Want to read the news about the Monarch Butterfly Habitat in Shell Lake, WI? This where it all began a few years ago which seems like long, long time ago to the volunteers who made it possible. Enjoy the read at
Category Archives: Shell Lake
Here come the videos for Earth Day Event in Shell Lake, WI 2011
- Monarch caterpillar two days after 100 mph storm
Jennifer Barton, environmental specialist, sent me two videos today that she was able to create on YouTube. I am learning more technical skills daily. I wish I had a way to add email addesses from my computer to any of the sites I am Blogging on but my computer was set up to do no such thing. I can’t share my contacts outside of my own system. This makes it difficult to add friends to new sites. Perhaps someday!
EARTH DAY EVENT 2011
Shell Lake, WI
This is an announcement about my book My Name is Butterfly getting published with Cassie and her mother Tanya Thompson as live models at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGozwmP-NcA
Now listen to the New Editions Band who played voluntarily at the event. We are grateful to our many friends.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ji0LNq3b1k
The Earth is a better place because of all of you. It is a transformation in process when one learns that it is not about one’s self. It is about the collective subconscience and how we all work together in an ancient hive of sustainability and collaboration.
Purchase the books Monarch of the Butterflies and My Name is Butterfly on Amazon.
Source: Jennifer Barton is an Environmental Specialist with Northwest Regional Planning, Recycling Department.
Art in the butterfly habitat
Art in the butterfly habitat. In the summer of 2010, a metal art sculpture was placed in the Memory Tree Grove at the Monarch Butterfly Habitat in Shell Lake. The art was made possible by generous people who wanted to honor my husband who died (July 4, 2010). He was a generous financial donor to the Monarch Butterfly Habitat and Happy Tonics, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) environmental education organization.
Wisconsin Trail article leads tourists to butterfly habitats
Come to Shell Lake, Wisconsin, USA, in the summer of 2011 and visit the Native Restored Remnant Tallgrass Prairie that is dedicated as a Monarch Butterfly Habitat. Tour with Mary Ellen Ryall and learn about differnt native host and nectar plants, shrubs, trees, wild edibles and butterflies.
Learn more about Happy Tonics at www.happytonics.org
Read the article at Wisconsin Trail at http://www.wisconsintrails.com/content/176.php
Discover Wisconsin TV promotes Washburn County Wisconsin
Hello insectamonraca friends,
Happy to report that Happy Tonics is on TV now with a short clip of the Monarch Butterfly Habitat. Diane Dryden, board member, did the interview and tour of habitat with the film crew from Discover Wisconsin. You will see a portion of Victoria Zalatoris art sign, “Native Wildflower and Butterfly Garden.”
Enjoy the 1/2 hour program at www.discoverwisconsin.com
Washburn County is a four season tourist attraction. Come to Shell Lake and we’ll show you a fun time. The Monarch Butterfly Habitat is along side an ATV trail and there is a path within the habitat. The sanctuary is located along highway 63 coming to Shell Lake from Spooner, WI. It is on the lakeside and two blocks from downtown Shell Lake.
Terraceview Living Center residents see monarch butterfly film
Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2011
Happy Tonics, Inc. hosted the film “The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies” by NOVA. Residents at Terraceview Living Center in Shell Lake enjoyed being connected to beauty and butterflies in the film. Some remembered earlier years when they would see monarch butterflies near their lakefront homes in Shell Lake.
As we age, we need to stay connected to nature. Nature has a way of reconnecting brain cells. Happy Tonics loves to get nursing home and assisted living residents involved in environmental stimulating conversations after seeing an environemtal film about butterflies. Elders remember to tell us about their own butterfly experiences.
We are hoping to host a few planned trips for elders to the Monarch Butterfly Habitat this summer. We’ll keep you posted.
Be well insectamonarch friends where ever you are.
Discover Wisconsin Films in Shell Lake
Diane Dryden, July 21, 2010 Washburn County Register
SHELL LAKE – Due to the efforts of Michelle Voight, the Washburn County executive director of tourism, the film crew and host of “Discover Wisconsin,” Stephanie Klett, along with her film crew, Jim Dick the producer and Trevor Wright the camera man, visited and documented several areas in the county.
Actually the information and film we’ve gotten in Washburn County will be a two-year, continuous loop of advertising,” said Klett, who is the managing director for the Discover Wisconsin Media Network and is the host of the show.
“Washburn County will not only be included in various press releases; it will have a Web presence, Discoverwisconsin.com. I also do three-minute sound bites on 40 stations, Monday through Friday, throughout the state. The half-hour program will run three times within that two-year period beginning next March.”
During Klett’s 17-year tenure with the program, she’s filmed in all 72 counties while traveling the entire state each year. “It’s no problem for me to put on from 50,000-100,000 miles on my car and our crew works 300 days a year, filming and then editing copy so it fits into our 30-minute program.”
Klett does the interviewing and research, along with Dick, when hired by various counties for “Discover Wisconsin’s” half-hour program.
Included in the program about Washburn County is Hunt Hill, the Museum of Woodcarving, the Washburn County Historical Society, The Railroad Memories Museum, Long Lake, the Birchwood Logging Museum, the Howard Morley Homestead, Gov. Tommy Thompson Fish Hatchery, Spooner Farmers Market, the veterans cemetery, the rodeo, the Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum and the Monarch Habitat in Shell Lake.
The habitat was created four years ago because one woman had a vision and she worked tirelessly and jumped through lots of hoops to make her dream a reality. That woman is, of course, Mary Ellen Ryall. As was mentioned during the filming, everything that is in the habitat, which was created out of a former railroad side yard, including the native plants, the pergola, the split-rail fence enclosing the entire the site area and the benches and the trees, came through grants and donations.
“Happy Tonics is a paid member of Washburn County Tourism and we are included in the TV segment because the program includes filming of natural resources and this is something special that Washburn County and the Monarch Butterfly Habitat have to offer,” said Ryall.
“In an age of climate change, native habitat is the only way to go, and the restored remnant tall grass prairie is an open classroom to teach others about the benefits of native habitat and its plants and pollinators such as the monarch butterfly and native bees.”
The habitat is proof that if you are determined to see something accomplished, it will be and you might even become an international organization and end up on television someday.
Holidays in Minong, WI
This is the first day that I can post from Minong, WI. I arrived on December 18th. There are two Wi-Fi sites in town. One is at The Scoop which was closing down for the winter. Oh oh! Next I tred Stony’s Hotel restaurant and still no connection.
I drove down to Shell Lake which is a 60 mile commute to test the Wi-Fi at my residence. It was supposed to be up and running because Centurytel was supposed to fix it. All I saw was a broken frame that had broken next to the computer. This was a Chinese silk painting. Oh well, easy come – easy go. The Wi-Fi is still not working.
Returned to Minong and tried again at Stony’s but no go. Then I drove to Hayward a 40 mile round trip. The laptop worked perfectly from the Hayward Library. What gives?
When I returned to Minong, I stopped back at Stony’s but still no access. I hopped back in the car drove past CenturyLinks office. The lights were on. Hurray! I turned the car around and parked outside their office.
I knocked on the combination locked door. Someone answered the door and let me speak to the techie who really didn’t want to be there. He only had a few minutes before they were locking the door up for the holiday. Don took a look at the computer and showed me how I needed to check for new Wi-Fi sites that were available. I HAD BEEN LOOKING AT LOCAL AREA NETWORKS PAGE instead of looking at the green or background bar at the bottom. I told Don that when he returned home he must tell this family that he was Santa’s Helper and how he helped a poor women in distress because she couldn’t get her laptop connected to the Internet.
Folks this is important to me. I am writing the text for a coloring book this winter. I need access to my computers. I plan to Blog the text so at least I will be able to paste and cut later when I return to Shell Lake. From there I should be able to paste and cut to Word Doc and print off. Minong is a little Village of 521 souls. We are in remote location in Northwest Wisconsin and we are buried under snow. Yesterday the radio said that 12 inches of snow fell.
I am typing this on a notebook and it doesn’t work as nicely as a full size keyboard so it may be a bit rustic. I am thrilled because I have Wi-Fi access now from my little Redwood Retreat in the Great No North Woods. Being able to connect with no cost to me is a gift. I will be able to add photos after I am back in Shell Lake and have full technology acccess. Working from Minong is like working on the road. Gas for the vehicle is now $3.09 a gallon. Commuting is not a sustainable solution in Northwest Wisconsin.
Be well insectamonarca friends whereever you are.
Happy Holiday from the far reaches of Mother Earth.
Shell Lake – Christmas Lights in the Park
Hello holiday visitors!
Happy Tonics is participating in the Christmas Lights in the Park for this first time this year. The Lions Club and leader Arlise Santiago came up with the idea three years ago. At that time the City of Shell Lake gave permission to use the campground. There are paved roads within the campground. People can drive through the park and enjoy the festive lights and Christmas music. Churches, school, art center, bank, businesses and nonprofits are all there with lighted displays to welcome visitors and residents alike. We are the only city in Washburn County, Wisconsin, that has a unique display of lights like this.
This year Happy Tonics was lucky enough to buy lighted butterflies and dragonflies on sale. Board member Diane Dryden is responsible for painting the cheerful sign and putting the display up. Sally Peterson, Mayor of Shell Lake, said she loved the display and several people told me they really liked what we did. I always have to give credit where it is due and of course the applause goes to Diane Dryden.
Hope you enjoy our show.
- Sign in the park
Shell Lake, Washburn County, Wisconsin
The Sleeping Giant May Awaken Yet
2010 has been an interesting year in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, USA. The TV film crews were here over 4th of July weekend filming the Restored Native Remnant Tallgrass Prairie which is dedicated as a Monarch Butterfly Habitat. Happy Tonics habitat creation will be featured on Discover Wisconsin on Wisconsin Public Television starting on March 11, 2011. We won’t be the only ones. The Museum of Woodcarving across the street from the habitat will also be aired. Then there is the Shell Lake Art Center and the Washburn County Historical Museum and many more.
In November 2010 the movie film crews were in Shell Lake. Now this is significant. We who live here know how special this pristine environment and city of 1,260 citizens is. It may not be long before the rest of the country finds out about us at movie houses. The film is timely and about a virus infection that spreads very quickly. Only Shell Lake is safe. The virus ended when it came this far north. I am not giving it full credit because I am only watching the trailers. I haven’t seen the cast and crew simply because they are here into the night or early morning. We will keep you posted if it makes the movie houses. You can view the trailer at http://www.discursionmovie.com/
A few days ago, we published a post on the Shell Lake Art Center and how the producers promoted the quaintness of
community. It’s a very nice video at http://www.campchannel.com/summer-camps/Shell-Lake-Arts-Center-3757.html
Hope you enjoy learning about the work we do here as citizen environmentalists and entomologists. We’re just the seed planters who enjoy seeing things grow.
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