Bird-related Recreation Committee

Members

Promotions Committee

  • Susan Foote-Martin (Committee Co-chair, WDNR)
  • Ty Baumann (Committee Co-chair, Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary)
  • Mike Reed (Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary)
  • Jason Ring (Packerland Convention & Visitors Bureau)
  • Kit Sorenson (WI Dept. of Tourism)
  • Heidi Weiser (Student Intern)

Technical Committee

  • Susan Foote-Martin (Committee Co-chair, WDNR)
  • Ty Baumann (Committee Co-chair, Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary)
  • Mike Reed (Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary)
  • Dave Kukuck
  • Eric Howe (Hoy Audubon Society)
  • Jerald Hagman
  • Jeff Baughman (Wisconsin Society for Ornithology)
  • Jerry & Karen Smith
  • Jerry DeBoer
  • Jim Knickelbine (Woodland Dunes Nature Center)
  • Joel Trick (U.S. F&WS)
  • John Huff
  • Marilyn Bontly
  • Noel Cutright (Wisconsin Society for Ornithology)
  • Roy & Charlotte Lukes

Goals

  • To market the best-known birding and wildlife viewing areas in the state into a single ecotourism project to satisfy the needs of our customers;
  • To publish 5, high quality, full-color guides over a five-year span for distribution, free of charge;
  • To assign economic value to wildlife viewing;
  • To fulfill a need by the public to connect with nature on their own terms, by linking them to the best nature venues in Wisconsin;
  • To bring economic strength to communities who benefit from serving the nature-based traveler;
  • To build partnerships across Wisconsin with entities that benefit from, and contribute to ecotourism and the health of natural systems;
  • To educate and inform the public about natural resources and to build a conservation constituency for support of the resources;
  • To work with communities and partners to develop companion projects and materials;

Accomplishments

  • Publication of the Lake Superior/North Woods Birding and Nature Trail guide.
  • Publication of the Mississippi & Chippewa Rivers Birding and Nature Trail guide.
  • Publication of the Lake Michigan Birding and Nature Trail guide.
  • Publication of the Checklist of Wisconsin Birds.
  • Recipient of Wisconsin Rural Partners “Top Rural Development Initiative”.
  • Formation of hundreds of diverse statewide partnerships.
  • Creation of festivals and celebrations connected with completed regional Bird Trails.
  • Creation of promotional opportunities for agencies, and NGOs to showcase their work, natural resources and more.
  • Increased awareness of Wisconsin natural resources.
  • Increased revenue for entities that provide amenities for nature-based travelers.
  • Project website developed http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/trail.

Current Activities

  • Collect nominations for remaining trails via website
  • Research, produce, promote, and publish Central Sands Prairie Birding and Nature Trail;
  • Upgrade and  manage website;
  • Develop partnerships throughout Wisconsin;
  • Promote projects throughout Wisconsin.

For more information about the Bird-related Recreation Committee, please contact

Susan Foote-Martin, Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail Coordinator, Wisconsin DNR, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI  53707-7921. 608-266-0545, susan.foote-martin@wisconsin.gov.