jefferson tamarack swamp holds the largest forested wetland in jefferson county. tamarack stands, sedge meadow, areas covered with sphagnum (not the spots i visited on my briefer walk), some uplands that are drier (where i walked). the dnr page for this sna notes that there is a large effigy mound on an oak island, but i was not able to search it out this time—one of the best reasons to come back!
got to share my visit with deer and cranes, as well as “weed” species underfoot that i had a particular affection for all of a sudden. they’re just creatures trying to survive too. 🙂
one of the largest low prairie remnants in wisconsin, faville prairie was once a part of the 2,500-acre crawfish prairie. shifted hydrology in the area has led to drier conditions in part with more woody species, and a wetter sedge area.
this was one of the sites whose preservation aldo leopold fought for, and it became a sna in 1952. it was a terrific stop, with several first-time id’s of forbs for me. thanks to the uw-madison arboretum for allowing me to walk this land, as visits are restricted.
waterloo prairie is a couple parcels of land along stony brook, one with a fen and many seepages, the other with a larger wet prairie meadow. i visited the latter, moving thru a small wood with wet, boggy patches thru-out to get out into the open.
as was the theme of the day, sandhill crane calls rattled back and forth over the meadow’s expanse.
on the way between two state natural areas in dodge county, wisconsin, i spotted a bird flying that looked duck-like, but it’s neck was far too long. then after a couple turns i spotted an unexpected sight: a green heron perched on a power-line along the highway.
couldn’t help stopping to have a look and take a picture, even if, as i keep saying with regard to bird photos, the camera i’ve got just won’t capture them well. time well spent.
chub lake oak savanna is a 21-acre plot south of chub lake. large oaks and shagbark hickory dominate the area, but the regeneration of trees here has made a thicker canopy, which has led to overgrowth in the understory. parts looked like densely grown forest.
but it was a nice, secluded place for a walk and to enjoy the muddy lakeshore. partway thru i spotted an inchworm on my vest, and he ended up on my rough papers, which was a treat. more cranes.
chub and mud lake riverine marsh is very much what it sounds like. a higher stretch of land between the crawfish river and the marsh near the parking area allows for a small wood with a close, winding path. many anemones and mushrooms, again cranes all around (but here unseen).
part of a 7,000-acre wetland in the crawfish and beaver dam river floodplain, there was certainly much more to explore here, but i had to be on my way to the southern shore of chub lake. (great name, by the way.)
waterloo quartzite outcrops is a pair of sites with precambrian red quartzite and paleozoic conglomerate rock outcroppings. the northern site i visited is a clay loam island amidst wetlands along the crawfish river. the quatzite was apparently a manadnock (bare exposed rock uncovered by erosion) in the precambrian. this was my first visit in dodge county for this project, and a beautiful, foggy morning.
first i climbed the rise and saw my first mayapple blooming and a nice oak wood. on my way back to the river and amidst canada anemone, wild geranium, and virginia waterleaf stands, i came upon some of the outcroppings in secluded clearings. fabulous.
i caught sight of the first outcrop after spotting some stately mushrooms. i like when that happens. 🙂
veterans park lies along milwaukee’s lakefront and includes monuments to honor veterans, trails, shoreline, and a 14-acre lagoon. the lagoon is a favorite hangout for a number of water birds, and last year my wife and i discovered that green herons and black-crowned night herons find it attractive as a fishing hole.
this year there’s a siege of night herons hanging out, but who knows if they’ll linger over the summer (here’s hoping for our sake). i’ve visited them a couple times, and it’s mighty impressive just being in their vicinity as they roost and fly about. the lower water level lately has enabled me to walk out under their roosting trees over the water’s edge.
as i don’t have a “serious” camera, i’m not able to get really good shots of them, but i decided when i started doing this that i wasn’t going to let tech limitations prevent me from sharing and writing about things that i enjoy. so, not great photos, but i’m too excited about the night herons to care! 🙂 (tho’ p.s., i’m starting to look at serious cameras…)
crooked lake is a seepage lake surrounded by a diverse wetland complex all about (including open bogs, my favorite aside from fens…), forest, cedar lake, and other unnamed lakes—all settled amidst the interlobate morainal hills of the northern kettle moraine. crooked lake’s outlet forms a tributary of the east branch of the milwaukee river, which flows right down the hill from my place in milwaukee on its way out to lake michigan.
fantastic walk with perfect spring weather under glorious skies, and many spring ephemerals—some emerging, some at full tilt, and others already on their way out for the year. saw our first stand of bellwort, which i’ve been looking for since last march, so it was a sheer delight to lay in the soil and spend some time with them.
this was the last state natural area to explore in sheboygan county. good to have another county covered, but, as we say in wisconsin: forward!
a.
liverwort dying back
on each and every hillside
the lake only from afar
b.
streakt & frilling threeness
skirts trunk & frogcall
mayapple waiting to bloom
c.
legging it past kettle bog
and eureka! you’ve found me—bellwort
riding above the muck
since i haven’t stated this here in a while: this “state natural area poems” project began last year when lockdown happened in wisconsin, in order to have something to do with my kids as well as to keep us grounded in our local and regional habitats.
it started with the idea of visiting a state natural area (the preserves with the highest protections in wisconsin), going for a walk, taking a picture, and writing a three-liner about whatever we encountered there. and the original area was milwaukee county and adjacent counties. it’s now mushroomed into the main series and two sub-series, way more counties, and usually many more than one photo and one poem per site. the natural world just gives too much for such meager making!
i’ll keep going until we run out of sites to visit (not likely) or breath leaves the body.
kettle hole woods is situated on a hill in the interlobate moraine formed by that glacier i have to keep referring to when i report on going up to the kettle-moraine in sheboygan county (which will have a resurgence once i start getting up to fond du lac county…).
it’s a nice secluded spot, open, with lots of geese at the moment who are not terribly amenable to visitors. the trees are shifting from oak-dominated to maple and beech. a lovely display of cloud and sky over the small unnamed lake.
Jacob Riyeff 