Dryden, D. (2008 May 28). An unsightly patch of weeds. Washburn County Register, p. 9

An unsightly patch of weeds
by Diane Dryden

Most people know the story of the Ugly Duckling. You remember the tale, don’t’ you? It’s the story where a clutch of eggs hatch and one of the eggs is really ugly and when it hatches it produces a chick that is equally ugly,. All the other ducks in the clutch swim away and make fun of their sibling because he is so very ugly and he’s even clumsy. The author makes life so hard on the chick that he runs away, or rather swims away and spends a cold and lonely winter by himself thinking the worst of life.

Finally spring arrives and the ugly duckling slips once again into the water and, ta-da, he looks into the lake and sees himself as an adult and lo and behold, he’s a beautiful swan. Now he’s prettier that the ducklings and every other bird that made fun of him. “So there,” the author implies.

If you’re wondering where this is leading, right now there’s a patch of weeds along HWY. 63, north of Shell Lake that some people, you know who you are, liken to the ugly duckling. And they would be right.

So far the 30 foot wide and half mile long section of city property is replete with what seems like hundreds of white flags, 4 very large clay flower pots, a few large rocks here and there and mounds of compost around single-stick plants. The only true beauty is the professionally painted sign that sits pretty well in the very middle of the site.

Since its inception last fall, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the Land and Water Conservation have been over the property several times. A professional garden designer had a valuable input as did both the Girl Scouts when they planted the shrubs and last week the Cub Scouts, Troop 51, planted 10 smooth sumac, Rhus Glabra on the northern most end of the 3 sites.

An executive board of 4 from across the United States and officers enough to fill out all positions are in place and are hard at work to produce a swan. There is also a graphic designer; a web master a copy editor a videographer and a media coordinator that work for both the Monarch Butterfly Habitat, and for the Happy Tonics web site.

There is even a new garden club with ten members dedicated to maintaining the habitat as it grows and flourishes. If you’d like to join the club, the next meeting is June 16 at 7:00 p.m. at the Shell Lake Public Library.

Dennis and Joyce Schraufnagel were the ones who brought in the 10 sumacs for the Cub Scouts to plant and Dave Hansen is the official waterer until the plants get established and on June 6, chokecherry and black wild cherry trees will be arriving from the Dragonfly Nursery along with native plants plugs that will also be planted and watered until they’re established. Mary Ellen Ryall, executive director and the genius behind both Happy Tonics and the Monarch Habitat is known to say, “The native plants live with or without us,” so after the transplants are established, they’re on their own.

There is a fund-raiser set for Wednesday evening, June 25 that will feature a pie social, a silent auction and habitat tours along with a film, A Butterfly Without Boarders” at dusk.

“The film could easily be called, the Jewel of the Garden or an intimate look at a butterfly being born in a garden,” says Ryall.

Unfortunately June 25 is also the night the Arts Center has chosen for their scholarship fundraiser, so Ryall hopes that people will take time to make both the presentations and check out the superb items on the silent auction.

Money for a split-rail fence is desperately needed, and as soon as Barron Electric delivers the 12 telephone poles, the pergola can be built that will sit smack-dab in the center of the habitat.

Money is also needed for fuel for the keynote speakers that will be speaking each Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. in the pavilion. June 4 starts the Morph Your Mind series with Ryall hosting the evening and speaking. The film will be shown at dusk and Brian from Sam Hicks will be serving the first of the indigenous dishes that will be featured each and every Wednesday evening. The dish for June 4 will be authentic wild rice soup in a bread bowl.

“This isn’t just a Shell Lake thing,” says Ryall. “We are just a small part of the floral corridor that goes from Canada down into Mexico that feeds the Monarchs after they are born and as they head south. Oddly enough, they follow the highways, so the habitat is in a perfect spot.”

As the summer progresses, various speakers will start the Wednesday evenings and one of the professional films from Bullfrog Films will be shown at dusk.

Also as the year progresses, you will see that the plants that are now no more than sticks, will blossom into native shrubs and soon there will be paths and memory benches, three have already been ordered, and a vast array of stunning native plants blooming. Classes will be held in the pergola and there will be no charge to sit in the middle of the miracle and rest and enjoy the birds and the butterflies.

While some may only continue to see an unsightly patch of ugly weeds, there really is a swan there, but it’s still too early to see its beauty, well for some maybe.