Wildlife and Habitats of Schmeeckle

 

Walk through a mosaic of habitat types common to Central Wisconsin.  Stroll between waves of cattails blowing in the breeze on one of many boardwalks that keep you above the marsh.  Relax beneath whispering white pine trees, once the "green gold" of early settlers.  Enjoy the brilliant colors of the prairie in bloom.  Sit on a rustic bench beneath towering 100-year-old trees in the Berard Oaks, a 4-acre restored oak savannah.  

Wildlife abounds in the reserve year-round.  The deer population is healthy attracting visitors from miles around.  While walking the trails, you have a good chance of seeing a doe grazing, a fawn playing, or a buck displaying his antlers.  Squirrels (gray, fox, and red) chase each other in the oak forest canopy, while foxes and weasels hunt stealthily on the forest floor.  In the evening, flying squirrels glide through the air; Schmeeckle is one of the few sites where both northern and southern species live side-by-side.  

In spring and early summer, listen for the ringing chorus of frogs as spring peepers, chorus frogs, green frogs, gray treefrogs, wood frogs, and toads sing for mates.   A rainbow of butterflies frequent the prairie flowers.  And towards dusk, male woodcocks "peent" and take to the sky for a dramatic and ceremonious dance.  

The 24-acre Lake Joanis in the southeast corner of the Reserve is a perfect place for fishing, canoeing, wildlife watching, photographing, or just plain relaxing.  In the fall of the year, hundreds of geese use the lake as a stopover during their migration.  Fog rising from the lake in the early morning is an alluring mysterious side of the reserve. 

Stop by the visitor center to pick up maps and find out more information.  The visitor center has restrooms, a drinking fountain, a gift shop, a meeting room available for public use, an exhibit hall that chronicles the history of conservation in Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame.  It is also the headquarters of the Green Circle Trail.

Students make up the heart of Schmeeckle Reserve.  Over the years, students have designed and built trails, boardwalks, shelters, benches, and bridges that enhance the natural area.  Students also run the visitor center, from providing information about the area and selling items in the gift shop, to renovating the building and creating cedar signs.