Still Color… Thanks Oaks!
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…
Beautiful Green?
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…
Fall Color Report for Oct 26 – Nov 2nd
Now and through the weekend it's all about the weather. While some areas are certainly past their prime, as you will see from the photos I took around the area this week, there is still a lot of beautiful color…
Fall Colors. Oct 12 – 19th
It's time once again to look at fall colors in the Devil's Lake State Park region for the upcoming weekend and into next week. This week, much like last, you can find beautiful fall colors if you look for them,…
Fall Color Report Sept 21 – 28, 2023
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…
Friday Thought – Hiking For Peace
Sometimes, the path to inner peace is found by adding more miles to your hike. We've all heard that hiking is nature's therapy, and walking can be deeply meditative and beneficial for our well-being. It's all true, but the true…
Mink or Fisher?
It's Critter Cam time again. Although we checked this camera just last weekend, the captures go back to last winter as you can see. It's pretty clear that this critter is either a mink or a fisher, but it's not…
That Little Blue Flower
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…
After The Fire (Photos)
On July 11th, a fire broke out at the base of the East Bluff in Devil's Lake State Park, near the railroad tracks. It burned about 3/4 of an acre of forest on the slope before it was contained. A…
A Little Good News for the Bats
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…