State parks, WI Bike Week and lessons from the robin’s nest

Since I ran out of room in the rest of the newspaper, the first part of this column will mostly consist of a press release I ran across that I thought was worth sharing.

For one, this weekend is Free Fun Weekend in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin DNR welcomes residents and visitors alike to enjoy free access to state trails and free entry to state parks and forests. With 50 state parks, 15 state forests and 44 state trails, there are plenty to choose from. The state parks closest to us are Lake Wissota, Rib Mountain and Council Grounds. I have been to all three and all three are nice.

If you haven’t been to any of them, I’d recommend Rib Mountain first just because of the views. If you have the time, check out the Quarry Trail (about 1.5 miles round trip with some rugged terrain). It’s cool to look down into the quarry and learn the history of it. Lake Wissota State Park has a pleasant, shaded trail that follows the shoreline of the lake. Just make sure you take bug spray. I haven’t gotten to explore the trails at Council Grounds yet, but it is a very pretty property.

This weekend is also free fishing weekend in Wisconsin and a great opportunity for the anglers out there.

Let’s hope the weather cooperates. Also, the Wisconsin Bike Fed has announced its annual Wisconsin Bike Week, June 1-9.

Bike Week is an opportunity to celebrate life by bike and promote local businesses. This year’s theme is “Bikes Mean Business,” which focuses on highlighting businesses that are bike-friendly and demonstrates how bikes are good for tourism and the local economy.

According to the most recent impact study released by the governor’s office in 2020, consumers spent $1.42 billion in 2017 on direct bicycle-related expenditures, bringing funds into our businesses and state budget. Additional research showcases the economic benefits of cycling and how cycling impacts the global economy.

“We encourage residents to enjoy festivities and also show support for local bike shops, restaurants, and stores during Bike Week,” explains Bike Fed events manager Heather Rainer. “Taking time to thank businesses that provide bike accessibility, amenities and discounts helps inspire the community’s biking culture and enhance overall quality of life.”

Wisconsin Bike Week is supported by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Numbers 4 Nonprofits, as well as recognized by proclamation from Gov. Tony Evers.

Some bike-friendly trails in our region include the Green Circle State Trail in Stevens Point and the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, which, again, will be free to use this weekend with no need for a trail pass.

For information on how to get involved with Bike Week and the Bike Fed’s mission, including membership that includes Bicycle Benefits, visit wisconsinbikefed.org or contact the nonprofit organization at 414-626-1540 and info@wisconsinbikefed.org.

About the Wisconsin Bike Fed

The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin Educational Foundation, Inc. (a.k.a. Wisconsin Bike Fed) was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1988 to cultivate, motivate and unite residents, communities, businesses and political leaders to move bicycling forward in Wisconsin through education, legislation and involvement. For over 35 years, the Bike Fed has been the only statewide organization that advocates for better bicycling for everyone who rides a bike in Wisconsin.

-I had the pleasure of viewing a robin’s nest up close this past month, as a robin built her nest in the corner of a window of my house. I never had such an up-close-and-personal view of a nest before, and it was a lot of fun to watch. It definitely gave new meaning to the phrases “leaving the nest” and “becoming empty nesters.” The whole process took about a month from when the eggs were first laid to when the fledglings left the nest.

Thought I’d share a few lessons to be learned from observing a robin’s nest, good for kids or really any of us to learn about the life cycle.

-- Patience is a virtue. Even when it seems like nothing is happening, the young bird is growing and developing inside the egg. They won’t hatch until the time is right.

It’s amazing to watch the fledglings grow and develop before your eyes. They start out looking like ugly little pink strips of flesh with just a few tufts for feathers, but before you know it, they have fully developed bodies and wings, and are itching to get out of the nest.

As long as they’re in the nest, they are totally dependent on Mom (and sometimes Dad helps too) for everything – food, shelter and tidying up the nest. They can’t do anything on their own. Their lives are confined to that tiny space. But, birds aren’t meant to spent their lives rustling around in a nest or taking a few hops on a windowsill. Birds are meant to fly. At first, they don’t even realize there’s a whole big world out there. Their parents are their world. They live to see their mom come with food. But eventually they realize there’s more to experience.

They’re never totally ready to jump, but it’s only by trying that they can become all they’re meant to be.

Maybe it can provide a strange comfort to the parent whose kid recently graduated in knowing that as painful as it is to see your kid grow up and do their own thing, that is the way of things, in nature and in our world. You have to let them fly. You can’t protect them from all of life’s dangers, but you can support them and show them where you find your strength. Trust they will remember, in time, those lessons you taught them while they were still in the nest.

Initially when the eggs were laid and after they first hatched, the mother robin was constantly on top of them, only leaving for five to 10 minutes an hour. But towards the end, she would be gone for long stretches of time, just coming back for feedings and leaving the fledglings alone in the nest overnight (on a practical level, there simply wasn’t room for her anymore). It was a process of gradually letting go, allowing them to have more independence, until one day it’s time for them to fly on their own.

And so it is with our human families. Have a blessed week!

Striking a

Chord...