Friends of Schmeeckle Fall 2021 Newsletter

Friends of

Schmeeckle Reserve

Vol. 8, Issue 3

Fall 2021

‘Round the Reserve

2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481

FriendsofSchmeeckle.org

friendsofschmeeckle@gmail.com

715-346-4992

The Friends celebrate 8 years!

By Jerry Lineberger Friends Board President Happy 8th Birthday to the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve!

When the first board gathered around the table at the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center on the evening of November 13, 2013, we had no idea what was to come. Over the last 8 years, some board members have changed, but the excitement Jerry about helping Lineberger the community discover Schmeeckle Reserve has continued to grow.

In August, the Friends celebrated the grand opening of the Green Circle Trailhead.

The Friends facilitated the successful fundraising for the major project. Construction began in March 2020, just as COVID-19 started ramping up. A remarkable crew from Altman Construction completed work on the Menzel See President, Page 3

Megan Espe received an honorary Friends Life Membership from Friends board president Jerry Lineberger during a small gathering on September 30. Megan is starting a new job after 10 years of service to the Friends and Schmeeckle.

Saying goodbye to a Friend

By Jim Buchholz Schmeeckle Reserve Director Change is in the air again at Schmeeckle. And it’s not just the beautiful fall colors, or the geese gathering on Lake Joanis, or the prairie grasses turning golden. After 10 years of dedicated service, Megan Jim Buchholz Espe has decided to step down as Schmeeckle’s Outreach Coordinator to pursue a new position with the Wisconsin

Forestry Center in the College of Natural Resources. As many of you know, Megan has been integral to the success of the Friends organization since its beginnings.

Megan was hired in 2011 as Schmeeckle’s graduate assistant to study the feasibility of creating a community organization that could provide support to the campus natural area. Megan conducted several focus groups and discovered that community members were excited to get involved and contribute.

Due to the success of the study, Megan was hired as Schmeeckle’s first Outreach Coordinator in See Director, Page 2

Friends of Schmeeckle Board of Directors president

Jerry Lineberger UWSP, Retired vice president

Ron Zimmerman Schmeeckle Reserve, Retired treasurer

Rick Rothman UWSP, Retired secretary

Barbara Dixson UWSP, Retired student representatives

Chloe Kreuser Will Scheder Michael Gross UWSP, Retired Bernard Hlavac Sentry Insurance, Retired Jackie Meyers Stevens Point Area YMCA Mike Orella UWSP, Retired Nancy Ross Indiana University, Retired Melissa Ruether Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education Timothy Taschwer TKE Educational Foundation, Retired Chris Thompson Ascension St. Michael’s Hospital Rick Wyman Kickapoo Valley Cheese Co., Retired

Contact Us Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve 2419 North Point Dr. Stevens Point, WI 54481 715-346-4992 friendsofschmeeckle@gmail.com FriendsofSchmeeckle.org

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The inaugural Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve board met for the first time on November 13, 2013.

Megan Espe (kneeling, third from the left) coordinated the planning, organization, and development of the Friends group.

Director, From Page 1 May 2013. Her initial undertaking was to coordinate the planning, organization, and development of a Friends group.

Due in large part to Megan’s hard work, the Friends of Schmeeckle was officially incorporated as a nonprofit organization in December 2013.

Over the past 8 years, Megan has devoted her time and energy to assisting the Friends board and committees by managing the membership program, coordinating volunteers, organizing programs and events, developing marketing and promotion, writing and designing newsletters, and so much more.

Megan even designed the Friends logo that graces all of our publications.

It’s safe to say that the Friends group would look very different if it weren’t for Megan serving in this important liaison position. According to Megan, “My 10-year run [at Schmeeckle] was filled with my proudest career achievements, especially developing the Friends of

Schmeeckle Reserve.”

In honor of her support over the years, the Friends of Schmeeckle board presented Megan and her husband Troy with an honorary Friends Life Membership on September 30.

While we’ll sorely miss having Megan as part of our Schmeeckle family, we’re excited to see her start a new journey to advance her career goals and to share her amazing talents and skills with another organization.

Please join us in congratulating Megan on her new path and thanking her for all of the contributions she has made over the past 10 years! If you’d like to send a message, you can reach her at mespe@uwsp.edu.

And since this Outreach Coordinator position is so vital to the success of both Schmeeckle Reserve and the Friends group, we will be actively searching for a candidate to hire within the next few months.

Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve

President, From Page 1 Pavilion, restroom building, and Sentry Plaza last November.

Friends volunteers installed split rail fences, planted trees, and constructed the beautiful wooden benches and tables in the pavilion. The facilities are heavily used by Friends, community members, visitors, and students for gatherings of all types.

Our intrepid Tuesday volunteer crew has continued to work along the trails to reduce hazards, remove invasive species, and make them more aesthetically pleasing. Large areas of oak savanna habitat are being restored through the efforts of volunteers, staff, students led by Forestry professor Mike Demchik, the UWSP Fire Crew, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Through the generosity of community donors, the Friends have funded the resurfacing of the Lake Loop Trail with hard-packed crushed granite. This project created an accessible trail around the entire shoreline of Lake Joanis.

An accessible fishing pier will be constructed over the winter in cooperation with a local nonprofit organization, Prime WATER Anglers, who have installed many other piers and docks in the community.

Over the summer, the Central Wisconsin Area Community Theater (cwACT) was finally able to present its production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater.

The Friends of Schmeeckle was one of the sponsors of the event.

The talented actors and actresses Fall 2021

did an incredible job, and the play attracted about 450 audience members over its three shows!

Hosting theatrical events was one of the inspirations for the creation of the amphitheater in 2019. We were honored to make this event available for many new visitors to Schmeeckle and look forward to hosting “Schmeeckle Shakes” again this coming summer.

The Friends also funded lighting in the amphitheater, which was installed by UWStevens Point electrician Kevin Leick. It looks incredible at night!

This year, we were honored to accept the donation of 33 acres of public conservancy land from John and Patty Noel. Located in the Town of Hull, the Moses Creek Meadows property will provide access from the Green

Circle Trail to an observation deck with incredible views of a sedge meadow wetland. The area serves as the headwaters of Moses Creek, which flows through Schmeeckle Reserve. The Friends plan to build a crushed granite path, a raised boardwalk, and a viewing deck over the next year. We look forward to donations from Friends members to help fund this new project.

What an amazing year the Friends have had! Only because of your generosity are we able to continue these projects. We look forward to hearing your ideas for new enhancements and activities that we can accomplish in the future.

Thank you for being a Friend!

The Central Wisconsin Area Community Theater hosted its production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater on August 21-22.

The event attracted hundreds of audience members to the unique outdoor space.

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Family Nature Programs have returned this fall Schmeeckle Reserve’s Family Nature Programs are back for fall 2021! Programs are presented by UW-Stevens Point students studying environmental education and interpretation or wildlife education.

Outdoor programs on a variety of topics such as

reptiles, wildlife tracks, and mushrooms will be offered through early November in Schmeeckle.

Programs are for all ages. Visit the Schmeeckle Reserve website at uwsp.edu/schmeeckle and click on “Programs and Events” to see the full schedule.

Programs are limited to 30 participants each. All attendees must register ahead of time. To register, email schmeeckle@uwsp.edu with the program title(s) you wish to attend, the number in your group, email address, and phone number. Registrations will be confirmed by email. All programs will be held outdoors, starting at the woodchipped seating area near the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater unless otherwise noted. In case of heavy rain or storms, registrants will be contacted with a rain date.

In addition to the Family Nature Program series, students will be creating short Nature Notes videos on a variety of topics through mid-December. Those also will be shared on Schmeeckle’s Youtube and Facebook pages.

UWSP student Connor Bontjes presents his “Tiny Creatures, Big Impact” program at Lake Joanis on October 7.

Friends members-only Fall Celebration planned You’re invited to a special Fall Celebration on Friday, October 29!

To keep everyone safe with a rise in COVID cases, the traditional Fall Candlelight Hike Festival is canceled. However, the Friends are hosting a smaller, more intimate event that is open just to Friends members and their immediate family. The event will include: • “Schmeeckle Olympics” character program put on

by UWSP students in the Environmental Education and Interpretation program. Watch as animals come to life and compete for the coveted gold medal in running, jumping, lifting, and more!

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• A one-mile torchlit trail through the fall woods and along the lake.

• Friends clothing available for sale and discounts for Friends members in the gift shop.

Only 100 tickets are available for each character show, which will be presented twice at 6 and 7 p.m.

Reserve your tickets now by visiting bit.ly/3lHtQur

This is a ticketed event.

In order to limit the number of participants, only Friends members with a ticket will be allowed to attend. Tickets are free and must be reserved prior to the event.

Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve

Green Circle Trailhead grand opening celebrated On August 20, Friends of Schmeeckle board members, Life Members, Green Circle Trail board members, and donors celebrated the grand opening of the Green Circle Trailhead in Schmeeckle.

About 130 people attended the gathering. While the trailhead has been open since last November, COVID delayed the official celebration until August.

Guest speakers included founding donors John and Patty Noel; County Executive Chris Holman; UW-Stevens Point Chancellor Thomas Gibson; Sentry Insurance Foundation Executive Director Kalynn Pempek; Green Circle president Steve Menzel; and Friends president Jerry Lineberger.

The project is a unique partnership between Portage County and UW-Stevens Point, supported entirely by grants (including a Knowles-Nelson Stewardship grant of $370,400)

The Friends of Schmeeckle and Green Circle Trail boards celebrated the grand opening of the Green Circle Trailhead on August 20. In the photo above, John and Patty Noel, founding donors, cut the ribbon to open the Roy and Margaret Menzel Pavilion.

and donations. The Friends of Schmeeckle board helped to coordinate the overall fundraising for the $905,000 project. This included the construction of the beautiful Menzel Pavilion picnic

shelter, an all-season restroom building, and the Sentry Plaza gathering area.

The pavilion can be rented for special events. Visit uwsp.edu/ schmeeckle for more information.

Friends logo apparel for sale Now is the time to order your Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve fleece logo apparel! Jackets ($36) and vests ($32) are available in both men’s and ladies cuts, sizes S-2XL. The fleece is dark blue with the Friends logo embroidered on the front.

Your purchase directly supports the Friends group.

The time and materials for the embroidery are generously donated by a Friends member.

To make an order: • Email friendsofschmeeckle@ gmail.com. Include your name, Fall 2021

phone number, item(s) desired, size(s), and indicate men’s or ladies style.

• Orders are due October 31 • Items will be ready for pickup at the Schmeeckle visitor center in early December • Payment due at pickup Friends T-shirts (youth and adult), sweatshirts, hats, and tote bags are also available for sale at the Schmeeckle visitor center, open Mon. to Fri. 9–4; Sat. 10–4; and Sun. Noon–3. Inquire at the front desk.

Thank you for your support!

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An amazing year of giving

By Michael Gross Advancement Committee Chair Welcome to our 88 new regular members and 50 new life members who have joined the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve since January. And a special thank you to those who renewed their memberships.

Our current membership stands at 396, which is 133 more than a year ago! Schmeeckle Reserve is a wonderful community asset and you, as Friends

members, have been the driving force behind major enhancements and achievements over the past few years. Your continued support will help us to plan and complete more exciting projects in the future.

If you haven’t renewed your membership yet, please visit FriendsofSchmeeckle.org/donate. Thank you all for your generosity!

Thank you to our Friends and Donors!

July 22-October 15, 2021

The following individuals and organizations have joined the Friends group or donated since the last

newsletter was published in July. Thank you for your support!

New Members: Jyoti and Jagdish Chander Alex Falcetta Lynn and Kristine Held Janet Howard Ted and Joan Johanson Kathryn Kibbee Chloe Kreuser Ryan Michalesko Lynn and Deb Petersen Jacob Roncke Kelley Roncke Will Scheder Mary and John Sullivan Renewing Members: Marion Aiken Eric and Amy Anderson Bill Berry and Nick Schultz Samantha and David Birkenkamp Kathryn Buatti Judy Butcher Mari Buzza Kathy Celer Erin Cherkauer Robert and Joan Collins Susan DeMuth Michael and Patricia Doherty Catherine Dugan Amy and Ben Durfee David and Lynn Eckholm

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James and Mary Fico Ted and Rose Francsis Carol Grelck Duane and Terri Greuel James Haferman Gurdon Hamilton Alan Haney Milo Harpstead Bill and Janet Horvath Michael and Carolyne Hovel Scott and Janet Hygnstrom Gerry and Maureen Janz Dennis and Adrienne Kaster John and Patricia Kedrowski Frederick Littmann Charles A. Long Bob and Sandy Mayer Gordon L. Miller Christine Neidlein Dan and Ann Newhouse Gary Nickel and Deborah Padgett Dan O’Connell Joe Passineau Mark Patrick Dennis Peissig Ralph and Sharon Reniewicki Jan Roberts Fran and Bobbie Roman Dorothy Semple Greg Sowle Jo Anne and Robert Uhl

Charley M. White Chris Williams Marilyn Worth Bill Zimdars Special Donations to the Friends: Michael Kibbee, gift membership Suzanne Munday Lloyd and Janice Schmeeckle, Jack and Diane (Schmeeckle) Geller, Keith and Kathy Schmeeckle, and Vern and Janet (Schmeeckle) Westberg for tree planting in memory of Kathy Kinser-Bayquen Chris Williams, gift membership Lewis Zwiefelhofer, gift membership Delta Dental, matching gift One World Inc., gift membership Peace United Church of Christ, Coins of Love offering from church members

Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve

Friends welcome our first student Life Member The Friends group is delighted to welcome our first student Life Member, Jacob Tepsa. Jacob comes from a family where parents worked hard for what they had, so he “learned to hustle, learned to put in the hard work.” Last summer, that hard work was in Idaho, where Jacob fought wildland fires. “I got the fire bug,” Jacob said: his deep need to be of use was fed by adrenaline, the sheer beauty of the fires, and the companionship of the crew. With money saved from summer and a job on campus to help with the year ahead, Jacob realized, “I want to put my money in what matters,” and so he became a lifetime member of the Friends.

“This is peace,” Jacob commented, looking around from the Menzel Pavilion. That peace and also Schmeeckle-based handson activities for his classes have been essential to his experience here. Jacob has taken half a dozen leadership roles in the single year he’s been on campus, from coleading undergraduate research projects to becoming College of Natural Resources senator to the Student Government Association.

But Schmeeckle was the first place Jacob visited at UWSP, and he returns often. Reflecting on his Friends life membership, Jacob said, “If I am able to do something to make future generations grow, that makes my heart grow.”

Jacob Tepsa is the first student Life Member of the Friends of Schmeeckle.

Welcome to our new Life Members!

We are honored to welcome 21 new Life Members to the Friends of Schmeeckle since July! Our life members now number 103, a remarkable milestone after just two years. Life memberships grow the

Friends endowment fund housed at the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin. These gifts provide perpetual funding for the work of the Friends and Schmeeckle Reserve.

Life Members who joined July 22–October 15, 2021 Chad and Rachael Zimmerman

Nancy Stengl

Jacob Tepsa

Scott and Becky Henning

Henryk Hamp

Melissa Ruether

Judith Carlson

Christopher and Gretchen Hamp

Meryl Lee Nelson

Tom and Barb Mihm

Dieter Marx and Nicole Garrity

Megan and Troy Espe

Fran Vollrath

Mark and Karen Ilten

Magdalena Otalora & Donald Fadner

Eric Marx

Jim and Barb DeWeerd

Howard and Arlene Thoyre

Greyson Hamp

Jean Quinsey

Dianne Meyer, In Honor of Cooper & Camden Thompson

Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve

LIFE MEMBER Fall 2021

To see a full listing of Life Members, or to become a Life Member, visit FriendsofSchmeeckle.org/LifeMembers 7

Enhancing Schmeeckle through creative handicraft

By Barbara Dixson Friends Newsletter Editor “I have always been a blue collar worker and didn’t have much use for ‘boards’ except to build something,” Mike Orella said, when asked about his Schmeeckle connection. “But after Jerry Lineberger, who I’ve known for quite some time, asked me enough times I got tired of saying no so I said yes.”

Since he joined the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve board in 2018, Mike’s voice has proved essential in keeping decisions grounded in the pragmatic. And that service is only the start of what Mike does for the Friends and for Schmeeckle.

If you’ve walked in the Reserve, you may have wondered what the little round PVC pipes are that dot the boardwalks. These are Mike’s invention and creation. I first knew Mike soon after we’d both retired, setting up for the 2015 fall Candlelight Hike. On the torch team, we struggled to insert the torches firmly enough into the soil that they wouldn’t fall over and start a fire. This process was so frustrating that I gave up. Not Mike! “Seemed like there was a better way to do it,” he explained. First, he figured out that electric drills made holes more efficiently than hand tools. But in the wetland areas?

Holes didn’t work. Thus Mike created these small torch holders, permanently installed and waiting for the next Candlelight Hike. By now, Mike has mastered the whole process of preparing, placing, and monitoring torches along three miles of trails on those festive evenings—not to mention jack-o’lanterns—not to mention keeping the volunteers and student workers on track.

Mike grew up in Stevens Point, so he’s known about Schmeeckle “almost from the beginning,” he said. But it wasn’t until a brochure about the Environmental Interpretation student presentations turned up in the UWSP Facilities break room that Mike got more involved. The programs caught his interest—he and his wife, Linda, began attending— and soon, they were faithful attendees, supporting student learning. From there, Mike reflects, “one thing led to another.” The torches, the Friends board, then the Tuesday crew, which began with becoming certified to use chainsaws on campus, so that 8

Mike Orella, Friends board member and volunteer, is a handyman who finds creative ways to support Schmeeckle and its student staff. In this photo, he is returning a wood router tool that he repaired for the cedar sign shop.

“Why I Love the Reserve” is a regular feature in the Friends newsletter. If you would like to be interviewed for this feature, please contact Barbara Dixson at barbaradixson@gmail.com

volunteers could help clear the trails after storms.

Now, the Tuesday crew, with Mike a key member, have ventured beyond trail work to creating the backdrop/cabinet on the amphitheater stage, and to building the ash tables and benches for the Menzel Pavilion. Mike has gone on to become an informal mentor to the student maintenance workers, many of whom come in with little or no experience with tools.

What’s next? The accessible fishing pier designed for Lake Joanis and the boardwalk planned for Moses Creek Meadows have already got Mike thinking about the best ways to do things.

Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve

Contest seeks Schmeeckle-inspired art, photos, writing Schmeeckle visitors who have been inspired to 75–100 word statement describing how the entry was take photos, create art, or write about the natural area inspired by time spent in Schmeeckle Reserve. All are invited to submit their work for the 8th annual ages are welcome to participate, with many levels of Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve Writing, Art, and entries to choose from.

Photo Contest.

For the full entry guidelines and submission The Friends host the contest to raise awareness of form, visit FriendsofSchmeeckle.org/arts-contest. the Reserve and the Friends group, which supports the natural area. Entries are due December 10, 2021, with a virtual reception on January 21, 2022 to celebrate and recognize winners and participants. All entries will be displayed on the Schmeeckle website.

Submissions must be accompanied by a 2020 contest submissions: Woodpecker painting by Elisabeth Melk, Indigo Bunting photo by Scott Adamski, and Green Circle Trail carving by Tim Swieki

Remember the Friends for year-end donations

By Tim Taschwer Friends Advancement Committee Please consider including the Friends of Schmeeckle in your year-end donations! The IRS has announced continued and additional tax payer benefits for charitable giving in 2021: 1. Non-itemizing taxpayers the CARES Act makes it possible to deduct cash gifts of $300 for an individual or $600 for a married couple filing jointly, for those taxpayers taking the standard deduction. Gifts must be made to qualified public charities like the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve. Gifts cannot be made to donor advised funds, most private foundations or charitable remainder trusts. Volunteers

Fall 2021

who provide services to qualified charities may also deduct unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses.

2. Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) - AGI deductible cash gifts to public charities in recent years have had deduction limits of 60% of a donor’s AGI. For 2021 that limit has been temporarily expanded to 100% of AGI. Those who contribute more than the 60% limit are allowed to carry forward the deduction for up to five years after the year of the gift. Special rules apply and deductible gifts are required to be in cash or by check, credit, or debit card.

3. IRA Charitable Rollover once again, donors age 70 ½ or older with traditional IRAs are eligible to make tax-free

contributions to the Friends of Schmeeckle received directly from the donor’s IRA account through a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). Donors over age 72 who have to take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) may use the IRA Charitable Rollover to meet their RMD, while still taking advantage of the tax benefits.

Rollover transfers may amount up to $100,000 of an IRA balance.

Donors should contact their IRA administrator to execute a QCD. The above is of an informational nature only. The Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve does not provide professional tax or accounting advice. Prospective donors should consult their financial or tax advisor when considering any charitable giving.

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Friends Annual Celebration at Moses Creek Meadows The Friends group held its 8th Annual Member Celebration on October 10th at Moses Creek Meadows, a 33-acre property recently donated to the Friends

by John and Patty Noel. About 40 members gathered to celebrate the past year’s accomplishments.

Several Friends board members were elected at the business meeting. Michael Gross, Mike Orella, Rick Rothman, and Ron Zimmerman were reelected for three-year board member terms. Will Scheder and Chloe Kreuser were elected for oneyear terms as UWSP student representatives. Board officers were also reelected for twoyear terms: Jerry Lineberger as president, Ron Zimmerman as vice-president, Rick Rothman as treasurer, and Barbara Dixson as secretary.

Board Treasurer Rick Rothman provided a financial report on the organization’s standing: • Current balance was $105,844 for general Schmeeckle Friends projects, $63,865 for construction of the accessible lake trail and fishing dock, and $47,507 for continued construction of the Green Circle Trailhead.

• Life membership revenue was $54,000 since Jan. 1, all invested in the Friends Endowment fund at the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin. The endowment total was $147,308.

Michael Gross, Advancement Committee Chair, reported on the current Friends membership: • Total membership as of Sept.

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stood at 389 members, an increase of 126 from the same time last year.

• Total Life Members as of Sept. was 102, compared to 41 at the same time last year.

After the business meeting, Ron Zimmerman, Jerry Lineberger, and Jim Buchholz led members on a guided hike through the property. A cedar sign, handcrafted by Schmeeckle student employees, now marks the site off of the Green Circle Trail adjacent to Yulga Park.

Friends volunteers worked over the past several months to clear trees and brush from the trail and boardwalk areas. The Green Circle Trail will be rerouted through the property, and crushed granite will be installed later this fall.

Participants crossed a wetland on wooden pallets to reach the location of a proposed observation deck for spectacular views of the

160-acre sedge meadow wetland where Moses Creek begins its journey south. This property, along with several others owned by the City of Stevens Point, protects a 2-mile green corridor along Moses Creek that stretches between the headwaters and Schmeeckle Reserve.

Fundraising for the construction of the boardwalk and viewing deck is now underway, and we need your help! The estimated cost of materials is about $45,000. The labor for construction will be donated by our dedicated Friends volunteers.

Donors of $1,000 or more will be recognized on a plaque installed at the viewing deck. To donate or volunteer, please visit: FriendsofSchmeeckle.org/donate or call 715-346-4992.

We encourage you to explore your Moses Creek Meadows property this fall!

Ron Zimmerman leads a hike through Moses Creek Meadows, a 33-acre conservancy owned by the Friends of Schmeeckle.

Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve

Hi Friends, it’s me, Walden, the Schmeeckle Kids Ambassador.

I like walking through Schmeeckle and seeing all of the leaves turning colors in fall. They look amazing this year. But why do leaves turn colors? And why do they fall?

The color of leaves comes from chemicals inside them called pigments. During spring and summer, leaves make lots of chlorophyll, which gives them a green color.

Chlorophyll is what leaves use to produce energy from the sun, which is called photosynthesis.

In fall, there is less sunlight, and trees start getting ready for winter. The leaves stop making chlorophyll. Then, the other pigments in the leaf begin to show through. These include:

Schmeeckle Kids Ambassador, Walden Buchholz, gets an up close and personal look at the changing leaf colors.

requires a lot of water, but trees can’t get enough water in winter because it is frozen. Trees push off

Schmeeckle LEAVES Crossword Puzzle Identify common trees found in Schmeeckle by looking at the leaf shapes below. Then, fill the tree names into the crossword puzzle.

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• Carotenoids (orange, like carrots!)

• Anthocyanins (red) • Xanthophylls (yellow) The actual color of leaves in fall comes from these different pigments mixing. Red maples, for example, have lots of anthocyanins, so their leaves usually turn bright red. Aspen trees have lots of xanthophylls, so their leaves turn yellow.

Deciduous trees (those with leaves instead of needles) lose their leaves in winter so they can survive the cold. Photosynthesis

their leaves to conserve energy.

Fall is a pretty amazing time at Schmeeckle!

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HINT: Use the common family name rather than the species name.

For example, “oak” instead of “white oak.”

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Across 3.

6.

Down 7.

1.

4.

2.

5.

ANSWERS: 1. Birch; 2. Cedar; 3. Maple; 4. Pine; 5. Oak; 6. Aspen; 7. Ash

Fall 2021

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Parting View: Fall colors in Moses Creek Meadows Moses Creek Meadows, a 33-acre conservancy area recently donated to the Friends, protects a portion of a pristine sedge meadow wetland. A proposed deck will provide spectacular views, like this colorful photo taken at the beginning of October.

Save a stamp (and printing costs)! Switch to our e-newsletter format by contacting us at friendsofschmeeckle@gmail.com 2419 North Point Drive Stevens Point, WI 54481

Schmeeckle Reserve Friends of