Weekly Blast! – Town of Grant, Portage Co

Weekly Blast!: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recently began installing Greater Prairie-chicken survey signs (pic) in the Buena Vista, Leola, and Paul J. Olson Wildlife Areas. This project, in cooperation with Town of Grant resident and local author/photographer Joe Reiderer, the Dane County Conservation League, The Ruffed Grouse Society, and the Prairie Chicken Project is intended to get citizens more aware of this local threatened bird species. Greater Prairie-chickens (GPC) were historically only found in the southern 1/3 of Wisconsin. However, once large-scale logging occurred in the 1800s GPCs expanded their range into all 72 counties of the state. Market hunting was credited were nearly decimating their population and hunting of the species was banned in 1955. Today, only a remnant population of the millions that were now reside in the three Wildlife Areas noted above. Drs. Frederick and Francis Hamerstrom of Plainfield (she was Dr. Aldo Leopold’s first female graduate student) were credited with saving the last remaining birds in the state. Their research, which began in the 1950s, saved the GPC from extirpation (local extinction). They worked with the then Department of Conservation, UW-Stevens Point, and private donors and organizations to secure the critical grassland habitat needed. Today, less than 1000 birds exist in the State, but dozens of agency staff and volunteers work to keep the Hamerstroms’ pivotal efforts alive. Really nice weather has finally arrived – enjoy it! Sharon

Posted on March 20, 2026, Edited March 20, 2026 by vanja

Weekly Blast!

Happy 1^st Day of Spring!

Well, last Saturday about 8pm through Monday about 4pm was quite something. Snow accumulation records were broken state-wide, the I-system closed entrance ramps, state highways like 10 were closed near Marshfield, county/village/town plow trucks were stuck all over the place (including ours). It was a storm to remember! Our plow operators did their level best to keep up but were called in due to blowing snow and visibility issues or were nearing the number of hours they could legally drive. Either way, they had to stop. Some roads got cleared to your homes in a timely fashion, some didn’t. We apologize if you were inconvenienced.

It’s notable that Wis Stat. 893.83 states that municipalities must remove accumulated snow and ice from their road within three weeks(!) or face liability. We certainly beat that timeline! Anyway, it looks like we will experience spring now, with a nice slow thaw from all the snow. We certainly can use the moisture to green things up. Enjoy the weekend as the snow melts away…

Sharon