We welcome letters to the Editor, a chance for members of the community to comment on issues of concern to them. All letters must be original, not duplications of letters addressed to public officials or written by others. The views and opinions expressed are those of the letter writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication, its publishers, Editor, or staff.
To the Editor:
I had the opportunity to attend an excellent, three-day, Wisconsin Coverts Project workshop. “Coverts” is a woodland wildlife management program for private landowners, sponsored, among others, by the Division of Extension at UW-Madison. This annual workshop focuses on actions you can take to enhance your land’s wildlife abundance and diversity by using sound ecological principles.
Any woodland owner or person responsible for managing a parcel of wooded land in Wisconsin or the Midwest is eligible to apply. There is no minimum acreage requirement. Costs, including lodging and meals, are paid for by the workshop sponsors.
In exchange for the free, three-day workshop and materials, participants agree to become COVERTS COOPERATORS, sharing what they have learned with their communities. The word “covert” is an English word that describes a dense thicket that provides shelter for wildlife.
A few, of the many, pearls of wisdom that I learned from attending this workshop are:
Woodlands with more edge (where grass meets forest) will attract a greater diversity of songbirds
Habitat diversity (i.e. different age classes and species of trees, wetlands, prairies) equals wildlife diversity
Good grouse habitat is good whitetail deer habitat
Clover, in food plots, is recommended to be cut at a height of 6 inches or taller, to provide cover for ruffed grouse and turkey broods as they forage on insects.
I would encourage any interested woodland owner to apply for this annual workshop. More information can be found at: https://forestandwildlifeecology.wisc.edu/coverts/.
– Paul Thomas
Merrill Township, Wis.
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