Standing Rocks Project- WRA

It was November 15th that the majority of our NRES 370 Class went out with Glen Reindl's Wisconsin River Academy to the back of Standing Rocks Park. We showed up early, So I played frisbee with my colleagues while we waited for the bus from SPASH to show up.

The weather was a beautiful 50 degrees or so. It was very sunny. The surroundings were beautiful. Wisconsin forests are awesome!


The ranger met up with us soon after we got there. When the bus arrived Glen gave us the low down and then gave the students a similar low down. They have been out here before. We haven't


We were going after Autumn Olive, an invasive species that lives around the woods behind and in Standing Rocks Park. Basically we were charged with leading student groups in cutting down and destroying the plant. This involved one person sawing or snipping the plant and a designated herbicide sprayer This Herbicide was a mix of a potent poison and diesel fuel. The diesel was supposed to allow for a quicker destruction of the Autumn Olive and (oddly enough) so that it wouldn't spread to other plants. Apparently, the diesel doesn't wash away as easily


My group was really productive and filled with really nice kids. Some of them were hunters and pointed out deer rubs and other fun tracking signs. We worked for about 3 hours sawing and snipping. I had some gloves with me, so I ran the spray bottle while the students cut down the Autumn Olive.

I noticed the ranger had a contraption on his back that basically showered the plant with the herbicide mix. I thought this was odd as we were making the students cut them. This is supposed to lower the environmental impact. Yet, the ranger had no problem just spraying plants all over the place. I wonder what the over all effects of the spray compared to the Autumn Olive itself? Is it really worth spraying so much? Though I must say, I would hate to chop and spray all by myself.

This was a beautiful pond/lake we found over a ridge. This is technically private land. The own has chosen to selectively cut his land to promote the growing of some plants/tress. I don't really know the benefit of it other than the revenue from selling the wood. Seems counter-intuitive. I guess it might be similar to control burning certain areas.

Disc Golf Series: Memorial Park of Wausau

During an early November weekday, I took a trip to Wausau for an interview at the Bull Falls Brewery. On my way there I stopped at Memorial Park on Business 51 south of the downtown area. It was very beautiful driving down a small little hill to get to an open grassland just next to the Wisconsin River. This park was clean, multipurpose (there was a pool!) and beautiful. The weather was mostly cloudy with a little bit of drizzle. It started to rain as I was leaving. The temperature was very mild. It had to be around 50 degrees.




1. The course was just wonderful. There was a little inlet from the river that you had to throw over. There was a great view of Rib Mountain. It was also very clean!

2. The course was only 9 holes, but there were some harsh water hazards. There was not a lot of elevation, but there were many great views. The course was slightly confusing as it was split in two different parts.

3. The course is part of a larger park, so there is a lot of upkeep from the Park District. In general, the impact on the area is sizable, but the recreation level is high. The placement of the course might be for the best. There isn't a lot of buildings you want to put so close to the water. The course can actually act as a decent floodplain (and I'm sure it does.)

Rib Mountain!

Schmeeckle- A project that's worth it

This fall I had the pleasure to join a few friends of mine on a wonderful trip through the Schmec kle reserve near UWSP's campus. If someone has not been there, I will gladly take them.

Schmeeckle has been a staple of campus since I first became a student. This history of the reserve is very interesting. Like most of Wisconsin in the 50's, the land was used for farming. Turns out the topsoil couldn't handle the crops, so farmers just sort of deserted it. The University bought up some land in the 60's and then by 1974 the land was proposed for a reclamation project.

It has been a stunning success. With the help of Sentry Insurance (this might be the only time I would say they helped), Lake Joanis was created and the Schmeeckle wildlife refuge was born! As a student, I spent a lot of time by Lake Joanis. I remember great days swimming in the lake, walking on the ice to the island, climbing to the tree house, and seeing so much wildlife. It creates a wonderful buffer between the campus and the Sentry building/golf course. After working at the golf course for so long, you forget the majesty that is the forest in between.

Lately, the area has been hit by drought. The new Moses Creek revitalization project, though looks wonderful, is horribly dry. There are many spots along the way that are just barren where months ago there was water.

It's funny. In 2008, we have the worst collapse of the economy since 1929. In 2012, we have the worst drought since 1934. The main problem with this comparison is that it is leading towards something that isn't good. In fact, all around the world the tension can be felt. Whether it's worrying about feeding the hungry, trying to reverse the adverse impacts of climate change, or simply trying to stop the bloodshed of war, humanity isn't doing so hot. Actually, we're plenty hot enough as it is.

I will continually do my best in preserving water. Fresh water is a commodity that shouldn't be wasted. I will start watching where my water goes and make sure that if there are any leaks in faucets or hoses I will replace them. Saving water happens one drop at a time. It's also something everyone can do. I will affirm myself a water saver!!




Here's a few pictures and a nice video on water conservation.

McDill Pond- I broke the Dam...

 

MCDILL POND- BEFORE THE BREACH

Mcdill Pond, the area of the Plover River that holds a pond created by a dam in Whiting,WI, has been a staple of the Stevens Point Area. For years, the maintenance of the Lake District has caused both praise and ire over the manmade lake throughout the years. However, the latest struggle has caused nothing more than conflict.



MCDILL POND- AFTER THE BREACH

It wasn't but a year ago when the Highway HH Dam showed signs of wear. After an analysis by engineers, the dam was labeled broken due to an unusual construction flaw. The dam, which needed a more solid base, formed a leak in the core structure. McDill currently will be fixed in April, 2013. The construction project was just approved by the DNR and received a grant paying for roughly 200,000 of the 600,000 dollar price-tag. The rest if the cost will be picked up by the "Lake District," Portage County, and the city of Stevens Point.

See This article in the Stevens Point Journal to learn more

McDill Pond and it's issues create a moral hazard for water control experiments. Though the lake has been known to cultivate and support several bird species, the constant changing of the area is surely causing stress on all species that utilize the area for eating, living, and protection. If you look at the two different pictures, the changes are poignant and provide different biome for species to exist.


Sometimes, the economical implication of land owners wanting to keep the status quo (a lake where one never was) might not add up when the biodiversity of an area is at risk.