Osprey nests installed in Oconomowoc; We Energies leads the charge

Osprey nests installed in Oconomowoc

We Energies is installing osprey nests in Waukesha County, using old utility poles to get the job done.

OCONOMOWOC, Wis. - We Energies is reusing old utility poles in new ways. 

New use for utility poles

What we know:

Spread out over 100 acres in Oconomowoc,  Zachariah's Acres is a place where people with special needs can get in touch with nature. 

Osprey nest created at Zachariah's Acres in Oconomowoc

Charlie Nowakowski is an environmental consultant with We Energies. At the top of a repurposed utility pole is an osprey nest. 

What they're saying:

"The pole started out at 100 feet – which was a little too tall for our operation.  We cut it down to 75 ft," Nowakowski said. "Osprey – typically they nest in dead trees. That’s kind of where they like to go. With forestry practices today, there really aren’t a lot of opportunities for them to nest in dead trees."

Osprey nest created at Zachariah's Acres in Oconomowoc

Nests installed in Wisconsin, UP

The backstory:

Since 1980, We Energies has installed dozens of osprey or sea hawk nests in more than 30 counties in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

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Osprey nest created at Zachariah's Acres in Oconomowoc

A survey by the Wisconsin DNR in 2019 found 535 occupied nests in the state. That number is down compared to a previous survey in 2016. Only four nests were found in Waukesha County and one in Milwaukee County. 

What they're saying:

"What more miraculous than seeing some ospreys mating and coming out and building a nest out in creation when you’re taking a hike?" said Emily Enockson, the Director of Community Impact for Zachariah's Acres. 

Zachariah's Acres, Oconomowoc

Enockson said the nonprofit had 17,000 visitors in 2024 alone. Organizers wanted a nest here to help bring those visitors closer to the wild. 

"They’re already coming up with names, so (laugh) fingers crossed," Enockson said. 

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There is an added benefit for you too. 

"In the past, they’ve been on top of our utility poles, which create outages for our customers," Nowakowski said. 

We Energies said the last nest it set up was installed at Bong State Recreation Area in August 2024.