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Brookfield Wildlife Habitat Team

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Brookfield Wildlife Habitat Team

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Brookfield Wildlife Habitat Team, Environmental conservation organisation, Brookfield, WI.

We support the efforts of the City of Brookfield, Wisconsin to gain certification as a National Wildlife Federation Certified Community by providing education and outreach.

02/10/2025

If you love big, showy butterflies, you’ll love the Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes). This butterfly is generally a southern U.S. species, but it does occur as far north as southern Wisconsin. It’s host plants (where the females lays her eggs) are in the citrus family. Citrus trees, you might think, cannot survive a harsh Wisconsin winter. So how can this be?

There is one little known member of the citrus family, which calls Wisconsin home. It is a hearty, small tree or large shrub known as hop tree or wafer ash (Ptelea trifoliata). It is called hop tree because the fruit can be used as a substitute for hops in brewing beer.

So, consider growing this shrub in your yard, use it to brew beer, then watch the Giant Swallowtails. What could be better?

12/16/2024

One of our members happened to see this little guy in their yard in late August/early September.

The best guess is that it is a Broad-Winged Skipper. These skippers, who look like little fighter jets, lay their eggs on Lake Sedges (Carex Lacustris). Assuming the identification is correct (the site is not near a lake), it is likely that this skipper came into the yard to nectar on Marsh Milkweed (which is a wetland plant but it has a wide moisture tolerance range).

At one point, skippers were considered separate from butterflies but now they are considered a type of butterfly.

They are called skippers because they don't flutter and float like other butterflies. Instead they have a quick darting flight, and "skip" from plant to plant. Roughly 1/3 of butterflies are skippers and they are notoriously difficult to identify because there are so many of them and their differences are so subtle. Although skipper identification is undeniably frustrating at first, a real sense of accomplishment grows as we learn to recognize our local species.

10/28/2024

It has been said that the number of caterpillars on a landscape is a good indicator of how productive that landscape is.

Meet the bent-line carpet moth that was sitting on our front door the other day. It got its name from its intricate wing patterns, which are reminiscent of the traditional carpets of Asia and the Middle East. It should be noted that the moth was named only for its beauty, as it does not damage fabrics or carpeting. It is a common moth species whose larvae feed on "weedy" smartweeds and knotweeds.

The bent-line carpet is just one of thousands of moth species that are genuinely beautiful. The 19th-century lepidopterist Augustus Grote referred to moths as "night butterflies" and actually preferred them to butterflies. He called them "among the most beautiful phenomena of nature," pointing out that moths "afford superb instances of the blending of neutral tints, unspeakable soft browns and grays."* These colors, of course, make good camouflage.

Lovely treasures such as this little moth surround us, if only we take the time to stop and look.

Thanks to the Missouri Dept. of Conservation for this information.

08/06/2024

Check out this lovely Wavy-Lined Emerald moth (Synchlora aerata) that was sitting on our car door in the driveway the other day. I identified it with the help of my iNaturalist app. You can see how he got his name, by the wavy lines that go from one side of the wings to the other, mimicking the veins of a leave. He is a little guy. Wingspan 1/2 - 1 inch. Given his size and lime green color, we probably would have missed him if he’d been sitting on a plant.
The adult feeds on native Rubus (raspberries, blackberries and dewberries) and other flowering shrubs. The caterpillars feed on native flowers such as black-eyed susan, coneflowers, asters, blazing stars and golden rods. The “inch-worm” caterpillars are “masters of disguise” as they attach bits of plant material to their backs (either on spines or with silk) to look more like a strange insect than like a tasty meal to a bird.

Birds, bats and spiders feed on the adults.

They are attracted to bright artificial lights at night. This can cause them to become disoriented, disturb their natural activities and ultimately have an impact on their populations. In addition to planting their native food sources, you can help this species by installing lower wattage bulbs on outdoor lights or installing motion sensors, that only turn on when needed.

08/02/2024

What a fun Habitat Chat we had on Monday! While we spent most of the time talking about our projects, Nancy also gave a short talk on the importance of native plants to support wildlife.

Join us next for the next Habitat Chat on Tuesday, August 27th!
We look forward to chatting with you!

07/30/2024

If you want more songbirds in your yard the first step is food! What do songbirds eat?

Birdfeeders are the easiest solution but it'll only attract a small fraction of what Wisconsin has. Ever wonder why a Warbler never stops for seed? Because what birds really love is insects! In particular caterpillars of moth species. Native trees, shrubs, and perennials provide all the food young caterpillars need. When you see a bird hopping along the branches of trees (like this American Redstart) this is what they’re looking for.

Providing food is the first step, next you need shelter! Many songbirds prefer dense shrubs and trees for food and protection from predators. Adding in native shrubs can be an easy way to boost the cover for birds.

And to really go the extra mile some kind of a water feature will be the cherry on top for any birdscape. Birds need just enough water to dip their body into to clean their feathers or to have a quick drink. A bird bath or small pond will attract a variety of species you didn’t even realize are in your neighborhood. You might even finally get a warbler!

Other practical ways to improve the bird habitat in your yard: https://kb.jniplants.com/bird-garden-in-wisconsin

07/23/2024

Pollinator conservation in action!
In spring we usually see the Black and Gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus) gynes (inseminated females) emerging from their overwintering sites foraging and looking for potential nest sites in our yard. Black and golds are conspicuous due to their large size, especially that of the queen. We don't see (or at least haven't noticed) them after early June. This year we are seeing them actively foraging in July. In an effort to diversify our little
wildflower meadow, last year we planted some Canada Milk Vetch (Astragalus canadensis). It is blooming this year and we've spotted numerous foraging black and gold workers on this plant. Clearly, they are nesting nearby and our yard meets their needs year-round. The photo shows a foraging black and gold worker with filled pollen baskets on hind legs (only females have pollen baskets) on the vetch.

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