with permission from the city. https://goo.gl/maps/BpEegexUFSrofN2i8 This prairie hopes to attract both butterflies and birds. In August of 2019 the project was dedicated and signage was installed. Currently, there are seven monarch way stations in the city. The map can be viewed here.
I. Document a recent project that created or restored bird habitat in your community. (Exclusions: Bird feeders and small-scale artificial nesting structures)
As part of Wisconsin Rapids City Beautification, a rain garden located by City Hall was restored. There is a continuing effort to remove invasive species in that location. Bird-friendly plants including coneflowers, Coreposis, etc. were added. A dedication took place on June 4, 2019, in which Mayor Zach Vurwink dedicated the Rain garden. See attached photo of dedication.
As part of the Lincoln High School Woodlot project, a prairie of over one acre was planted in 2018. In 2019 a prescribed burn took place by the Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department. The school district did a brush cut in the fall of 2020 to further maintain the prairie.
A kiosk was installed in front of the prairie naming the LHS Woodlot Project. It includes a large map of the trails. Tree identification signs were added on the trail to educate walkers on the diversity of the woodlot. See the pictures attached.
In the fall of 2021, Bird City Wisconsin Rapids received a grant from Bird City Wisconsin with which we purchased a seed mix for a 1/4 acre named Pollinator Palooza from Prairie Moon Nursery, Minnesota to reseed the Lincoln High School Woodlot project. Students helped with the broadcasting of the seed.
We continue to cut raspberries, and we have plant identification signs to be installed, and trail maintenance.
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.).
Grant and Washington Elementary schools and Lincoln High School have maintained their Bluebird Trails with the boxes donated by the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society.
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.)
In 2020 six tree identification signs were installed in the Woodlot Project along the hiking path near the grounds of Lincoln High School as part of the Woodlot Project. See attached pictures.
For the adjacent prairie, prairie flower identification signs were purchased in 2020 and will be installed. One side of the kiosk will have bird and plant identification information the front side currently identifies the project.
The Prairie Chicken kiosk on County Hwy W was rededicated in 2014. It was originally built in 1993 to recognize the contribution of the Greater Prairie chicken to our state's rich natural history and as the gateway to the Buena Vista Wildlife Area. It had fallen into disrepair. The renovation was a collaboration of many local groups including a young member of Troop 118 of the Boy Scouts who took on the construction of a maple bench and brochure display box as his Eagle Scout project. It is a very popular a stop for tourists and birders interested in viewing grassland birds and in the winter the snowy owl. See attached picture of the dedication.
A. Demonstrate that your community has been awarded Tree City USA status by the National Arbor Day Foundation.
Wisconsin Rapids has been a participant in the Arbor Day Foundation’s “Tree City, USA” program since 1988. It is currently administered by the City of Wisconsin Rapids Department of Parks and Recreation.
The list of trees planted by the City of Wisconsin Rapids in 2022 is attached.
E. Show that your forester, a member of your tree board, or another person currently responsible for managing your community’s trees has completed the Wisconsin DNR’s Wisconsin Tree Management Institute.
Jacob Hahn, a Wisconsin Rapids Park and Recreation employee, is currently taking the class through the Wisconsin Community Tree Management Institute. While he is not fully certified because the classes were postponed due to the pandemic, he completed the first session held in October 2022 and will be attending the remaining sessions in February and June 2023.
A. Describe your community’s educational program to control free-roaming cats and/or the manner in which you actively publicize the Cats Indoors! initiative.
Bird City Wisconsin Rapids continues to supply the South Wood County Humane Society with brochures titled “Solutions for Cat Owners” https://dariuszzdziebk.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Solutions-Rack-Card_FINAL.pdf (see attachment) from the American Bird Conservancy provided by Clean Green Action. The Humane Society includes these for inclusion in their pet adoption kit whenever cats go to their adoptive homes. We provide brouchures every year.
Bird City Wisconsin Rapids also promotes this brochure on our social media.
B. Demonstrate that your community provides property owners with information on how to protect birds from window strikes (e.g., online links, brochures).
Bird City Wisconsin Rapids contacted local vendors of birdseed and other supplies. We provide a handout titled " Making your Windows Safe for Birds” from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Other businesses that distribute this bird strike prevention information include The Feed Store, Quality Feed and Seed, and South Wood County Humane Society.
Additionally, Bird City Wisconsin Rapids provided multiple opportunities at community booths like Kiwanis Youth Outdoor day, McMillan Library Earth Day Celebration, Science by the River, to see windows with bird strike prevention tape compared to an unprotected window and find out about other ideas for prevention. We are seeing more and more homes in our community adopting bird-safe window protection.
F. Demonstrate that your community enforces an ordinance that requires domestic cats to be kept indoors, on a leash, or in an enclosure to prevent them from preying on birds and other wildlife and spreading disease.
Wisconsin Rapids Ordinance (MC#505) outlaws free roaming cats, noting that they must be on a leash when off of their owner’s property and under control when on it. If there are complaints to the city, a cat will be captured and surrendered to the South Wood County Humane Society.
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).
Bird City Wisconsin Rapids participated in the Christmas Bird Count in 2022. Go to the Audubon Christmas Bird Count website for the result for Wisconsin Rapids.
Bird City Wisconsin Rapids participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count 2022.
D. Describe your community-sponsored annual bird festival. This must be a multi-day event or a truly exceptional one-day event.
In 2022 Bird City Wisconsin Rapids helped to organize the Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival in cooperation with local conservation agencies and organizations. Activities schedule included: Greater Prairie-chicken viewing, grassland bird tours, locally-sourced luncheon, presentations on grassland, grassland birds, and pollinators https://www.cleangreenaction.org/prairie-chicken-festival.html . https://www.facebook.com/WIPrairieChickenFest/
E. Illustrate a program that involves schools, garden clubs, or other organizations in bird conservation activities.
The Wood County Master Gardeners organization is involved in promoting bird friendly gardening. See attachment.
The local state Wildlife Areas, Mead and Sandhill offers on-going birding educational opportunities. They both have permanent environmental educators that offers field trips and educational programs on site and at their Visitor center. Permanent displays in the Outdoors Skills Center at Sandhill features local birds. There is a Sandhill Crane watch every fall.
G. Provide a link to your community’s Bird City Wisconsin webpage, which must be visible from the main page of your municipal website (it may be located at the first level of a drop down menu on the main page but cannot be any less visible) OR demonstrate that your Bird City effort has a significant social media presence.
The City of Wisconsin Rapids has a link on the bottom of their home page https://www.wirapids.org/ that links to https://birdcitywisconsin.org/bird-city/wisconsinrapids. We also have a web page through Clean Green Action https://www.cleangreenaction.org/bird-city.html
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.
Bird City Wisconsin Rapids which is part of the plannning committe and co-sponsors of the Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival offers Greater Prairie Chicken observation blinds and viewing opportunities and grassland birding tours by bus. The blinds hosts 16 viewers at a time and the bus offered 15 spots. These opportunites bring participants from all over the Midwest.
D. Document that your community has been recognized as a Green Tier Legacy Community.
Wisconsin Rapids has adopted the resolution to become a Green Tier Legacy Community. Green Tier Legacy Community
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.
McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids installed solar panels in September of 2017. Thirty percent (30%) of the energy produced is being returned directly to the city. The city obtained gold status designation through the SolSmart program.
Wood County is committed to streamlining permitting processes and making information about renewable energy easily accessible to interested people and businesses. The County is seeking a solar-ready designation through SolSmart, a Department of Energy program. https://www.co.wood.wi.us/Departments/UWEX/RenewableEnergy.aspx
Wood County Nepco Lake County Park installed a solar installation power bank to power the shelter building which hosts many community special events. https://www.sunnyportal.com/Templates/PublicPageOverview.aspx?page=e013945d-1087-43a7-ba69-fb1a8046425a&plant=2aad28db-689c-48f2-a9d2-a0801c8cb68d&splang=en-US#
Mid State Technical College has installed a solar electric vehicle charging station which is open and free to the community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjHv82UzAOs
H. Describe your community’s efforts to educate residents about climate change.
Clean Green Action is hosting a Climate Awareness Book Club in 2021 that was well attended and ideas for local action were generated. For 2021 CGA kept members informed of climate change educational opportunities and is proposing a new project entititled Climate Change Awareness Project. Clean Green Action created Climate Change Awareness displays for Earth Day 2022 and was displayed at McMillan Memorial Library for ther month of April and then went to other locations and is available for use at other locations.
I. Document that your community is part of the Energy Independent Community program.
The City of Wisconsin Rapids is listed among 140 communities part of the Energy Independent Community program.
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 Bird City Wisconsin Rapids held multiple events to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day. For Earth Day at McMillan Library in April we hosted a family event with a migration game showing the hazards of migration. We had a bird books display for checkout, window strike activities, a display of Bird Cast, showing the current bird migration activity and brochures and information about Dim the Lights for Birds at Night. Our official event on the resolution tied into our annual participation at the Kiwanis Youth Outdoor Day in June where we educated many community members especially youth and family members about birds with bird identification activites, and games, craft activites, and more. In September at the Grand Affair we also had a booth which featured the window strike problem and solutions as well as other information about birding opportunities in our community and children's activities.
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