[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|||||” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px||9px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px||24px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
We sat down with Emilee Martell to learn more about queer native species of Wisconsin.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Have you heard of a children\u2019s book called And Tango Makes Three?<\/em> It\u2019s the true story of a same-sex penguin couple at Central Park Zoo that successfully hatched a chick together. I was ten when it came out in 2005, and it was the first time I heard anything about queerness in the natural world. Later, I learned – usually via Buzzfeed articles – about lesbian albatrosses, lionesses that grew manes, and clownfish that changed their sex. After many years of hearing queerness called \u201cunnatural,\u201d such stories were uplifting and validating. But these exotic examples made me wonder: didn\u2019t Wisconsin have any queer species too?<\/p>\n Fortunately, all it took was a little looking around to realize that the answer is – yes! Nature is full of wonderful diversity in sex, gender, families, and relationships, and our native Midwestern species are no exception.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.wisconservation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/bloodroot-wildflower-by-Joshua-Mayer.png” alt=”A close-up of a bloodroot wildflower.” title_text=”Bloodroot Wildflower By Joshua Mayer” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”||13px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A close-up of bloodroot, a bisexual wildflower. Photo by Joshua Mayer<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px||24px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n First off, let\u2019s have a little fun with scientific terminology. Did you know that the term for a flower that contains both male and female parts is \u201cbisexual\u201d? Or, that these are also called \u201cperfect\u201d flowers? Being bi myself, I was delighted when I learned this fact. I was even more delighted when I learned that my favorite spring ephemeral wildflower, bloodroot, is an example of a perfect, bisexual flower.<\/p>\n Similarly, the term \u201casexual\u201d in biology refers to an organism\u2019s ability to reproduce without a partner. Many plants are capable of asexual reproduction, including another lovely spring ephemeral, the trout lily. Coincidentally, its white petals sometimes have a purple blush, and its leaves are patterned with grayish dapples. This is a pretty good match for the asexual (ace) flag!<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.wisconservation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/trout-lily-by-Warren-Lynn-and-asexual-pride-flag.png” alt=”A close-up of a trout lily in the grass. Asexual pride flag in the sky.” title_text=”Trout Lily By Warren Lynn And Asexual Pride Flag” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”||13px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A close-up of a trout lily in the grass, which exhibits asexual reproduction and an asexual pride flag. Trout lily photo by Warren Lynn<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||9px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Jack-in-the-pulpit is a third spring ephemeral with queer flair. A perennial species, all Jack-in-the-pulpits begin their lives as pollen-producing males. This takes less energy for the young, small plant, but gives them a low chance of reproducing. They have to hope that their main pollinators, fungus gnats, will successfully transfer their genetic material to the right partner. But, when the plant grows larger and stronger, it becomes a berry-producing female, sometimes called a Jill-in-the-pulpit. This gives it a much higher chance of passing its own genes along. So, for Jack\/Jill-in-the-pulpits, being transgender is a winning evolutionary strategy!<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.wisconservation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/jack-in-the-pulpit-by-Dane-County-Lands-Water-Resources-Department.png” alt=”A close-up of a jack-in-the-pulpit in the grass.” title_text=”Jack In The Pulpit By Dane County Lands & Water Resources Department” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”||13px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A close-up of a jack-in-the-pulpit, which can change from male to female. Photo by Dane County Lands & Water Resources Department<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n For numerous bird species, queerness also provides benefits. Swans and geese, for instance, mate for life and have high numbers of same-sex breeding pairs. Female couples are able to pick out the fittest males to mate with every year, and raise double broods of eggs together. Male couples take advantage of their combined strength to claim the best territory, and will use a surrogate female to lay eggs in their nest! Just like the penguins in And Tango Makes Three<\/em>, same-sex waterfowl couples make loving, attentive, and extremely successful parents.<\/p>\n And, sometimes, a couple just isn\u2019t enough! Check out this extraordinary story<\/a> about a trio of polyamorous eagles whose dramatic relationship was caught on a nest camera in the Upper Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Refuge. As many have noted, this is just one nest among thousands, very few of which are regularly monitored by humans. Who knows what other fascinating families are out there among our native species?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.wisconservation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Trumpeter-swans-by-John-Hocker.png” alt=”Two trumpeter swans in the water.” title_text=”Trumpeter Swans By John Hocker” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”||13px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Two trumpeter swans in the water. Swans and geese, which mate for life, have high numbers of same-sex pairs. Photo by John Hocker<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The more we look, the more we see. Every year, I learn about more unique and unexpected traits in familiar plants and animals. White-throated sparrows<\/a> and bluegill sunfish<\/a> have each essentially evolved four genders, in very different ways. Whitetail deer can be intersex<\/a>, and every so often a hunter or nature observer will find a \u201cdoe with antlers.\u201d And I am still trying to get a handle on how fungi do gender<\/a>!<\/p>\n If you want to learn more about queer animals, I highly recommend Biological Exuberance<\/em><\/a> by Bruce Bagemihl. This book compiles a staggering amount of scientific research and observations into fascinating case studies. And, don\u2019t forget to check out the queer humans of Wisconsin, too. R. Richard Wagner\u2019s We\u2019ve Been Here All Along<\/em><\/a> and Coming Out, Moving Forward<\/em><\/a> both document LGBTQ+ history in our state.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Before I wrap up, I want to propose one species as the poster child for queerness in Wisconsin\u2019s natural world: the oak! From sandy hills to mucky swamps and everything in between, oaks are a keystone in Midwestern ecosystems. Hundreds if not thousands of species of insects, birds, and mammals rely on them for food and shelter. Being a pillar of a diverse community puts me in mind of an LGBTQ+ elder already, but that\u2019s not nearly all with oaks! Oaks have separate male and female flowers on one tree. The scientific term is \u201cmonoecious,\u201d but we humans might describe that as intersex or bigender! They are wind-pollinated but will occasionally self-pollinate, putting them on the asexual spectrum. They even go beyond the bounds of their own kind \u2013 oaks will happily hybridize with other oak species! Could we call that pansexuality? Regardless, oaks are remarkably important, and remarkably queer.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.wisconservation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/oak-tree-by-Dane-County-Lands-Water-Resources.png” alt=”A standing oak tree in a field.” title_text=”Oak Tree By Dane County Lands & Water Resources” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”||13px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nExploring queerness in nature<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Diverse Relationships in Nature: From Same-Sex Waterfowl to Polyamorous Eagles<\/h3>\n
Embracing the Queerness of Wisconsin\u2019s Oak Trees<\/h3>\n