Fourmile Island Rookery State Natural Area protects a forested isle in the of bottomland hardwoods historically used by nesting birds. Though nesting habitat availability has suffered in recent years due to a variety of factors (Dutch elm disease, a 1984 windstorm, and the effects of accumulated guano), the island remains a protected bird sanctuary that…
Tag: Dodge County
Neda Mine (279/681)
Neda Mine is an abandoned iron ore mine, the collapsed tunnels and shafts of which, now serve as bat habitat. Located in Dodge County, the location of Neda Mine will not be disclosed here as it is a sensitive site and not open to the public. I was fortunate to visit this site as part…
Mayville Ledge Beech-Maple Woods, SNA #143 (186/675)
Mayville Ledge Beech-Maple Woods features a half-mile long exposure of the Niagara Escarpment topped by a mixed forest consisting of primarily maple and beech, the latter of which is rare in the area. Previous posts on the Niagara Escarpment include: Bayshore Blufflands, Oakfield Ledge, Red Banks Alvar, Ellison Bluff, and High Cliff Escarpment. The only parking…
Chub Lake Oak Savanna, SNA #607 (143/675)
Chub Lake Oak Savanna features, appropriately enough an oak savanna on the southwest shore of Chub Lake. It borders Chub & Mud Lake Riverine Marsh SNA on its northern edge and quite frankly, I do not know why it was designated as a separate natural area. Its size (21 acres) pales in comparison to its…
Chub & Mud Lake Riverine Marsh, SNA #606 (142/675)
Chub & Mud Lake Riverine Marsh is a nearly 2000 acre site situated just south of the northern unit of Waterloo Quartzite Outcrops and adjacent to Chub Lake Oak Savanna (see tomorrow’s post). There are several parking areas and boat launches around the site, particularly on the south and west sides, from which to begin…
Waterloo Quartzite Outcrops, SNA #605 (141/675)
Waterloo Quartzite Outcrops features two outcrops approximately 6.5 miles apart in southern Dodge County. The northern outcrop is within the Waterloo Wildlife Area while the southern outcrop is within the Mud Lake Wildlife Area. Both are within the boundaries of the Glacial Heritage Area. The northern outcrop is accessible via an access lane from a parking…
Waterloo Prairie, SNA #63 (61/674)
Waterloo Prairie consists of four prairie parcels east of Waterloo, home of Trek bicycles. The southernmost parcel is the easiest to access with a large gravel parking area off of Blue Joint Road. A smaller parcel is just to the west and can be reached via other DNR lands between the two. A parcel to…
State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 