Perfect day for a swim

The temperatures in the second half of the summer have sure changed from the cool and rainy June. The work project that this blog entry focuses on is a project perfect for a warm day. 

Remember our pesky resident beaver? Our last battle with him was in December and all signs indicate I was victorious as we haven't seen it since. 

However, the damage that was incurred from the beaver was still noticeable as the Kitchi-Manitou pond level was precariously high due to a plugged pipe. The only solution was to go for a swim and get things flowing again by unclogging the pipe.

1 fish, 2 fish, red fish, blue fish: what's in our ponds?

As shown on our Facebook page, Dave the Pond Expert was out recently doing some testing of 4 Winds Pond and Kitchi-Manitou. This testing included chemical analysis, depth measurements and fish sampling to give us an idea of how we can better manage these water resources.

A beautiful day for pond surveying!

Dave sampled the fish by electroshocking: a pole sent an electric current through the water that temporarily stunned the fish, bringing them to the surface of the pond. Dave then used a net to catch the fish, identify them, and release them back into the water, where the fish went on their happy way.

What's the water like?

A couple weeks ago our pond experts Richard and Dave came by to conduct testing on our 4 Winds Pond. 

With all of the snow we had just received, it took some time to get down to the ice. And of course snow was falling all the while. In the photo below, Richard is auguring the hole while Dave is preparing the testing equipment. I am staying nice and toasty warm while watching them work. I will say my fingers did get cold taking photos.

Pond Naming Contest: And the winners are...

After riveting debates and multiple rounds of voting, Pond A and Pond B have proper names!

Pond A will now be called... 4 Winds Pond!

Newly-named "4 Winds Pond" at Arington Tree Farm

See how it stretches out in all four directions? Like a compass, there is a portion of the pond pointing north, east, south and west.

Introducing the... "Name that Pond" Contest!

The contest has been extended a week! Get your submissions in to win!

As mentioned, we're working with a couple pond experts to do some work to two of the ponds on Arington Tree Farm:

Aerial view of ponds at Arington Tree Farm.

·         “Pond A” is the largest pond on the farm and was dug about 15 years ago. It is spring-fed and during the spring, Canada geese love to raise their young here. Our plan is to make it bigger and deeper, install aerators to keep the water oxygenated and eventually stock it with fish (maybe saugeyes?)

Partial view of Pond A

·        "Pond B" is a smaller, more hidden pond on the farm. Nearly entirely surrounded by trees and brush, ducks like hanging out in this spring-fed pond. Our plans for this pond are less intensive but include creating better access for more wildlife viewing and perhaps a canoe "ramp" for easy in/out.

Partial view of Pond B

Year in Review and Sneak Peek of 2013!

What a year! As 2012 comes to a close, we have much to reflect on! It has been a busy year – both in terms of managing the farm and promoting the education of sustainable land management.

• Arik spent countless hours pruning, thinning, planting and combating invasives, not to mention manning the lawn mowers and lately, snow plows!
• We tried some new things on the farm this year – including a food plot, trail cams (photos coming soon!) and a hunting system to help all of us stay informed of who is hunting when and where.
• We opened our doors wide in efforts to educate others about the farm. We had over 100 students visit the farm, hosted the AFF Board, threw a party for the farm’s oldest resident, and started this little project!
• We took some time to educate ourselves, too. We hosted a chainsaw safety course in the fall, which Joe and Arik participated in. Arik and I became Land Ethic Leaders, and I also learned more about the Leopold Education Project. Arik participated in the Sinsinawa Tri-State Woodland Conference, while Joe and I both attended the Madison Woodland Conference.

It has been a busy, fun year – but there is not much time to reflect, as 2013 is just around the corner! And we have a lot planned…

The opportunistic beaver

If you had followed my blog entries this last summer you are aware of the ongoing battles with the resident beaver. I write beaver in the singular form, because my hopes are that only ONE beaver calls the farm home. Anyway, this particular beaver found a way to clog the discharge pipe on one of our ponds. The picture below shows the pipe with the access plate on top of it.

Pond projects

Last week our friend Richard Wedepohl visited the farm.

Richard, Joe and Arik checking out one of the farm's ponds.

We had some catching up to do on Wisconsin government affairs, but also wanted him to check out a few of our many ponds. Richard spent his career as a waterways engineer with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and really knows his stuff!

Richard gave us some good ideas - methods to clear up algae, how to keep drainage tracts open, and ways we could even establish a "private pond" on the farm. We'll definitely be putting his recommendations to use in the near future. Thanks Richard!

Ponds revealed!

As I mentioned last week, a pond project is underway at the farm. I'm working on removing willows to make the ponds accessible. They will eventually be surveyed and excavated.

To remove the willows from the site, I've been using the Bobcat with tree shear attachment. Above is an action photo of our tree shear. The shear will cut trees up to 14 inches. It has a grapple attachment that will hold the tree as we move it to either a brush pile or the chipper. This particular model is made by the company Tree Terminator. The shear does get somewhat challenging to use in tight areas. However, it worked great for this project, as this was all out in the open.

And here is a completed photo of both ponds with all the willows removed. The next step in this project will be to have a survey completed and than dig out the ponds to the appropriate size. 

Stay tuned!

A well-hidden pond

This photo shows the start of the project. Hidden inside that tangle of willow trees is a pond. I should mention that due to this years drought all of the ponds on Arington Tree farm are at low levels. This pond, along with a similar sized one right behind it, need to be surveyed. After the survey is complete we hope to be given a permit to have them excavated. Both of the ponds are in a wetland area where Mudd Creek used to flow. However before a permit can be issued or a survey completed the willows needed to be removed.