Marinette County Land & Water Conservation

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

There are over 2,000 species of moths and only around 125+ species of butterflies in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. As most moths are nocturnal, we are not as familiar with them as we are with butterflies. Both belong to the insect order Lepidoptera, which means 'scaled wing' in Latin. They are the only insect group with this characteristic. Lepidoptera is the second-largest insect order in the world (behind beetles), with over 180,000 described species globally. It is largely comprised of moths (which make up about 90% of the order) along with all butterflies and skippers. https://www.britannica.com/animal/lepidopteran

Most people think moths are small, brown, and forgettable. The ten species on this chart are none of those things.

The cecropia moth has a six-inch wingspan. She's the largest moth in North America — bigger than many birds. She flies at night, which is why most people go their whole lives without seeing one.

The polyphemus has eyespots the size of dimes on her hindwings. She's named after the cyclops from the Odyssey. Five inches across, and she's probably been to your porch light without you noticing.

🌿 The connections most people miss:

The sphinx moth hovering at your flowers at dusk — she's the adult form of the tomato hornworm that ate your garden. Same animal, two completely different lives.

The isabella tiger moth is the woolly bear caterpillar that crosses your sidewalk every fall. The "winter prediction" caterpillar grew up and flew to your window.

And the peppered moth — speckled black and white — changed color during the Industrial Revolution. Soot darkened the trees, and the dark moths survived. The textbook example of natural selection is sitting on your porch.

For every butterfly you see, there are roughly fourteen moths you don't 🐾

06/09/2026

Birds are amazing!

Ten materials. Ten completely different construction methods. The material a bird chooses tells you who built the nest before you ever see her.

The barn swallow builds with mud — one mouthful at a time, carried from puddles, pressed against a beam until she has a cup. Over a thousand pellets for one nest.

The hummingbird binds her nest with spider silk. It stretches as the chicks grow. She coats the outside in lichen so the whole thing disappears against the branch. From below, it looks like a knot in the wood.

🐦 The one most people haven't heard of:

The great crested flycatcher hangs a shed snakeskin in the entrance of her nest cavity. She may be deterring predators — or she may just be decorating. Researchers are still debating. But she does it consistently, and if she can't find snakeskin, she'll use a plastic wrapper instead.

The tufted titmouse pulls fur from live animals. Dogs, cats, raccoons — she lands on them and yanks. Your dog's shedding fur works too. Leave it on a railing and she'll find it within a day.

Every nest is a recipe. The material tells you the builder 🌿

06/09/2026

They are so beautiful!

You've watched them all summer — those flashes of color stitching back and forth over the pond, never quite landing long enough to look at.

Half of them aren't what you think.

The ones you've been calling dragonflies are sharing that air with their slimmer cousins, the damselflies. And once you've seen the difference, you can't unsee it.

It comes down to a few quick tells.

Watch where the wings go the moment one lands. A dragonfly leaves them spread flat, like a little plane on a runway. A damselfly folds them up neat along its back.

The build gives it away too — dragonflies stout and powerful, damselflies thin as a twig. So does the flight: one rips across open water, the other flutters low and soft through the reeds.

🌿 The real surprise isn't telling them apart, though. The one darting past you has already lived most of its life underwater, as a drab little hunter down on the pond floor. These few bright weeks in the air are the last short chapter of a much longer story.

So next time one zips past the water, you'll know which hidden life just surfaced. 🐾

06/09/2026

Harvestmen are harmless to humans, and can help control pests in your home and yard. They are very misunderstood creatures!

Did you know? Harvestmen are arachnids, but they are not spiders. Spiders have two distinct body segments, while harvestmen have one fused oval body. Spiders have up to eight eyes, while harvestmen have two, and they can only detect light and dark. No venom. No silk. No webs. They're more closely related to scorpions than to anything spinning a web in your basement.

If you are also learning things from a very young person, drop it in the comments. We want to hear everything.

06/09/2026

Oaks are wonderful!

One tree. That's it. One oak in a yard changes everything that lives there.

The canopy is a cafeteria — hundreds of caterpillar species feed in the leaves, and the birds follow them up. Warblers, chickadees, orioles. The whole summer chorus moves into the branches because the food is already there.

The trunk is an apartment building. Woodpeckers drill cavities. Screech owls move in the year after. Flying squirrels take the ones nobody else claimed.

🌿 Below the tree is where most people stop noticing:

The leaf litter is six inches deep by fall. Firefly larvae hunt in it. Salamanders shelter under it. Earthworms process it into the soil that feeds the roots that feed the tree that drops more leaves.

And every fall, she produces thousands of acorns. Squirrels bury them and forget about a quarter of them. Those forgotten acorns become the next generation of oaks.

One tree. A whole food web wrapped around a single trunk 🌿

06/09/2026

June is Invasive Species Action Month! Whether you’re hiking, camping, on the water or tending to your home garden, educate yourself and take action to help prevent the spread of invasive species.

One common invasive plant that’s in-bloom this time of year is dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis). This slender 3-4' plant with four pinkish-purple (or white) petals spreads quickly in forests, along roads and in natural areas. It is sometimes found in “wildflower mixes” and is a restricted invasive species in Wisconsin, which means it is unlawful to transport, transfer or introduce it on the landscape.

06/09/2026

Ahhh...toad 'dad' jokes...

06/09/2026

We have two new summer LTEs to help with invasive species this summer, mainly European Frog-bit. Meet Sidney (with turtle) and Dalanie (with sturgeon)! If you see them out and about be sure to say hello!

Hello! My name is Sidney Edwards, I will be working as a Conservation Generalist this summer, primarily locating and removing the invasive aquatic plant: European Frog-Bit. I am going into my junior year studying Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. I am originally from New York City, but am happy to be dipping my toes into aquatic conservation :).In my down time, I enjoy exploring nearby state and county parks/forests (anywhere I can camp really), so if you have any recommendations, let me know! Thank you Marinette County!

Hi! I am Dalanie Langlois, the aquatic invasive species conservation generalist for the summer at Marinette County. I just graduated in May from Winona State University with a degree in Biology: Environmental Science. While in college, I was the president of the Ducks Unlimited Collegiate Chapter for Winona State. During this role, I volunteered at various DU events including the organizations biggest fundraising event, Fishing For Ducks, and planned Winona State’s largest fundraising event yet! Our annual spring banquet raised over $25,000 that will be put towards the conservation of Minnesota’s wetlands and waterfowl. In my free time, I enjoy being on the river with my dogs, fishing, hiking, paddle boarding, and camping! I look forward to removing the aquatic invasive species, European Frog Bit, from the Peshtigo River and surrounding water bodies this summer!