Because of You: The Feeling of Being Watched

Because of You

The Feeling of Being Watched

Birds from around the Green Lake area are getting the distinct feeling of being watched. Are they just imagining this? No, they are not. Here’s why:

Back when Town Square Community Center was nothing more than a mere idea, there was one burning question on our minds. What if we could create a place where people with shared passions could find one another? 

Enter Tom and Wendy Schultz, two of the first people to walk through the door when Town Square opened in 2012. Tom, a renowned bird artist who illustrates the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, was already one of Green Lake’s local heroes. So we got to chatting and decided to show his work in the Town Square lobby. Simple enough, right?

Well, so many people showed up for the exhibit that it was pretty exciting, and we thought we might be on to something here. And then Tom mentioned that he’d really like Green Lake to become a Bird City, but that one of the requirements was to have a Bird Festival. 

To which we of course said, “Ok. Let’s have a Bird Festival.” 

As you’ve certainly already guessed, that was the start of something big. 

Today, thanks to your generous support of Town Square, Tom and Wendy’s Green Lake Bird and Nature Club is an active network of nature lovers that meets monthly at Town Square for programs ranging from Falconry to Lake Sturgeon to Honey Bees to Owls The club doesn’t have membership in the traditional form: anyone can show up for the monthly meetings. Between meetings, and in the summer months, the club stays in touch through The Green Lake Bird and Nature Club facebook page (just go to the group page and request to join).

How many members does this club have? Hang on to your birdfeeders. The facebook page currently has 946 members. 

This Spring, nearly 100 bird lovers–kids and families, young and old–flocked to Town Square for the 13th Annual Green Lake Bird Festival, where they joined Friday’s Birds and Brews social, and went on an early-morning birdwatching field trip on Saturday, followed by a presentation by Mayor Ray Radis and keynote presentation by Marge Gibson, founder and director of Raptor Education Group, featuring live (rather LARGE) birds. 

Human sightings at the event (both migratory and local) include Jerry and Judy Specht, Sarah Geisert and Scot Rans, Debbie Zeratsky, Phil Burkart and granddaughter Margo, Boni Jensen, and Karla Spinks. Plus additional bird fest committee members Mary Guell, Tom Guell, Kathy Beier, Linda Seaman, Jon Roti Roti and Nancy Habeger. 

Thank you for making Town Square the place where birds of a feather can….well, you know.