August 2013

Fri
02
Aug
MTT News Desk's picture

City Says Goats Were The Right Prescription For Invasive Species Control

Those who frequent the Pheasant Branch Conservancy are used to seeing an array of flora and fauna as they travel the preserve’s meandering paths. But earlier this summer they encountered something entirely new: goats.

A herd of 82 animals came and went as part of the City of Middleton Public Lands and Forestry Department’s plan to manage invasive brush in Bock Forest. This approach, called prescribed grazing, harnessed the goats’ appetite for brush to help reduce invasive species populations.

Prior to the mid 1800s, much of the Middleton area was oak savanna, oak woodland, prairie and wetland. Naturally occurring fires and blazes set by Native Americans kept the “understory” open. The open area allowed a diverse community of grasses and wildflowers to flourish.

Today, two species of invasive brush - buckthorn and honeysuckle - are shading out the understory vegetation and reducing plant diversity and the habitat value of the woodland.

Fri
02
Aug
MTT News Desk's picture

Middleton Resident Is Zoo's First Ever Female Director

Ronda Schwetz, Henry Vilas Zoo director, has had a lifelong affinity for Madison’s popular menagerie. Growing up in McFarland, now residing in the Town of Middleton, she remembers well the exact location where her dream job at the free zoo was born.

“I was by the rhinos – the exact same ones we have today, in fact – when I first thought, ‘I want to do this some day,’” she recalled. The 43-year-old is the first female director in the 102-year-old zoo’s history. She took charge of the facility in June of 2012.

She held her first position at this zoo in 1991, as an intern while at UW-Stevens Point, in a program that continues today. After graduating in 1992 with a double major – psychology and biology- and a minor in Captive Wildlife Management, Schwetz moved to Chippewa Falls. Her stint at the Irvine Park Zoo lasted several years, gaining her valuable hands-on knowledge.

Thu
01
Aug
MTT News Desk's picture

Town Meeting On Sex Offender Release

 

The Dane County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging citizens in the Town of Middleton to attend a Community Notification meeting regarding the release of Kenneth Adams.

A core team evaluates and makes decisions on the level of notification to the community for the release of sex offenders under Wisconsin Statutes 301.45 and 301.46.  The Core Team will be holding a Community Notification meeting on Tuesday, August 6, at 6:30 p.m.  The meeting will be held at the Middleton Town Hall, located at 7555 W. Old Sauk Rd.  The Core Team will offer information about the Community Notification Law and the release of Kenneth Adams.

Pages