Dateline DNR

Wisconsin DNR

JUNE 20

Kick off the summertime fun and enjoy every drop of daylight on the summer solstice.

It’s Father’s Day, too, on this first day of summer, perfect for spending quality time outside with dad. And check out the Your Outdoors column in this issue for one reader’s reminiscences of special times with his own father.

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JULY 4

Just another relaxing summer Sunday … made more special with a national holiday celebrating 245 years of history.

STATE PARKS MEAN HAPPY CAMPERS

Summertime is camping time, and the Wisconsin State Park System boasts excellent camping opportunities statewide.

While some first-come, first-served rustic campsites are available at select northern properties, reservations are required everywhere else. A vehicle admission sticker is needed for entry.

For details on camping and admission, safety updates and links to find a park and reserve campsites, check dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/camping.

Newport Beach State Park

Wisconsin DNR

Wisconsin DNR

YEARS OF VOLUNTEER EFFORTS YIELD BETTER DAYS FOR BLUEBIRDS

Bluebirds are back in Wisconsin, thanks to dedicated work by the DNR and citizen science volunteers at the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin. BRAW is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.

Populations of eastern bluebirds have rebounded after plummeting by 90% in the 1980s, when only 600 nesting pairs were observed in the state. Now, thanks to BRAW’s nest box monitoring program, about 20,000 bluebirds have been recorded annually.

More than 750 volunteers monitor nearly 7,000 nest boxes, with the design and management of the boxes improved over the years through BRAW member observations and research sponsored by the Cornell Lab for Ornithology and the North American Bluebird Society.

To read more on this successful conservation story and learn about BRAW and how to get involved in supporting bluebirds, visit braw.org.