The American Birkebeiner is a cross country skier’s dream and means a lot to the local economy. Last month, organizers pulled off the event — despite Wisconsin’s warmest, largely snowless winter.

Some people have enjoyed the warm winter we just experienced — not having to bundle up or shovel as much, and perhaps having lower energy bills. Others recognize the temperatures as a very real sign of climate change. And as a result, they’re more determined than ever to reduce their carbon footprint.

We Energies has reduction targets, but consumer and advocacy groups are watching closely.

Climate change is eroding the ways and wonders of winter life, which have shaped the identities of generations of Wisconsinites. During the state's warmest winter on record, the season's devotees found ways to make the most of the weird weather.

Lake Michigan is teeming with life. But over time, its food web — from the smallest plankton to the largest fish — has been impacted. Overfishing and waves of invasive species have taken their toll. Now, climate change is flexing its muscles in the Lake Michigan ecosystem. On land, we’ve felt and seen it during what’s been the warmest winter on record.

One sign of warming winters: the Great Lakes have lost a quarter of their ice cover in the last 50 years. It raises the possibility of an extended shipping season on the lakes.

The poultry industry dreads avian influenza, but migratory and sea birds are succumbing to the virus in alarming numbers. Concern is rising not only about avian health but also about human health. How are our warming winters factoring into the problem?

“When it’s nice enough that you want to go out, so do the ticks.”

Wisconsin is emerging from its warmest winter since recordkeeping began in 1895. This news underscores the fact that climate change is impacting our world. Farmers have always dealt with the whims of weather. Now, they’re working on adaptation strategies.

A pest survey serves Wisconsin's 11 tribes, monitoring forests that weren't previously included in state-run surveys.