The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin - Fall Field Days at Nature Conservancy Preserves

Fall Field Days at Nature Conservancy Preserves

Field trip at Wild Rivers Legacy Forest
© Gerald H. Emmerich, Jr.

Saturdays: September 22 and September 29, 2007

Fall is a beautiful time to take a walk at a Nature Conservancy preserve. Please join us on September 22 and September 29 for Fall Field Days. You'll learn more about our conservation efforts and see the places you are helping conserve.

Trips are limited and registration is required. To register, call or e-mail Maureen O’Brien by Monday, September 17, at (608) 251-8140, or mobrien@tnc.org.

Please note that there are no restrooms on the preserves. Field trips will take place unless the weather is hazardous or there are fewer than six reservations (in which case, participants will be notified the trip has been cancelled).

Saturday, September 22

Canoe to Tenderfoot Forest Reserve
Vilas County
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Join outdoor writer and naturalist John Bates on a canoe trip across Palmer Lake to Tenderfoot Lake and the Tenderfoot Forest Reserve. The reserve contains nearly four miles of undeveloped shoreline on three lakes and one of the largest remaining tracts of privately held old-growth hemlock-hardwood forest in Wisconsin. We will hike the reserve’s forests and learn why this is ideal habitat for the endangered American marten, wolves, moose and birds like the black-throated blue warbler. You’ll need to bring your own canoe. Limit: 10 canoes

Difficulty level: Depending on weather conditions, actual canoe time on the water is approximately two hours.

What to bring: Bring your own canoe, paddles and life preservers in accordance with Wisconsin state law. We suggest that you wear sturdy footgear that can get wet and bring rain gear, a hat, drinking water, your lunch, insect repellent, guide books and binoculars.

Directions: Meet at the Palmer Lake boat landing. From Land O’Lakes, follow Cnty. Hwy B west approximately 12 miles to Palmer Lake Road. Turn north and follow signs to boat landing.

Due to the nature of this trip, you will be asked to sign a Release of Liability, which will be sent to you after you make your trip reservation.

Saturday, September 29

Geology Hike of Hemlock Draw
Sauk County
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Visit the steep-walled rocky canyon, clear stream and abundant hemlock, pine and oak forests of Hemlock Draw with amateur geologist Gary Werner and John Harrington, Landscape Architecture professor at UW-Madison. The Baraboo Hills and its rich diversity of plant life were shaped by several major geologic events. Our walk—a rugged, four-mile, cross-country trip—will visit several locations, including a pre-historic beach, that provide clues to this dramatic history. Limit: 20 people

Difficulty level: This will be a rugged, 4-mile, cross-country trip, primarily off-trail. You will need to negotiate rocky areas, steep slopes and uneven terrain. We will make several stream crossings where wet feet are likely.

What to bring: We suggest that you wear sturdy footgear that can get wet and bring rain gear, drinking water, trail snacks, insect repellent, guide books and binoculars.

Directions: Meeting directions will be sent to participants after they register for this trip.

Hike the Forests at Baxter’s Hollow
Sauk County
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Join Lisa Renier Thomas and Fred Clark, foresters who work in the Baraboo Hills, for an easy hike at Baxter’s Hollow Preserve. Baxter’s Hollow is remarkable for the large area of deep forest and the mountain-like creek that it protects. Otter Creek is home to a rich collection of aquatic life, and the hollow is one of the most important nesting areas for forest-dwelling birds in southern Wisconsin. Limit: 15 people

Difficulty level: Easy walking on roadways and paths. Shoes could get wet or muddy.

What to bring: We suggest that you wear sturdy footgear that could get wet and bring rain gear, drinking water, trail snacks, insect repellent, guide books and binoculars.

Directions: Take US Highway 12 northwest of Sauk City for 7.5 miles to the intersection with Cnty Hwy C. Turn west on Cnty C and travel 1.5 miles to the intersection with Stone’s Pocket Road. Turn north and drive into the preserve to where the pavement ends at the gate. Park on the side of the road.

Wild Rivers Legacy Forest
Florence County
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The Wild Rivers Legacy Forest, in far northeastern Wisconsin on the border with Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, contains some of Wisconsin’s wildest rivers as they begin their journey to Lake Michigan. Join Nature Conservancy Director for Northern Wisconsin Matt Dallman and a representative from the Wisconsin DNR for a visit to Savage Lake and the Pine River where you will learn about the forest habitat and the importance of this 64,600-acre landmark conservation project. Limit: 20 people.

Difficulty level: We will be walking along forest roads and slightly steep river banks.

What to bring: We suggest that you wear sturdy footgear and bring rain gear, a hat, drinking water, insect repellent, guide books and binoculars.

Directions: Meet at the Popple River wayside on State Hwy 101. From Armstrong Creek on Hwy 8 (about five miles west of Goodman), turn north on Hwy 101 and drive for approximately 11 miles. The wayside is on the east side of the road just after the Popple River bridge.