(1894-1988)

A large and impressive sculpture of a “bird tree” was acquired by Kohler Foundation at auction in New Hampshire in 2011 after a museum director in Hawaii saw it online. The piece was created by a Wisconsin artist from the Shawano area. He apparently made several of these trees, although this is believed to be the largest. The artist, Walter Kufahl, created the tree as a learning tool to teach his grandchildren the birds of Wisconsin. A smaller but similar piece is on display at the Navarino Nature Center near Shawano. 

During 2013, another Kufahl piece was aquired from a collector. As a result, an adorable carved robin with four babies in a nest has been reunited with the "bird tree." 

Conservation was performed by Meghan Thumm Mackey Conservation of Madison, Wisconsin. The piece is now in the collection of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center where it is often displayed over the Christmas holidays to the joy of children, adults and bird-lovers of all ages.