Our owl has a name! Otto is named after Wisconsin conservationist Lorrie Otto.
In the 1960's, Lorrie led efforts to ban DDT after noticing the pesticide's harmful effects on wildlife in her Milwaukee-area neighborhood. Largely due to Lorrie's tenacity, DDT was banned in Wisconsin in 1970 and nationally in 1972.
Lorrie was passionate about preserving biodiversity in all forms and was an early proponent of natural landscaping. She was the founding inspiration for the Wild Ones organization that promotes native plantings in place of sterile suburban lawns.
“If suburbia were landscaped with meadows, prairies, thickets or forests, or combinations of these, then the water would sparkle, fish would be good to eat again, birds would sing and human spirits would soar.” – Lorrie Otto
It was a big week for Otto as he settled into his new home at the Museum. He spends most of his days quietly perched in the back corner of his mew, resting and scoping out the activity in the backyard. In typical owl fashion, he wakes up as the sun starts to set. Our mew monitoring camera has captured a few glimpses of his evening routine as he moves about and preens. Here are a few highlights from his first week in Cable:
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