Vol. 6, Issue 3
Fall 2019
‘Round the Reserve
Friends of Schmeeckle Schmeeckle Reserve
Reserve
2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481
www.uwsp.edu/schmeeckle
friendsofschmeeckle@gmail.com
715-346-4992
Fall a time to reflect on past year’s achievements By Jim Buchholz Schmeeckle Reserve Director Fall is a time of transition at Schmeeckle. The temperatures are dropping, squirrels are busy collecting seeds, and the leaves are turning brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow. At the beginning of September, we said goodbye to our dedicated summer student crew and welcomed 28 new and returning university students to our fall crew. Jim Buchholz Students are at the heart of Schmeeckle, operating the visitor center, selling items in the gift shop, maintaining trails, fighting invasive species, and building signs. We are fortunate to have such eager and young minds who care deeply about the natural area and want to make it a better place for everyone. Fall is also the time that See Director, Page 5
Friends Board President Jerry Lineberger led the grand opening ceremony for the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater on Sept. 13, 2019. More than 500 people attended the program and concert with music by Adam Greuel and Friends.
Ceremony, concert a grand opening for new amphitheater By Jerry Lineberger Friends Board President Thank you. As a Friend of Schmeeckle Reserve, YOU helped create the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater. Your support, energy, and spirit helped us create a performance space in our community that will be here Jerry for generations to Lineberger come. More than 100 donors contributed $275,000
toward this project. The grand opening celebration on Friday, Sept. 13, was a joyous and slightly damp gathering to join together for the first official use of the amphitheater. It was an opportunity to thank founding donors Dallas and Edith Pankowski, the Sentry Insurance Foundation for its generous gift, Rettler Corporation, Ellis Construction, and the Schmeeckle Reserve staff for their energy in bringing an idea to reality. At the conclusion of the presentation a See President, Page 2
Friends of Schmeeckle Board of Directors president
Jerry Lineberger UWSP, Retired Treasurer Rick Rothman UWSP, Retired Secretary Barbara Dixson UWSP, Retired Student Representative Leah Egan, DeForest Melissa Alexander Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education Nisha Fernando UWSP Kim Fisher Walczak Center for Dentistry and Orthodontics, Retired
Pictured at the grand opening were, front row from left, Ann Lucas, Sentry Foundation; Edith and Dallas Pankowski, founding donors; Jerry Lineberger, Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve. Back row from left, Ross Rettler, Rettler Corporation, Chancellor Bernie Patterson, UW-Stevens Point, Jim Buchholz and Megan Espe, Schmeeckle Reserve.
Michael Gross UWSP, Retired
President, From Page 1
Bernard Hlavac Sentry Insurance, Retired
ceremonial deed for the amphitheater was presented to Chancellor Bernie Patterson. The Friends will be gifting the amphitheater to UW-Stevens Point. The focal part of the evening was a performance by Adam Greuel and Friends. Adam, of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, gathered local musicians the Gray Catz, Art Stevenson of High Water (recently featured in the PBS Ken Burns country music documentary), Matt Williams of the Madison band Steez, and Oscar Noetzel on banjo. Over 90 minutes of excellent music ensued! Our community will benefit from the amphitheater even when the sevenyear-olds dancing in front of the stage during the grand opening are parents themselves. The Pankowski Friends Amphitheater will become a part of the area culture as have Iverson Park, Bukolt Park, and the Pfiffner Bandshell. You join your fellow community members who helped create a performance and
Jackie Meyers Stevens Point Area YMCA Mike Orella UWSP, Retired Nancy Ross Indiana University, Retired Timothy Taschwer TKE Educational Foundation, Retired Chris Thompson Ascension St. Michael’s Hospital Ron Zimmerman Schmeeckle Reserve, Retired Advisory Council Bill Berry E. John Buzza Alan Engebretson Alan Haney John Jury Dan Marx Jim Rogers Dan Sivek
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Friends President Jerry Lineberger presents a ceremonial deed for the amphitheater to UWStevens Point Chancellor Bernie Patterson.
recreation space that serves the university and city far beyond our lifetime. The Board of the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve is always planning for the future. We have some exciting new projects in the works and are developing plans to ensure the Friends group is around for a long time. We will be sharing updates as the weather gets chilly, and I hope to see you on the trails in my snowshoes! Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve
Friends celebrate sixth year at annual appreciation event At the Friends Annual Member Appreciation Celebration on Oct. 1, more than 50 members gathered to celebrate the past year’s accomplishments, hold a business meeting, recognize volunteers, and hear guest speaker Dr. Alan Haney talk about Fred Schmeeckle. Volunteers Honored At the celebration, this year’s volunteers were recognized for their generous service to the Friends and the Reserve. They included: Chainsaw Crew: Zoe Chase, Bill Fisher, Jerry Lineberger, Thomas Mihm, Mike Orella, Rick Rothman, Gary Speckmann, Dick Steffensen, and Ron Zimmerman. Visitor Center Host: Erin Cherkauer. Schmeeckle Kids’ Ambassador: Walden Buchholz. Native Gardens: Kim Fisher and Jill Trochlell Ziehr. Pond Construction: Michael Gross. Junior Audubon Birding Programs and Bird-Viewing Area: Karen Dostal, Susan Schuller, Kent Hall, and John Munson. Educational Programs: Jean Diedrich, Lesley Sheridan, and Jill Trochlell Ziehr. Gift Shop: Sunshine Buchholz. Friends logo embroidery and sewing: Diane Steffensen. Friends President: Jerry Lineberger. Board Member Election Board members Barbara Dixson, Bernie Hlavac, and Tim Taschwer were re-elected for three-year terms. Board President Jerry Lineberger, Secretary Barbara Dixson, and Treasurer Fall 2019
Rick Rothman were re-elected for another two-year term as officers. Melissa Alexander was newly elected for a three-year term. Melissa Alexander Melissa Alexander, a new Friends board member, was the Schmeeckle graduate assistant from 2015 to 2017. After graduating, Melissa stayed on at UW-Stevens Point to become the school-tohome energy educator with the Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program. Melissa Melissa works to improve Alexander student and community home energy efficiency through in-class presentations and local events using hands-on tools and activities. She enjoys spending time outside and with her black lab, Odin. Organizational Highlights A few highlighted accomplishments from the 2018-19 membership year: • From 2017-19, the Friends raised $275,000 to build the Friends Pankowski Amphitheater. A grand opening and concert were held on Sept. 13, 2019. Outreach • Sponsored and volunteered at the Candlelight Hike Festival, attended by a record 4,000 people in fall 2018 and 2,000 people in spring 2019. • Sponsored the 2018-19 Family Nature Program
Series presented by UWSP students in the environmental interpretation practicum at Schmeeckle; more than 1,250 people attended a total of 35 programs. • Hosted the fifth annual Writing, Art, and Photography Contest, with 36 entries in three categories (the 2019 entry deadline is Nov. 6). • Sponsored and volunteered to complete improvements to the visitor center bird-viewing area, including partnering with the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society for new wildlife-friendly shrubs and construction of a year-round pond. Land Management • The Tuesday Crew of volunteers cut and removed hazardous trees and completed many other construction and maintenance projects. • Sponsored and volunteered for the continued improvement of the Native Gardens near the visitor center. • Sponsored a WisCorps crew for one week to clean up storm damage on the east side of Lake Joanis. Membership • Current number of individual and family memberships: 241 • 2018-19 new members: 100 • 2018-19 membership renewal rate: 78 percent • Current balance: $147,149 ($50,100 encumbered for the trailhead project) 3
Schmeeckle Reserve Fall 2019 Nature Programs FAMILY NATURE PROGRAMS Programs are presented by UW-Stevens Point students studying environmental education and interpretation. All programs are held outside, weather permitting. Snacks are provided. No registration required; just stop by and enjoy the fun! *Programs meet at the visitor center unless otherwise noted. Hitchhiker Locomotion Tuesday, Oct. 15, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Ever stepped out of Schmeeckle with a sticky traveler attached to your skin or clothes? Explore the plants and animals that often unknowingly hitch a ride on us. Snacks in Schmeeckle Thursday, Oct. 17, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Craving something sweet, sour or savory? Join us on a guided walk to discover some of the many tasty snacks Schmeeckle has to offer and how these plants provide medicinal benefits as well. Portraying the Past of Portage County* Wednesday, Oct. 30, 5-6 p.m. Uncover the lives of early explorers, loggers, and farmers. Journey back in time to embrace the joys and hardships of immigrant families living in Portage County. Meet at the Wood Lane entrance to Schmeeckle Reserve. Birds at the Feeder? Become a Leader! Sunday, Nov. 10, 1-2 p.m. Join millions of people across America by discovering how you can be a scientist from the comfort of your own home. During this program, we will help contribute to a Wisconsin birding study by using Schmeeckle’s bird viewing area.
Don’t Gobble Up the Gobbler Tuesday, Nov. 19, 5:30-6:30 p.m. As a symbol of fall, the turkey is one of the most beloved birds in North America. Explore its rich history, cultural influence, and unique characteristics that make it much more than just Thanksgiving dinner. Wildlife Investigators Saturday, Nov. 23, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Become a detective and join an investigation of Schmeeckle’s wildlife. Develop a keen eye as we explore ways to look for the evidence that wildlife leave behind. Schmeeckle Hide-and-Seek Sunday, Nov. 24, 2-3 p.m. Seasons come and seasons go, and with the change of seasons comes a change in animal movement and behavior. Discover where animals in the Reserve may be hiding away and preparing to hibernate for the winter. Going Batty Tuesday, Dec. 3, 5-6 p.m. Taking flight at night, mysterious bats carry the weight of many misconceptions. Debunk the myths and discover how bats help us in tremendous ways. Pines and Point Saturday, Dec. 7, 1-2 p.m. White pine trees have played a bigger part in Stevens Point’s history than you might think. Join us as we explore how white pine trees influenced our culture, grew our town, and even can provide you a cup of tea!
PRESCHOOL DISCOVERY PROGRAMS These programs are for children ages 3 to 6 with a parent or guardian. Programs begin at the visitor center and will go outside, weather permitting. Snacks are provided. No registration required; just stop by and enjoy the fun! Schmeeckle’s Creepy Crawlies Friday, Oct. 11, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Discover the creepy crawlies of Schmeeckle by digging up bugs, playing games and making your own spider web. 4
Falling for Colors Friday, Oct. 18, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Are the trees bursting with color? Has the temperature begun to cool down? Let’s use our senses to explore the many changes that fall brings.
Migration Motivation Friday, Nov. 1, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Come fly with us and see what it takes for geese and other birds to make the big trip south. Playtime in the Prairie Friday, Nov. 8, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Explore what hides in Schmeeckle’s prairie as we run, play and create works of art in the grassland.
Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve
Director, From Page 1 we look back over the past year and reflect on what was accomplished. Wow, what a year! On Friday, September 13th, we celebrated the grand opening of the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater, almost exactly a year after the groundbreaking. It was a humbling experience to be surrounded by hundreds of friends, donors, volunteers, students, musicians, and family members, all supporting this community nature reserve. This incredible gift, coordinated by the Friends of Schmeeckle, will be enjoyed by the university and community for generations to come. To complement the new amphitheater, our students and volunteers worked hard this past summer to beautify the area surrounding the visitor center. Our illustrious Tuesday volunteer crew members cut hazardous trees and cleared brush in the understory along the entrance walkway. Joe Klitzke and Dan Miesbauer, two UW-Stevens Point students, led a crew that removed thick stands of invasive buckthorn from the woods, creating an expansive park-like setting. Jill Ziehr, our Master Gardener volunteer, planted a dozen native shrubs and trees in our bird-viewing area behind the visitor center, enhancing the backyard habitat for wildlife. Michael Gross, a Friends board member, designed and constructed a beautiful rocky waterfall, stream, and year-round pond in the bird viewing area, which provides a focal point for visitors and wildlife. What’s next for the visitor center and amphitheater? Electricity will be run to the
Friends board member Michael Gross headed up a project this summer to build a pond in the bird-viewing area behind the visitor center.
amphitheater this fall. Audio equipment and lights have been ordered. Schmeeckle staff are developing rental policies for the amphitheater… we already have six wedding requests for next year! And we are continuing to fundraise for a trailhead project that will include an open-air shelter with a stone fireplace, an all-season restroom building, and an overflow parking area. Bids will go out in December for spring construction. The partnership between Schmeeckle and the Friends group is integral to our success. We couldn’t possibly accomplish so much without the outpouring of support from our Friends members and volunteers. Your membership in the Friends group is key to this success. Thank you for your continuing support.
Candlelight Hike Festival: ‘Schmeeckle on Stage’ Friday, Oct. 25, 6-9 p.m. Walk trails lit by torches and hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns through the autumn woods and around Lake Joanis. Arrive and leave when you like! A suggested donation of $2/person or $5/family supports future events.
“Schmeeckle on Stage” 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater
The new amphitheater is here, and the fox, deer and other wildlife of Fall 2019
Schmeeckle are excited to show off their talents as they audition for the greatest play of all time! Who will get the leading role?
Other events all evening:
Crafts, snacks, and s’mores Passport Stations featuring hands- on activities Explore the new Friends Pankowski Amphitheater Check out the fall sale in the Gift Shop Live raptors 5
Master Gardener the mastermind behind gardens By Barbara Dixson Friends Newsletter Editor
The paved walkway points the way towards Schmeeckle Reserve’s Visitor Center, but it’s the gardens that draw visitors in. Embracing the patio in front of the building, native plants in the raised bed beneath the classroom window and in the ground level bed beneath the gift shop window bloom in summer, attract pollinators, and—less fortunately—prove irresistible to deer. Jill Trochlell Ziehr is the person who, since 2014, has designed these gardens, located plants for them, recruited and sometimes coached other volunteers, and done a great deal of the work herself. Jill is a Master Gardener with a love of native plants. In fact, she is meticulous in her research and guidelines: the plants in these gardens are native not only to Wisconsin but also to Portage County. Other volunteers, such as Friends board member Kim Fisher, have worked with Jill from time to time, and Jill’s sister, botanist Patty Trochlell, has provided steady expertise and enthusiasm. Some of these gardeners have contributed plants from their own gardens, while the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve has paid for plants. Students too have worked with Jill and learned from her. Passersby have caught Jill in action and, curious, asked questions, learned to see the modest plants with new eyes, and gone off to consider their own forays into native planting. 6
Jill Trochlell Ziehr, center, is a Master Gardener and longtime Schmeeckle volunteer who has designed and helps maintain the native gardens around the visitor center, including the native shrubs planted last spring in the bird-viewing area.
“Why I Love the Reserve” is a regular feature in the Friends newsletter. If you would like to be interviewed for this feature, or if you want to write a first-person account, please contact Barbara Dixson at barbaradixson@gmail.com Schmeeckle’s charming, abundant, and nearly tame deer have demonstrated their skill, Jill says, as “commando deer!” “They’re like toddlers,” she laughs, “they’ll put anything in their mouths.” When they nibbled down the plants, Jill had student workers put up a deer fence. The deer knocked it down. She decided on stronger stakes. They knocked those down, and crawled under. So: chicken wire on the bottom— that too got knocked down! Taking a new tack, she took down all the fences and looked for plants deer wouldn’t eat, with moderate success so far. Jill is undaunted by
these challenges and clearly takes pleasure in working through them. Jill came to Stevens Point as an early-childhood special needs teacher for the school district, staying long enough to enjoy Lake Joanis in its pre-swimming-ban days, to hike with her husband and kids on Schmeeckle’s growing trail system, and now to buy a monarch puppet for her 1-year-old granddaughter in the gift shop. In addition to gardening, Jill has led workshops in the Reserve, and speaks fondly of teaching children about monarch butterflies and the plants they rely on, intriguing kids with the stories the plants reveal about our natural heritage, and inspiring a respect for nature. Most recently, Jill was drafted to design the plantings that encircle Schmeeckle’s new birding/wildlife area just south of the visitor center. If you look out the big windows in the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame, you’ll see birdfeeders alive with many Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve
species, a heated bird bath, a pond with a pump to keep the water available year-round, and a semicircle of shrubbery defining this space. Jill chose, ordered, and planted the shrubs, including a pagoda dogwood, red osier dogwoods, and chokecherries, bushes with gorgeous colors and berries through the winter, attractive to birds. As I talked with Jill about the work she does with native plants, I felt completely at a loss for where a beginner like me might start. She recommends looking at natural areas and noticing where different plants grow, what the light and
water and soil are like there, and when the plants bloom. To find out more, she advises, turn to helpful books, like Landscaping with Native Plants of Wisconsin, by Lynn M. Steiner. Or join an organization such as Wild Ones, which offers plant walks, speakers, and plant exchanges. Or go to expert websites, like the Wisconsin Herbarium site. Or look at catalogs from native plant nurseries, such as Prairie Nursery or Prairie Moon. Consider the website of the UW-Madison Arboretum, or drop by their annual plant sale. Diversify your plants, since the more diverse your planting, the
more diverse your wildlife will be. Most of all, begin with a small patch, one that will be a pleasure. Don’t work too hard!
Contest seeks Schmeeckle-inspired art, photos, writing Schmeeckle Reserve visitors who have been inspired to take photographs, create art, or write about the natural area are invited to submit their work for the sixth annual Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve Writing, Art, and Photo Contest. The Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve is hosting this contest to raise awareness of the Reserve and the Fiends group, which supports the natural area. Entries are due Nov. 6, 2019. An opening reception and awards ceremony for the contest will be Friday, Dec. 6, from 4:30-6 p.m. at the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center, 2419 North Point Drive. First-place winners will receive a $50 gift certificate to the Schmeeckle Reserve gift shop, while second- and third-place winners will receive a certificate of honor. Entries will be on display during the month of December at the Portage County Public Library, 1001 Main St., Stevens Point, and then in the meeting room at the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center. Submissions must be accompanied by a 75-100 word statement describing how the entry was inspired by time spent in Schmeeckle Reserve. All ages are welcome to participate. For the full entry guidelines and submission form, visit www.uwsp.edu/schmeeckle and click on “Friends of Schmeeckle” and then “Arts Contest” or contact the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve at friendsofschmeeckle@gmail.com Fall 2019
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Census catalogs the variety of Schmeeckle plant life By Barbara Dixson Friends Newsletter Editor As you’ve wandered the trails and boardwalks of Schmeeckle Reserve, I suspect that, like me, you’ve noticed odd or abundant or beautiful plants and wondered, what might they be? What grows in Schmeeckle, anyway? When botanist Brian Barringer first grew acquainted with the Reserve, the diverse plant Dr. Brian species delighted Barringer him—but when he explored the website, he was surprised to find no formal botanical census. At the end of 2013-14, his first year of teaching in the UW-Stevens Point Biology Department, Brian set out with determination and method to find a comprehensive answer to the question of what grows in Schmeeckle Reserve. Schmeeckle Reserve includes 280 acres, a 24-acre lake, 5 miles of trails, and a range of habitats, and Brian was one person, with a full-time job. How to go about identifying all the vascular plants? All the grasses, rushes, sedges, forbs, aquatic plants, ferns, and woody plants? Brian came up with a practical sampling method and enlisted help. Sampling would allow Brian to examine only 5 percent of the 280 acres of the Reserve but to locate at least 90-95 percent of the species growing there. Thus he established 126 study plots uniformly spaced throughout the Reserve, each 8
Virginia Freire, left, and Emmett Judziewicz of the UW-Stevens Point Biology Department assist with a botanical census led by professor Brian Barringer in Schmeeckle Reserve.
one about 20 meters (65.6 feet) in diameter. How? Simple! He tied a 10-meter segment of rope to a stake and walked it in a circle. At first, he planned to locate each of these plots for ongoing study by returning to its central stake, perhaps using a metal detector—but the stakes were quickly covered in debris, and a metal detector revealed all kinds of lost metal items, not helpful in locating a single stake. So Brian turned instead to the GPS coordinates, and that’s proved a reliable approach to returning to these plots. Since the plots were first established in June 2014, each one has been visited at least twice a summer, once in early summer and once in late summer, and each plant species growing in each plot has been noted at those times. Observers note not only which plants are present, but how abundant they are and where they are in their annual cycle, such as
in flower or producing fruit, and they also record some basic habitat characteristics. This extensive hands-on work has been done by a team of people, including Brian himself, research technicians such as Tanya Copas and Mike Copas, and undergraduate students, some as paid assistants, some as student researchers, including Emily Schaefgen, Samantha Vold, Benjamin Wielgat, and Rhiannon Kohlmoos. Expert botanists Robert Freckman, David Hillier, Virginia Freire, Emmet Judziewicz, Stephanie Lyon, and Paul Skawinski have contributed advice and their prior research. Led by Brian, this botanical census has been the work of a community of UW-Stevens Point botanists. If you would like to see the current version of the botanical census, you’ll find the list on the Schmeeckle Reserve website under “Research and Education” and then “Field Guides.” It includes over 600 species, each one with its Latin and Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve
common names, as well as whether it’s a native species and whether it’s invasive. This information is vital to so many people—the public, teachers, and researchers all rely on it. The plan is to provide an updated version each year. In fact, if you spot a species not on the list, contact Brian at bbarring@uwsp. edu. He’d like to include every single one. Not simply useful, this project has also proved seminal. When Brian arrived in the Upper Midwest via Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York, he found himself a couple of thousand miles from his ongoing research interests in his native California. The census has provided a local research focus for him. For example, Brian has studied the effects of concentrations of European buckthorn on species
Research Update diversity, a topic of compelling interest to invasive species managers. As a dedicated teacher (note his 2016 UWSP Excellence in Teaching Award), Brian has been especially pleased to support student research projects that spin off from the botanical census. For instance, this summer a student visited each of the 126 sample plots, took light meter readings in four places within each one, evaluated the canopy of each, and will go on to link these findings to data about species diversity in each plot. The students who have worked closely with Brian on the project, especially those who helped figure out the design and worked to solve the practical problems of collecting the
information, have found the work transformative, leading to further research projects, jobs in the field, and graduate programs. Even students simply taking Brian’s classes benefit: they learn about the project, and they too are invited to participate, trying on the role of citizen scientists. Brian’s enthusiasm for this work overflows! As he pictures the annual updates of the species list, he imagines thumbnail images and species descriptions for each—collaborations, such as a possible one with photographer and interior architecture professor Nisha Fernando—further research projects (his, students’)—guides for Schmeeckle visitors, online? In print? Of the most common plants? Of all the plants? So many possibilities! Stay tuned.
Welcome Our New and Continuing Friends! Renewing Members: Thank you to these members who have renewed their membership for 2019-20: Suellen and Paul Bergh Santha Bickford Samantha and David Birkenkamp Sally and Don Dehlinger Michael and Patricia Doherty Michael Dombeck Catherine Dugan Steve Faber and Jackie Meyers Carol Grelck Bernard and Mitzi Hlavac Sarah and Brad Hughes Karin Hyler John and Patricia Kedrowski Megan Lineberger Susan, Keith, Isko, Allan Mark, and Sam Ollech Chrismary Pacyna Joe Passineau Tom and Lynda Schrader Susan and Alvin Schuller Fall 2019
Kay Schultz Sol Sepsenwol Donna Smith Timothy Taschwer Maria and Casey Trader Jim and Mary Verkest Fran Vollrath Paul and Donna Watson New Members: A special welcome to the these members who have joined the Friends for 2019-20: Woody and Madge Bishop Mary Fehrenbach Karen and Scott Ghinazzi Gurdon Hamilton Steven and Anne Hatton David and Susan Henry Dennis and Adrienne Kaster John Kasukonis Ralph and Marcia Locher Gordon L. Miller Meryl Nelson Sandra Orgish
Mike and Becky Schmidt Patricia Trebatoski Pat Trochlell
Other Donations: Thank you to the following donors for their support: Aldo Leopold Audubon Society, in support of the Bird Viewing Area Community Childcare Center, in support of Friends general operations David and Susan Henry, in support of Friends general operations Bernard and Mitzi Hlavac, in support of Friends general operations Jerry Lineberger, in memory of Susan Lineberger, in support of the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater Steve, Anne, Tom, and John Okonek, in memory of Irene Okonek, in support of the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater Seramur Family Foundation, Inc., in support of the Green Circle Trailhead 9
Hi Friends, it’s me Walden, the Schmeeckle Kids’ Ambassador. I’ve got some insider information about one of the “don’t miss” sights in Schmeeckle – the four giant carved wooden chairs near the visitor center. Why is this such a fun photo opportunity? Each chair has a unique, awesome carving of an animal. And if you sit in just the right spot on the deer chair, it looks like you have antlers! To get to the chairs, start at the visitor center parking lot and take a short walk through the Zimmerman Prairie. You’ll find the circle of chairs on the right side at the start of the Trail of Reflections. Some interesting facts you may not know about the chairs: • The chairs were installed four years ago, in October 2015.
Schmeeckle Kids Ambassador Walden Buchholz demonstrates the creative photo opportunity at the “Circle of Seasons” carved chairs just off the Green Circle Trail in Schmeeckle Reserve.
• This was the first trail improvement project sponsored by the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve. • They were designed, carved, and constructed by university students working in Schmeeckle’s cedar sign shop. It took the students about six months to complete the chairs. • The chairs are made from recycled Schmeeckle cedar entrance signs that were replaced in 2014. • They are called “The Circle of the Seasons Chairs.” Each of the four chairs represents a different season – a carved bear for spring, owls for summer, a wolf for fall, and deer for winter. You can really see the change in seasons when you look at the tree on the back of each chair. • On the back of each chair is part of a quote by a guy named Confucius, who according to my dad, was a Chinese philosopher who lived over 2,500 years ago. If you read them in order, the quote says: 10
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First by reflection, which is the noblest; Second by imitation; which is the easiest; And third by experience; which is the bitterest.” • No paint was used on the chairs. Different shades of stain, varnish, and wood burning created the different colors. • The beautiful patio stone slabs below the chairs came from a Krukowski Stone Company quarry near Mosinee. The dark green and black stone is a unique type of Gneiss. It was installed by Friends volunteers.
The chairs are great to sit and climb on. They’re the perfect place for a snack or to tell stories. But my favorite part is to hop on the giant rocks that form a circle behind the chairs. Pssst – kids, tell your parents it’s okay to climb on these rocks. It’s all part of the fun of exploring at Schmeeckle! Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve
Friends of Schmeeckle Embroidered Apparel Now For Sale! All items embroidered with the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve logo and all profits benefit the organization. To purchase items at other times, ask for Megan Espe, Jim Buchholz, or Sunshine Buchholz at the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center. You may want to call first. Staff at the front desk are not able to sell Friends items. The visitor center is open daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call 715-346-4992.
Adult T-Shirt $18.00
Navy blue, 50% cotton/50% poly, in sizes S, M, L, XL, 2XL. Preshrunk.
Ladies V-Neck T-Shirt $18.00 Navy blue with slightly tapered side seams, 65% poly/35% cotton, in sizes XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL. Will shrink ½” in length and width.
Youth T-Shirt $15.00
Navy blue, 50% cotton/50% poly, in sizes XS, S, M, L.
Zippered Tote $15.00
Adult Sweatshirt $24.00
Navy blue with zipper top, over the shoulder handles, measures 12.5”H x 13.5”W x 6.5”D.
Navy blue, 50% cotton/50% poly, in sizes S, M, L, XL, 2XL.
Patch $4.50 Measures 4.75”L x 1.75”H.
Shopping Tote $14.00
Navy blue with gusset side, open top, over the shoulder handles, measures 10.5”W x 14”H x 5”D.
Fall 2019
Cap $18.00
Stone-washed colors with leather strap and buckle closure.
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Parting View: A grand opening for the amphitheater Sentry Insurance video producer Matt Kirsch used a drone to capture this aerial view of the grand opening celebration for the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater on Sept. 13th at Schmeeckle Reserve. Save a stamp (and printing costs)! Switch to our e-newsletter format. Send your email to schmeeckle@uwsp.edu
ADDRESS LABEL 2419 North Point Drive Stevens Point WI 54481
Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve