Tag Archives: leaves

2020 Fall Foliage Report

24 Thursday Sep 2020

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The local meteorologist may be tricking us into thinking summer is back again, but there’s no question that fall has officially arrived. Parents and children are starting to find their back-to-school routines, assorted pumpkins are being placed on front porches, seasonal flavors have returned to coffee shops and, of course, the greatest indicator of them are the changing fall colors.

If you would consider yourself an autumn enthusiast, you’re likely visited Travel Wisconsin’s Fall Color Report. If not, there’s no better time to become familiar with an outstanding state resource.

Each year, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism provides the latest updates for finding the best fall colors. Regardless of your mode of transportation (hiking, biking or riding), you have the opportunity to see all of the changing leaves that your heart desires.

According to the latest report, counties around the state appear to be evenly split between beginning and moderate peak colors. Expectations show that northern counties will reach their peak in the first or second week of October, while southern counties will follow in the second or third week of the month. If you’ve been longing for a road trip, now is the time to start planning – with as much or as little effort as you’d like!

Travel Wisconsin put together a guide for 11 scenic drives to take advantage of when the leaves are turning. We were excited to see that one drive is not far from the Wisconsin Lions Camp. Did you know that three of the state’s highest points are right here in Central Wisconsin? Take in the fall foliage from a different perspective by driving along the Hilltop Tour.

If you don’t consider yourself to be a follower, you can always come up with a fall foliage trip of your own. Our state is chock-full of scenic highways and rustic roads, so we are confident that finding a unique journey shouldn’t be a trying task.

Fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year in Wisconsin. Don’t forget to open your eyes and take all of the beauty in. From all of us here at Lions Pride, enjoy your seasonably warm fall weekend!

Plant a Tree This Arbor Day

23 Thursday Apr 2020

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Lions Lake in Fall

Photo Credit to Wisconsin Lions Camp

Friday marks the observance of Arbor Day, a holiday dedicated to celebrating the beneficial role that trees play in our lives. Of course, this year’s celebration will be different we’ve seen in years past due to the novel coronavirus and extended “Safer to Home” Orders.

Two years ago, we developed tips on planning a tree planting project with a group, but we know that these points may not be especially pertinent to life in 2020 since none of us can predict when it will be considered safe to gather in groups. However, we think it’s important to bear in mind that planting a tree doesn’t necessarily require a group; instead, it may be a memorable outing for families wanting to make a positive impact on the environment.

Since the ground is no longer frozen (that is here in Central Wisconsin,) now is a fantastic time to plant a tree. By planting in the spring, you allow the tree an opportunity to grow all summer long then prepare for the cold winter months. Nonetheless, there are a few challenges that you will likely need to address. With the help of BHG, we’ve compiled a few tips to improve your chances of a successful tree planting:

  1. Safety first! Before even picking up the shovel, please be sure there will be no utility lines down below. Call the Diggers Hotline (811) before planning to dig. The dispatcher will ask you questions about your project and will need to reach out to local public utilities, which can take some time. The best time to call is two to three days before digging your hole.
  2. When you are ready to plant, dig a hole two to three times as wide as the root ball of your tree to allow for sufficient backfill soil.
  3. As you place the root ball within the hole, be sure to handle carefully to keep it all intact.
  4. Once the root ball is in your ideal location, surround it with lightly packed soil. Loose soil will help the roots grow easily.
  5. The biggest obstacle to planting in the spring is that the tree will need to make new roots and new leaves at the same time, which requires a lot of sugar and water. Be sure to give the tree a large drink of water just after planting and every day for weeks after. Adding mulch to the base of the tree will help keep the weeds out and reduce water loss.

If you are a Lion or Lioness, and plan to plant one or more trees in observance of Arbor Day, we invite you to share your numbers with Multiple District’s Environmental Chair, Lion Anita LeCleir at tia1937@yahoo.com.

At Lions Pride, our job is to preserve, protect and provide for Lions Camp and all other WLF projects, but we think those three essential words can also be applied to our responsibility as conscious citizens.

Instead of thinking of Arbor Day as just a one-day celebration, perhaps we can consider it as an opportunity to continually come up with new ways to improve the world around us. Remember that small steps, like planting a tree, can have a positive effect on our environment as well as generations to come.

Thank you for continuing to protect Planet Earth!

 

Autumn Colors are Arriving

21 Thursday Sep 2017

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Does it feel like the fall colors are arriving early this year? Some people may tell you that Autumn Roadtime seems to go faster and faster when you get older, but don’t believe them this time because you’re not imagining it! The leaves have already started to turn in northern Wisconsin, and parts of the state could peak as early as the third week of September (Yes, that’s next week, and a week quicker than usual.) See for yourself at SmokyMountains.com’s Interactive Foliage Map.

According to the map’s creator Wes Melton, this year’s leaf model is predicting an earlier-than-typical peak fall due to the heavy precipitation we saw during the summer months. Fortunately, however, the NOAA 90-day future precipitation and temperature graphs are pointing towards a longer color period for most of the county. If you’d like to see Wisconsin’s fall foliage map, be sure to check out Travel Wisconsin’s Fall Color Report.

Shorter days play a significant role in the changing leaves’ color, but weather can also be a big part. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the best recipe for stellar fall colors include a warm, wet spring; a mild summer that doesn’t get too hot; and a fall with warm, sunny days that don’t quite reach freezing temperatures – the perfect way to describe the past the six months of 2017.

In other years, we may have seen a delayed arrival of fall colors due to drought, or less leaves from early frost or heavy winds, so we may consider ourselves lucky this year!

If the fall days continue as we’ve already seen, it sounds like Wisconsin will have a lovely, colorful season. Where is your favorite place to take in the breathtaking colors? If you don’t have a destination in mind, Travel Wisconsin comes to the rescue once more! Check out their picks for the best scenic drives that will give you a guaranteed front row seat to Mother Nature’s annual show.

No matter where you plan to go, be sure to schedule your time accordingly – it will be here and gone in just a few, short weeks.

Happy (Early) Fall from Lions Pride!

Upcoming Wisconsin Fall Events

22 Thursday Sep 2016

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cranberry-festThe leaves are beginning to change colors; the temperature continues to drop and everything is becoming pumpkin-spice flavored; yes, we think it’s safe to say that autumn is officially here!

Although we love summer here at Lions Pride, there is something very special about fall in Wisconsin. We think the primary reason may be because there are so many fun events taking place. Since today is the first day of fall, it’s time to celebrate! Review our list of fun events taking place this weekend around the state of Wisconsin:

  • Warrens Cranberry Fest – Participate in the world’s largest cranberry festival! Enjoy family fun with thousands of arts and crafts-type booths, cranberry harvest tours, huge parade and a cranberry recipe contest. Come for a very “berry good time!”
  • Copper Falls Fall Festival – Discover spectacular beauty at Copper Fall State Park in Mellen. Keep the kids in your life busy with t-shirt painting, pumpkin carving and apple cider making demonstrations. You’ll also get the chance to fill up on homemade treats from area vendors.
  • Beer and Bacon Festival – A little closer to our neck of the woods, Wausau Events is proud to present the 1st Annual Beer and Bacon Festival. Tickets are $35, and participants will be able to sample delicious beer and bacon from vendors around the state.
  • Annual Oktoberfest – Downtown Beloit Association is bringing back the 3rd Annual Oktoberfest. Join in the fun by sampling German beers and enjoying live bands and dance performances throughout the day. Tickets are $5 for adults, $1 for children ages 4-11; children 3 and younger are free.
  • Evening in the Village – Explore the Old World Wisconsin village at dusk in Eagle. Hours will be extended until 7 pm Saturday night only with lots of special activities planned.

There you have it – five of many events happening around our beautiful state. How do you plan to spend the first weekend of fall?

Central Wisconsin Fall Foliage

01 Thursday Oct 2015

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It’s hard to believe, but we made our way through another month and another season.

Fall in Central Wisconsin

Photo Credit to Walter Brimmer

We may only be a week in, but the crispness in the air tells us that autumn is definitely here.

This weekend, our Council of Governors will be having their second annual meeting and the 1st Vice Governors will be attending a training session, but what are you doing? If you love the changing fall colors, you may want to get out and explore!

According to Travel Wisconsin’s Fall Color Report, Portage County is only 35 percent into peak color; however, Northern counties such as Sawyer, Price and Oneida are already reaching their peak. If you’ve been longing for a road trip, this may be the opportunity.

Lions Pride researched Travel Wisconsin, and found they put together a guide for 11 scenic drives to take advantage of when the leaves are turning. One drive is actually not far for many of us; did you know that three of the state’s highest points are right here in Central Wisconsin? Ride along the Hilltop Tour to take in the color from a different angle. Climb up the 60-foot observation tower in Rib Mountain; hike up Timm’s Hill (the highest point in the state) and overlook the colorful hillside at The Highground near Neillsville.

If you don’t consider yourself to be a follower, you can always come up with a fall foliage trip of your own. With all of the scenic highways and rustic roads in Wisconsin, finding an appealing path shouldn’t be a big challenge.

Fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year in our state. Be sure to take a step back and take it all in when it’s here. And don’t worry about our Lions Leadership Team – they won’t be working all weekend so there will still be plenty of time for them to relish the fall colors, too.

From all of us here at Lions Pride, enjoy your fall weekend!

Happy Earth Day!

19 Thursday Mar 2015

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Tomorrow marks the 45th anniversary of Earth Day. In 1970, Cabin on Lion LakeJohn McConnell, the founder of Earth Day, decided that earthlings needed a day to celebrate the planet’s life and beauty. We couldn’t agree more. Although it may not be initially obvious, Lions Pride is a big supporter of Earth Day, but maybe not on the official holiday.

As we’re sure you already know, we work very closely with the Wisconsin Lions Camp. Each year with the help of our donors, in 2014 we were able to bring over 100 children with special needs from around the state to Lions Camp in Rosholt for a week of fun as the fund grows that number will increase each year.

The campers are able to experience the great outdoors at its finest. Their days are filled with swimming and boating on Lions Lake, aiming for the bull’s-eye in the archery range, spending time near the tops of trees on the climbing tower, zipping down the zip line, creating artistic masterpieces to take home and exploring the nature center.

Hiking in the WoodsWe hope the children take home a new appreciation of our natural world and it influences the choices that they make. For instance, we hope that on a crisp, fall day that they choose to rake up a big pile of leaves to jump into rather than stay inside playing video games or in the spring we hope they will choose to help Mom or Dad plant vegetables in the garden rather than watching television.

Our world is an amazing gift and Earth Day reminds us to cherish the gift that is our world. How will you choose to celebrate the beauty of our planet?