I.  Teaching Values for Birds

A.   Presence of horned owls.  Class can find pellets, and see how they register food habits.  Class can find and examine remnants of prey brought in by adults to feed young.  (Grazing or altering the two woodlots [on Eagle Heights and Second Point] would evict these owls.)

B.   Spring waterfowl show on University Bay.  About twenty species of ducks, divers and shorebirds visible at close range.  The duck show is more varied than that of Arboretum.  (Dredging, filling, or altering the bay would probably spoil this.)

C.   Pheasants.  The pheasant population is much more easily observed than that of the Arboretum because of the adjacent open fields.  Most mortality from mowers can be demonstrated on the University alfalfa fields:  this is not possible on the Arboretum.

D.   Small marshes.  The three small units of marsh (on the north side of Picnic Point, in University Bay near the picnic Point entrance and next to Willows Beach) make possible the study of segregated marsh populations, which is not possible on the large Arboretum marshes.

II.  Teaching Values for Mammals

A.   Foxes.  This area contains the closest remaining foxes.  Tracks, droppings, and dens can be shown to class.

B.   Rabbit pressure.  For some unknown reason this area has a consistently higher rabbit population pressure than any other area near Madison, hence browsings are exaggerated, and hence more easily seen by class.

C.   Muskrats and minks.  Closest available population.

III.  Existing Conditions Which Need to be Preserved for Wildlife Teaching

A.   University Bay and adjoining remnants of marsh.

B.   University Creek and small marsh at its mouth.

C.   Picnic Point marshy pond.

D.   Two woodlots.

IV.  Existing Conditions Which Need to be Abated for Wildlife Teaching

A.   Pollution of Willow Creek.

B.   Plantation of exotic trees and shrubs.

C.   Rats on University Bay Dump (the depleted sandpit).

D.   Shooting and trapping on University Bay.

V.  Wildlife Teaching Exhibits Which Need to be Added to the Area

A.   Rabbit browsing inside and outside an exclosure.

B.   Shade tolerance of plantings inside and outside of a woods.

C.   Plant succession plowings (one unit each year) to show wildlife food and cover plants in relation to successional stages.

D.   Perch-posts in marsh to show effect on redwing blackbird territories.