We all know that planting trees benefits our environment...usually. Looking back, Wisconsin was the nation's top timber producer between 1890-1899. By the 1920s, logging had decimated Wisconsin’s seemingly endless forests. Reforestation efforts ramped up in the 1930s and 40s. In…
There’s still color out there thanks to the oaks! Oaks, being the tough trees they are, wait to change colors after most other trees. Rather than the flashy hues of maples, oaks go for the warm reds, browns, and russets…
There’s still quite a bit of green out in the forests right now. In fact, the less healthy the landscape, the more green it is! This is because when Wisconsin’s native plants are dormant or preparing for winter, foreign invaders…
A little color, mostly green. Yep, it's going to be a quick report this week! The first place we see colors changing with Devil's Lake State Park each year is around roads and parking lots. These trees not only get…
What is that blue flower lining some of the roads around Devil's Lake State Park right now? It's chicory! Chicory is native to Eurasia and was brought to America by settlers in the 1700s, originally for medicinal purposes. During the…
Back when I worked at Devil’s Lake State Park in the early ‘90s, naturalist Ken Lange (the park’s first naturalist) would tell us that the north shore bat colony was over 1,000 strong. By 2010, that often-quoted number had dropped…
Now through Thursday, June 29th, our area is under an air quality alert which will impact everyone including those in good health. Keep this in mind before hiking, biking, or putting in any outdoor exertion over the next couple of…
Tomorrow, Thursday, May 18th, an airplane is scheduled to spray parts of Devil's Lake State Park with the bacterial insecticide "Foray" to control Spongy Moth caterpillars that threaten to defoliate and kill valuable trees in public use areas such as picnic…
Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, has been reported in Devil's Lake and can pose risks to people and pets. Of course, it's not always easy to spot and just this morning I spoke with a park visitor with their…
As the weather starts to warm up in Wisconsin, visitors to Devil's Lake State Park always have about 2 weeks to share the shoreline with an unwelcome addition to their outdoor experience - the dreaded lake flies. These small, harmless…