Each season passing brings with it a set of happy rituals. One of the best spots to celebrate spring slowly emerging from its chrysalis is the nearby Mequon Nature Preserve, just north of Brown Deer. The nature preserve was begun in earnest with a grant from the Paddock Fund by Richard Paddock in 2000, and continued over a 10-year effort to grow and encompass 438 acres of land. The preserve is open to the public from dawn to dusk, all year-round. It contains four sets of small wooded areas, open prairies, ponds, and wetlands. One of the reasons I recommend coming in the spring, is that I will never forget a deep summer excursion where AJ Page and I were forced to run through the woods for our lives. This was in order to avoid the viscous swarms of mosquitos which quickly descended upon us, despite repellent. Once we were out on the open prairie areas again, all was golden.
The woods are Harvey's, Gengler, Farmstead, and Johnson's. There are over five miles of walking trails, dirt and gravel. The preserve is popular with dog walkers and joggers, but it is so expansive, it never feels like you are right on top of anyone else. Bird watching and listening is prime here, and we were greeted by many a cheery warbler and the sight of a pretty orange and blue American kestrel (falcon) on our recent visit. I was told by Emily Biagi, the Restoration Manager, that when they started out there were 68 species of different birds counted. That number has now swelled to an impressive 155 feathered friends.
A place for a meditation-inducing view is the central sturdy 40-foot-tall Observation Tower, complete with telescope on top for better viewing of your wildlife surroundings. Other creatures you may meet while here include hawks and deer. Biagi was very helpful in describing their restoration efforts over the years. She was excited to share that there was a mating pair of great horned owls making home to the Farmstead Woods, and confirmed my American kestrel sighting. Also, for the first time in the Ephermeral Ponds (wetlands) in Harvey's Woods, salamander eggs that they had been working to reintroduce were just discovered! For more on this cool phenomenon, go here.
Special events are ongoing, such as the upcoming Earth Day with John Gurda on Friday, April 22 at 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Volunteer opportunities are also there for the taking, where you can help to remove invasive species of plants, such as buckthorn and garlic mustard. A conference center is available for rental for group events. The Mequon Nature Preserve is located at:
8200 W. County Line Road
Mequon, WI 53097
Phone: (262) 242-8055
Fax: (262) 242-8056
For more information, go to http://mequonnaturepreserve.org/
