Whitewater receives Bird City Wisconsin designation
By Dave Fidlin
In the weeks ahead, signage touting Whitewater’s efforts toward preserving bird habits will be posted throughout the community.
The city this year was one of six governing agencies named to the four-year old Bird City Wisconsin program. Modeled after the venerable, nationwide Tree City USA initiative, Bird City organizers provide an assortment of awareness activities throughout the year.
Carl Schwartz, program coordinator for Bird City Wisconsin, officially announced Whitewater’s addition to the group at a Common Council meeting Sept. 2.
“We hope our relationship with Whitewater will be substantial for years to come,” Schwartz said.
Bird City Wisconsin, based in Bayside, began in Milwaukee County and has spread statewide throughout the past few years. The organization has a checklist of 22 criteria, and it requires the applying governing agency meet at least seven of those items.
Right off the bat, Schwartz said, Whitewater met 10 of the criteria items. He lauded the city’s Urban Forestry Committee, which was instrumental in seeing the application process through.
“There’s been a high degree of energy and enthusiasm,” Schwartz said.
Some of Whitewater’s fowl-friendly efforts have included the local chamber of commerce’s “Flying High” effort at this year’s Main Street Festival. The event included a booth that provided educational information on bird safety.
Schwartz also singled out Whitewater’s natural landscape ordinance, which has promoted bird-friendly habitats throughout the city.
With this year’s additions factored into the equation, 87 entities — cities, villages, towns and counties — have been given the Bird City Wisconsin designation across the state.
Whitewater is the fourth community in Walworth County to receive the designation. The others are the City of Lake Geneva and the villages of Fontana and Williams Bay.
