Recent Blog Posts

by Chris Thompson Schmeeckle Reserve has recently experienced several white-tailed deer mortalities. To document the ecological process of scavenging and better understand wildlife interactions, the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve positioned a trail camera near the remains. The camera records the various creatures utilizing the carrion and one animal was an early and constant visitor...

posted by Barbara Dixson, photos by Steve Faber Three of the photos with which Steve Faber has gifted us this time take us back to a quarter year ago, when colors blazed and boardwalks invited easy strolling. From the perspective of this cold, white world, pictured in the other two, the invitation of these...

posted by Barbara Dixson, photos and text by Rae Henneman Though no one can agree what to call this animal, an ermine, stoat, or short-tailed weasel, I think we can all agree that its cuteness is beyond compare. About once a year, the visitor center is graced with the presence of an ermine, though...

by Barbara Dixson At the celebration of the arts contest winners in January, Sonja Kung fell into conversation with Jim Buchholz and Melissa Ruether. Sonja is part of the Nature Buffs book group with six other women, and the idea percolated up to bring the wonderful books they had read together to a corner...

posted by Barbara Dixson, photos by Steve Faber Steve Faber has an eye for beauty. Fortunately for us, he often pauses a moment with his camera in the Reserve and brings a glimpse back for the rest of us. Lake Joanis from the shore A Great Blue Heron stands by the lake. Blue flag...

by Chris Thompson While exploring Schmeeckle Reserve, have you ever noticed large bird houses, about the size of a school backpack (above) in the wetland areas and wondered what those are for? Well, these are possible homes for one of Wisconsin’s tree nesting ducks: the well named – Wood Duck (Aix sponsa). While some other...

text by Barbara Dixson, photos by Rae Henneman If you glance back over prior blog posts, you’ll find a number which feature photos by Rae Henneman. As a student member of the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve board, Rae has brought energy, great ideas, and other students to the work we do. Her artwork and...

by Melissa Ruether The Spring Candlelight Hike Festival is right around the corner! This biannual event brings thousands of visitors to Schmeeckle for an evening of themed activities and a chance to hike torchlit trails through the Reserve. May’s theme is Fantastic Critters and Where to Find Them. During the character program, meet wizards...

by Barbara Dixson Tim Taschwer, pictured above, joined the Executive Board of the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve at a moment when we were primed for growth but unclear on how to move forward. Tim brought the expertise of his professional career as well as his many-decades’ love for Schmeeckle Reserve to the work of...

posted by Barbara Dixson, photos by Rae Henneman Rae explained, “I was planning to do spring birding, but then it snowed.” Lucky for us that she went wandering with her camera the fourth Sunday in March, when Stevens Point got seven inches of wet, heavy, clinging snow....