On a chilly spring afternoon, field biologist Gary Casper and assistant Beth Mittemaier, both in waders, slogged through a marsh just off the Good Hope Road exit on Interstate 41 to reach submerged metal traps. The first was empty, but the next trap held a blue-spotted salamander coiled in the bottom.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo far, this is the only species we\u2019ve found here,\u201d Casper said as he tipped the creature into his hand.<\/p>\n
Casper, a biologist with the 51ÁÔÆæ Field Station, is in charge of conducting the first-ever comprehensive wildlife survey in Milwaukee County. The survey is one step toward restoring the quality of the Milwaukee Estuary and its associated rivers, which were designated an \u201cArea of Concern\u201d in 1987 by the Environmental Protection Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.<\/p>\n
Casper\u2019s survey will show how wildlife has been affected by pollution and development in the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome things clearly are gone. There used to be wolves in Milwaukee County, but now we\u2019re not going to spend any time looking for them,\u201d Casper said. \u201cBut other things, like the prairie crayfish — that was listed as \u2018special concern.\u2019 Now, as a result of our work, we found that they\u2019re very widespread and common, so it\u2019s possible that that ranking was in error and they\u2019re not really of concern.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finding these animals takes some legwork. Casper and his team have set traps to catch turtles, crayfish and salamanders. They\u2019ve put out trail cameras to record larger mammals such as otters and foxes. They have even set up digital audio recorders to capture and analyze the sounds of animals like birds and frogs. The sights and sounds give the team a good idea of how many animals, and what types, live in a given area.<\/p>\n
Some of Casper\u2019s findings were unexpected.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the Virginia rail we got last year breeding in a marsh was a surprise. All of the professional birders we consulted said, \u2018Don\u2019t bother looking for them; they\u2019re not here,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cI was happy to find a couple more populations of digger crayfish, but they\u2019re definitely rare. The fact that they\u2019re surviving in urban Milwaukee County is encouraging. We were happy to find that flying squirrels are hanging on even though there\u2019s not a lot left in terms of good, quality, mature forest.\u201d<\/p>\n
But there were also surprises in what Casper\u2019s team has not found, such as most salamanders, and a lot of small frogs such as spring peepers and tree frogs.<\/p>\n
The next step is to identify how to help some of those threatened species recover in Milwaukee County, then procure funding and begin restoring some habitats. After that, Casper said, wildlife surveys should continue to measure the success of the restoration projects.<\/p>\n
One of the most hopeful and inspiring signs, Casper said, is how involved the community has been.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally, all conservation is local. What we\u2019re looking at is literally what\u2019s in your backyard,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s what your kids are able to see and play with. Are they able to go catch frogs? Are they able to see some of these really pretty birds, like redstarts raising young in the neighborhood woodlot?<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people warn me that \u2018People don\u2019t care about those slimy frogs,\u2019\u201d Casper continued, \u201cbut I\u2019ve found the opposite is true. Once they understand what\u2019s going on, it\u2019s not just pretty birds and warm and fuzzy mammals they care about; they care about it all.\u201d<\/p>\n