A woman with brown hair and an orange shirt untangles a bird from a fine mesh net while another woman with blond hair and gray sweatshirt, and one with brown hair and a multicolored shirt observe.

Three women standing together in the forest with arms around each other's shoulders. In front of them is a table with various bird banding equipment, and a green backpack on the ground. There is a green plastic chair to their left and a red plastic chair to their right.

We're looking for summer volunteers to help us collect ecological data! If you want to learn about Baraboo Hills & it's species, learn a new skill, or explore the forest visit our Opportunities page for more details about how to volunteer. 1st photo: Robert Rolley.

bhrcollective.org/opportunities/

A pale green caterpillar with black striped running down it's body is on a green leaf.

A fuzzy yellow and black caterpillar is on the underside of a large leaf. It has yellow and black tufts on it's topside.

A bright green caterpillar is on a tree trunk.

#Insects, fascinating & overlooked, are declining globally. In 2021, we joined continent-wide CaterpillarsCount! We searched leaves at 100s of trees & shrubs to quantify arthropod abundance & biomass, & had many interesting encounters! They are foundational to forest food webs, supporting wildlife.

A graph comparing territory density of ceruluean warblers in managed vs unmanaged forests. There are more territories in managed sites. Below the graph is an image of a male cerulean warbler - a small bird with a blue back, wings, and head, and a white throat and breast with black flank streaks.

A graph showing the number of territories of eastern wood-pewee in managed vs unmanaged sites. There are more territories in managed sites. Below the graph is an image of an eastern wood-pewee perched on a branch. The eastern wood-pewee is a small bird with a grayinsh back, head and wings, a flat yellow bill, and a whitish breast and belly.

A managed oak woodland on top of a bluff. There is a dense green herbaceous understory and the trees have been thinned so there is plenty of room between them. There is a light fog.

A graph showing the number of scarlet tanager territories in managed and unmanaged forests. There is no difference between sites. Below the graph is an image of a male scarlet tanager, which is a brillianted scarlet red bird with a black eye, a gray bill, and black wings and tail. The tanager is perched on a branch and it's beak is slightly open.

After >century w/out fire, how do insectivorous #birds respond to #oak #woodland management w/ #prescribed #fire?

We compared abundance of #Wisconsin #insectivores in managed vs unmanaged #woodlands. Read about it in Forest Ecology and Management & our website (bhrcollective.org/avian-insect...).

Our 7 Soundscape Baselines Project study sites span #woodlands, stream gorges & forest ponds. The Sound Forest Lab @uwmadison.bsky.social records intact #forest #soundscapes globally. Soundscapes + camera traps support local #ecology & #conservation research, & are a forest #biodiversity baseline.

A lush green forest

A small bird with white belly with brown streaks, and pinkish legs held in a human hand. One leg has a small aluminum ring on it with numbers.

A small rocky stream in a green forest.

A small rocky stream in a green forest.

Long-term #banding benefit: recaptures! This Louisiana Waterthrush migrated from Latin America to the #Baraboo Hills, a northern range edge, since 2021. They nest on stream banks, forage in water & are declining. Most nest in #Appalachia.
*Birds handled by trained banders w/ federal permit

We studied how #oak #woodland #restoration affected #birds & #insects. Management = more insect biomass, more birds species, & healthier, resilient bird communities. Read more: Avian Conservation and Ecology & our website. Birds handled by trained researchers w/ federal Bird Banding Lab permit.

Guidebook Flip through the Field Trip Guidebook and join us in exploring Wisconsin's lands, waters, and wildlife this season!

We are offering a Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin field trip! Hike to a field site & see how we band #birds! Look for trip #56 "Baraboo Hills Bird Banding" in the 2026 Field Trip Guidebook. Registration opens at noon on Wednesday, April 8.

www.wisconservation.org/field-trips/...

A nest of fine grass and twigs nestled in a blackberry bush, with two creamy eggs. The eggs have a ring of brown spots around the wider end.

A nest made of fine grass, twigs, and strips of tree bark is nestled in a blackberry bush. It has four creamy colored eggs with brown spots.

A nest made of fine grass and twigs is in a small shrub.

A nest made of moss and mud is perched on a rocky shelf. It contains two baby birds that are grayish colored.

Early AM #bird banding, #arthropod counts, #bioacoustic recorder checks, & bird surveys = encounters with #wildlife & bird nests. Dense blackberries grow after #prescribed #fire = shelter for American Redstart nests! Eastern Phoebe nests are made of mud and moss, on rocky cliffs in #stream gorges.

A small yellow bird is held in a human hand with a gray wing extended.

A fine net is extended between two metal poles in an oak woodland.

A brownish gray bird with white spots on the back, is held in a human hand with one blue wing extended.

A blue bird with an orange breast and white belly is held on it's back in a human hand. One foot is extended while the leg diameter is measured with a tool. A toolbox with bird banding tools is in the background.

Long term bird banding tells us which #birds are present & pop. & demography trends. Since 2021 we've banded birds in the #Baraboo Hills. Data go to @instbirdpop.bsky.social supporting knowledge of local & regional birds.
***Birds handled by trained researchers w/ federal Bird Banding Lab permit

A small bird with an olive back, yellow belly, and gray head is held in a human hand with head in profile view and back facing the viewer.

A small bird with a yellow belly, black throat, and gray head is held in a human hand with head in profile view and the belly facing the viewer.

Mourning Warbler. Iconic managed woodland species. Long-distance migrant, nest in #boreal #forest & #Appalachian highlands, common 1-2 yrs after #fire, winter in Central/S. America. We band many, that often return multiple yrs.

*Handled by trained researchers with federal Bird Banding Lab permit

A white trillium flower blooms under an oak woodland.

A hazy oak woodland in the Baraboo Hills.

An oak woodland on a slope with lush green understory vegetation.

A low intensity ground fire moves through the understory in a managed oak woodland.

Woodlands covered most of Eastern N. America, but #fire exclusion degraded them. Prescribed fire & tree thinning maintain open understory & allow #oaks & #flowers to thrive.

We work in @nature.org managed #BarabooHills oak woodlands studying how management affects #bird, #insect, and #plants.

We support the unique Baraboo Hills #ecosystem via long-term monitoring, research, & community involvement. We band #birds, count #arthropods, & record #soundscapes.
Learn about our people, projects, events & ways to join at: bhrcollective.org!
Birds handled by trained/permitted researchers.

Complex and highly saturated soundscapes in restored oak woodlands reflect avian richness and abundance - Oecologia Temperate woodlands are biodiverse natural communities threatened by land use change and fire suppression. Excluding historic disturbance regimes of periodic groundfires from woodlands causes degradat...

Read the paper here: tinyurl.com/5byfab8f
Findings: restored #OakWoodlands have higher #SoundscapeSaturation #AcousticComplexity, #arthropod biomass, & #bird abundance
Maia Persche, Zuzana Burivalova, Anna Pidgeon @sagara-sailways.bsky.social @uwmadisoncals.bsky.social @nature.org

Integrating science and land stewardship: Using soundscapes to monitor biodiversity in midwestern oak woodlands under managed and unmanaged scenarios - Oak Fire Science <p>By Maia Persche (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Ann Calhoun (The Nature Conservancy-Wisconsin)</p> <p>Presented on December 3, 2024</p> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/1037529011?share=copy#t=0...

Want to learn more about our work in the #BarabooHills integrating #science and #landstewardship to promote #biodiversity in #oak #woodlands using #bioacoustics? Watch a #webinar by Maia Persche and & Ann Calhoun @nature.org, at the Fire Consortium.
tinyurl.com/yuacrtrd

@uwmadison.bsky.social

Call of the Wild Field biologist and bioacoustic researcher Maia Persche listens to the woods, recording soundscapes that can reveal insights about biodiversity and habitat management.

Our very own Maia Persche was interviewed about her & BHERC work, and some of the methods we use to understand #oak #woodland management and #biodiversity in the #BarabooHills! #bioacoustics #soundscapes @nature.org
@instbirdpop.bsky.social @uwmadison.bsky.social

www.nature.org/en-us/magazi...

Call of the Wild Field biologist and bioacoustic researcher Maia Persche listens to the woods, recording soundscapes that can reveal insights about biodiversity and habitat management.

Our project on #Soundscapes in #Oak #Woodlands led by my incrdible wife, Maia with @uwmadison.bsky.social Zuzana Burivalova at #BarabooHills was featured in @nature.org (magazine)

Check more: @bhrc.bsky.social that includes longterm #birdringing
@instbirdpop.bsky.social

tinyurl.com/nhk3kzxx

We were recently featured in the Sauk County Steward. Read about conservation in Sauk County, or head to pgs 14-16 to read about us! bit.ly/45XUs1k

What we learn from banding Wisconsin's birds︱Wisconsin Society for Ornithology YouTube video by Field Notes Productions

What can we learn from bird banding? Learn more about why we band birds here: youtu.be/3OXGtIHZDLU?...

Increase insect abundance using science-backed methods! #newstudy #wildturkey #research YouTube video by DrDisturbance

What does BHRC do? Well, take a listen to DrDisturbance's amazing breakdown of some of the research conducted by our very own Dr. Maia Persche!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q04...