Recent Blog Posts

by Barbara Dixson Pictured above: Sunshine Buchholz with owl puppet If you’ve ever shopped in the gift shop at Schmeeckle Reserve, you know that it’s simply a happy place to be.  As you walk in, you’re greeted by a UWSP student behind the desk.  Very quietly in the background, you hear nature sounds.  Out...

by Barbara Dixson Stevens Point residents remember the character programs at the fall and spring Candlelight Hikes from way back: the only lighting was powered by an extension cord from the visitor center and the students who were playing frogs or snakes or hawks would bellow their lines at top voice.  This year, on...

by Chris Thompson, producer, writer, and cinematographer of this episode–pictured above with his sons The Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve trail cameras have been seeing a lot of deer this fall.  In the trail camera pictures, often when a picture of a doe is captured, it is soon followed by a gentleman caller – a...

Photos by Steve Faber, text by Barbara Dixson As he contemplated a photo of Lake Joanis, reflecting its autumn glory, Steve happened to turn it sideways and noticed something surprising. Steve commented, “I’m not sure why I decided to look at it sideways, but when I did, voila!” Guitar Schmeeckle! Or, there’s the beauty...

by Barbara Dixson The annual Friends of Schmeeckle Writing, Art, and Photo Contest has inspired many beautiful works of art over the decade it’s been underway. It’s also made a space for those who see and appreciate Schmeeckle Reserve in very different ways to open those perspectives to others. After browsing some of the...

by Melissa Ruether If you have enjoyed a Discovery Station at the last couple Candlelight Hikes, you can thank the Environmental Educators and Naturalists Association (EENA). This UW-Stevens Point student organization has partnered with the Friends and Schmeeckle Reserve to gain some relevant experience in the world of environmental education and interpretation. EENA provides...

by Chris Thompson Have you ever wondered what makes up the cleaning crew at Schmeeckle Reserve? We are not talking the hard working student crews who keep the trails clear and the facilities looking nice, but the creatures that clean up Schmeeckle when an animal perishes within the Reserve borders.  Recently, the Friends of...

Photos by Steve Faber, text by Barbara Dixson Steve has captured the glory of that moment when summer blazes into autumn, and the balance shifts towards what comes next, with grasses, trees, and creatures. Autumn colors “The Great Blue decides, ‘That’s enough!” Steve comments....

Photos by Steve Faber, identifications by Griffin Bray, text by Barbara Dixson Once again, Steve Faber’s camera has caught images of the Reserve that invite us into the moment. Early September, summer fading away, beauty remaining. Lovely early autumn light through the trees beside Lake Joanis Griffin told me this: The flower is a...

by Chris Thompson Throughout the last month, Schmeeckle’s resident large carnivore has been quite active on the Friends of Schmeeckle Trail Cams. Though roadrunners are not found anywhere near Wisconsin, the Wiley Coyote is quite common throughout the state, including the Stevens Point Area.   Coyotes are about the size of a medium-sized dog. Adults usually weigh between 30 to 50...