Pulling Pigweed

Today a dozen of us gathered to pull winged pigweed on Wisconsin Point. We were helping the piping plover project. Piping plovers are critically endangered. At one point, in the 1980's, we were down to only 13 piping plovers. Last year we had 75. This year we have 80. Piping plovers used to inhabit this area and also on Minnesota point. The project is improving the beach hoping the plovers will return. The piping plovers visited in May but they didn't stay. We spent two hours pulling pigweed.

The area is fenced off to keep predators at bay. Occasionally deer swim over. Beaver and otter visit too. A couple bald eagles live in the pine tree across the bay. Most of the driftwood is removed or burned so as to deprive the eagles of a place to perch while hunting.

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Last year when I was here the planted plugs of dune grass were new. This year the dune grass looks great and some of it has even produced seed heads. You can see the fencing in the background.

Piping plovers nest on Long Island which is one of the Apostle Islands. There they line their nest with tiny white pebbles. Pebbles and cobblestones have been trucked over to this beach. In Green Bay piping plovers have adapted to the lack of stones by using the shells of zebra mussels. The plovers prefer to nest in the same area year after year. Once an area gets filled up they might consider moving. When a plover is nesting boxes are put over the nest to protect it from predators yet allow the plovers to come and go as they please.

Unlike Minnesota point, there are no houses on Wisconsin point. The area is wild and beautiful. The road is narrow and curves between large pines.