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Blueberry Maggot Fly Poised To Expand In Wisconsin

By Janet van Zoeren and Christelle Guédot/WisContext

The blueberry maggot fly (Rhagoletis mendax Curran) was first detected in Wisconsin during the summer of 2016, and the species is now considered established in the state.
This agricultural pest, which is closely related to the well-known apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella), regularly damages commercial blueberry production in the eastern and southern United States and eastern Canada during the growing season. It is expected to have a significant effect on the blueberry industry in Wisconsin.

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Posted on July 27, 2017

The Life Of Land After Frac Sand

By Scott Gordon/WisContext

Since the late 2000s, growth in hydraulic fracturing has created a new demand for sand deposits around western Wisconsin. Of highest value is hard, fine-grained sand perfect for cracking underground rock formations that hold oil and natural gas. But beyond the short-term economic ups and downs that come with any activity tied to the energy industry, what happens over the long run at the sites where frac sand is mined?

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Posted on July 18, 2017

Wisconsin And The Extinction Of The Passenger Pigeon

By Kristian Knutsen/WisContext

An avian blizzard in central Wisconsin in 1871 made for a spectacle the likes of which would never be seen again.
Hundreds of millions or maybe even a billion passenger pigeons made their spring nesting grounds across a broad swath of the state, with observers reported the birds carpeting trees throughout. Indeed, it was the largest nesting of passenger pigeons ever recorded. It was also a bonanza of incredible proportions, with hunters shooting and selling tens maybe even hundreds of millions of the birds for the commercial game market. Less than three decades later, the passenger pigeon would no longer be found in the state, and the species would be extinct by 1914.
The disappearance of the passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) may be the most infamous example of an extinction caused by the actions of humans. Its tale is illustrative of how people can simply eliminate a once common, even abundant creature through relentless killing.

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Posted on July 17, 2017

Chicagoetry: Blues For Allah

By J.J. Tindall

Blues for Allah
“What good is spilling blood? It will not grow a thing;
Taste eternity the swords sing: Blues of Allah In ‘sh’Allah.”
– “Blues for Allah,” lyrics Robert Hunter, music Jerry Garcia
Commuting home
From one world to the next,
I watch
The expressway parallel
To my train seat and
Daydream of my favorite
Old god, Osiris.

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Posted on July 10, 2017