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Lafayette County Bluebird Society moves to Main Street
bluebird nature center
Members of the Lafayette County Bluebird Society board of directors pose in front of the building that will become the Bluebird Nest Nature Center. From L-R: treasurer John McDaniel, board member Steve Seffrood, secretary Sue Cashman and president Carol McDaniel. Not pictured are vice president Jane Walter and honorary board member Velma Klenke. -Photo by Tallitha Reese

The Lafayette County Bluebird Society (LCBS) Board of Directors recently announced the formation of an LCBS nature center that will be located at 308 Main Street in Darlington. The organization began working on the location on Dec. 1 and have been in the planning stages since.

Titled the Bluebird Nest Nature Center, it will be created with the intention of providing a physical facility where everyone can experience the wonders of Lafayette County’s natural world. 

According to Carol McDaniel, president of the LCBS, the center will be the only nature center in the county and, to her knowledge, the only bluebird focused facility in the country. 

The general manager of the center will be Sue Cashman and she will organize and implement the programs, speakers, and displays at the center.

The mission of the Bluebird Nest Nature Center will be to provide to the public a facility that serves the purpose of offering educational materials, classes, speakers, and interactive interpretive displays relating to: the Eastern Bluebird and other cavity nesting birds, threatened and endangered species, the driftless area, and the general fauna and flora in Southwestern Wisconsin and to stimulate the center’s visitors’ interest and interaction in these areas of the natural world. 

The organization hopes to get other conservation organizations involved with the facility as well. McDaniel explained that they hope to offer a physical presence available for displays to other nature related organizations that currently don’t have that option.

The vision is to build a strong base of individuals who will support the ecosystem of Southwestern Wisconsin.  “We hope people will show support for the center by attending our sessions,” said McDaniel. “We welcome volunteers and ideas.”

McDaniel can be contacted through email at lafayettecountybluebirdsociety@yahoo.com and Sue Cashman can be contacted at jasuca9@gmail.com. 

The target date for opening the center will be early March of 2014, right at the time when the bluebirds are coming back to Lafayette County. 

Members of the organization think that they will try to have the facility open on four afternoons per week and have events by appointment during evenings and other times.

“We want to get the elementary school and Holy Rosary students involved as well,” said Cashman. “We want to encourage younger people to become involved with the organization.”

Soon there will more about the Bluebird Nest Nature Center, along with photos of progress, on the web site: http://lafayettecountybluebirdsociety.wordpress.com.