Friends of Schmeeckle Winter/Spring 2020 Newsletter

Vol. 7, Issue 1

Winter/Spring 2020

Friends of Schmeeckle Schmeeckle Reserve

‘Round the Reserve Reserve

2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481

www.uwsp.edu/schmeeckle

friendsofschmeeckle@gmail.com

715-346-4992

Enjoy time in the outdoors

By Jerry Lineberger Friends Board President Slow down…there are so many things in our lives that distract us and cause us stress.

Many of them are things over which we have little or no immediate control. You know what they are.

May I make a suggestion?

Get up, put on your hiking shoes and head for Schmeeckle Reserve. You know you have the time. Many scientific studies (Google them!) indicate that time spent outdoors walking, snowshoeing, strolling, or Jerry whatever Lineberger reduces stress and makes you happier. The sound of birds and snow plopping out of trees is better than TV... or even NPR! We have a ready-made decompression chamber right in our own backyard. It’s yours for the price of just getting out.

While at the Reserve, I highly recommend getting on See President, Page 7

Visitors enjoy the snowy trails with snowshoes from Schmeeckle’s new outdoor rentals.

Outdoor rentals, Green Circle Trailhead enhance recreation

By Jim Buchholz Schmeeckle Reserve Director What a strange winter we’re having so far! Temperatures have fluctuated between 50 degrees and below zero in the span of a day.

We get a major dumping of snow, just to have it melted over the course of a week.

But one thing is consistent— our trails at Schmeeckle are always packed down flat from so many people enjoying the outdoors.

Winter is the perfect time to explore Schmeeckle, and we have made several improvements this

year to make it easier than ever to access the trails.

Earlier this winter, our creative student maintenance crew constructed a groomer out of old sign materials that they drag behind our utility Jim Buchholz vehicle. After a snow, the heavy device flattens the trails with grooves, leaving behind a perfect surface for snowshoeing or winter hiking.

Schmeeckle is now also See Director, 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

Natasha Trush UWSP Melissa Alexander Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education Nisha Fernando UWSP Kim Fisher Walczak Center for Dentistry and Orthodontics, Retired Michael Gross UWSP, Retired Bernard Hlavac Sentry Insurance, Retired 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

Contact Us Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve 2419 North Point Dr. Stevens Point, WI 54481 715-346-4992 friendsofschmeeckle@gmail.com www.uwsp.edu/schmeeckle

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The Menzel Pavilion is an open-air shelter that will be built as part of the Schmeeckle Reserve/ Green Circle Trailhead project starting in May. It features a stone fireplace, stone columns, and large beams that tie into the design of the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater.

Director, From Page 1 renting outdoor equipment, including snowshoes and cross-country skis, the perfect way to hit the trails after a big snow. In appreciation of your support, Friends members get a special discount on all rentals. Snowshoes are $5 for the first day and $3 each additional. Crosscountry skis (including poles and boots) are $10 for the first day and $5 each additional. Equipment can be taken off-site. More info is at www.uwsp.edu/ schmeeckle, Shop & Rentals.

In the next few months, we will also start renting tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, canoes, and kayaks.

Our Tuesday volunteer crew will be constructing a rustic log canoe rack on the south shore of Lake Joanis for easy access. A special thank you to UWSP Intramurals and Ed Richmond, the campus recreation coordinator, for developing an agreement to transfer the outdoor rental operation to Schmeeckle.

Speaking of rentals, the beautiful

Pankowski Friends Amphitheater is now available to rent for weddings, plays, concerts, and other special events.

Prices and policies are available online at www.uwsp.edu/schmeeckle, Facility Use. The Friends are already planning several events this summer for the amphitheater.

And this spring, pardon our dust!

We will finally be moving forward with the Schmeeckle/Green Circle Trailhead project. Over the past year, the Friends received generous donations from the Seramur Family Foundation and Sentry Insurance Foundation. When added to our other grants and donations, we now have enough to make the project a reality.

See the next page for more information.

It’s an exciting time for Schmeeckle Reserve, and our Friends are the reason that we can continue making enhancements that improve recreation, education, and the natural world. Thank you for your continued support, and be sure to spread the word!

Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve

Sentry Foundation donates to new trailhead The Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve is excited to announce a $125,000 gift from the Sentry Insurance Foundation, which will allow the Green Circle Trailhead project in Schmeeckle to move forward this year.

The trailhead facility will serve as a gateway for visitors exploring Schmeeckle and the 27-mile Green Circle Trail.

The Sentry Foundation gift will fund construction of a gathering plaza with decorative concrete, stone seating, and an interpretive kiosk. The gift also supports three other elements of the project: • The Menzel Pavilion, an open-air shelter with a stone fireplace and picnic seating for 50 people • A year-round restroom building that will be open even when the visitor center is closed • An overflow parking lot for special events that will be built with green design features just east of the current parking lot “The Schmeeckle Reserve is an incredible asset to Stevens Point, and to Sentry Insurance’s 2,000-plus employees who work in the community and enjoy easy access to the 280-acre reserve,” said Pete McPartland, chairman of the board, president and CEO of Sentry Insurance. “We’re proud to have the opportunity to grow our support with this donation and look forward to seeing the new trailhead facility come to life.”

Construction will begin in May 2020 and is expected to be completed by October. The open-air shelter will be near the Winter/Spring 2020

Pankowski Friends Amphitheater, which opened this past fall, also with major support from the Sentry Foundation.

Planning and fundraising for the project began in 2016.

An initial $250,000 gift from the John Noel family was matched by a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources KnowlesNelson Stewardship Grant ($370,401). Additional donations were provided by the Seramur Family Foundation ($50,000), the Green Circle Trail ($30,000), a Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Tourism Grant ($13,000), and several other donors.

The Portage County Parks Department is coordinating the project and will own the structures for 25 years per the requirements of the Stewardship grant. After 25 years, the county will transfer ownership to UW-Stevens Point.

Schmeeckle Reserve, the Friends of

Schmeeckle, and the Green Circle Trail will maintain the trailhead facilities.

“The Green Circle Board joins all our trail partners in thanking the Sentry Foundation for choosing to donate $125,000 toward completion of the trailhead project,” said Jim Canales, 2018– 2019 board president. “With these facilities, the Green Circle Trail and Schmeeckle Reserve will continue to serve Wisconsin visitors and be recognized as community treasures.”

Project design was completed

by Rettler Corporation of Stevens Point and Alliance Architects of Minneapolis. Bids for construction were received in December, and Altmann Construction of Wisconsin Rapids was selected as the general contractor.

For more information, visit www.uwsp.edu/schmeeckle, Current Projects.

The Sentry plaza, part of the trailhead project, will serve as an informational hub and gathering area for visitors to Schmeeckle Reserve and the Green Circle Trail.

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Schmeeckle Happenings New solar array and EV charging station As part of Schmeeckle’s sustainability initiatives, a 6.1 kW solar panel array and electric vehicle (EV) charging station were installed on the north side of the visitor center parking lot in November 2019. The solar array feeds directly into the Wisconsin Public Service electrical grid and will produce about 20 percent of the energy used in the visitor center.

The project was funded by the UWSP Green Fund, a student supported initiative that funds sustainability projects on campus.

It was constructed by Northwind Solar, a local solar electric system company. Northwind Solar also donated the EV charging station

Prairie and oak savanna restoration A long-term goal of Schmeeckle is to restore large areas of native prairie and oak savanna habitat. A grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be helping to make this goal a reality!

Representatives of the Friends board met with Brendan Woodall, USFWS Wisconsin Private Lands Biologist, in early December to discuss several potential projects.

An award was granted through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program that will restore about 8 acres of prairie and savanna in Schmeeckle. This includes an expansion of the Zimmerman 4

A Northwind Solar employee installs solar panels onto a metal racking system.

that has ports for two cars. The charging station is available for free on a first-come, first-served basis.

Future plans call for the installation of additional arrays next to the existing structure,

eventually producing 60 to 80 percent of Schmeeckle’s energy needs.

View the real-time solar energy being produced at: www.uwsp.edu/schmeeckle, Education & Research

The Zimmerman Prairie will be expanded as part of a project being funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Prairie near the visitor center, and planting native grasses and flowers in the existing 5-acre Berard Oaks savanna.

Red oaks impacted by oak

wilt disease are being cut in the two areas to open up the canopy.

Native prairie species will be planted in fall. Visit www.uwsp. edu/schmeeckle for more info.

Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve

2019 Friends Writing, Art & Photography Contest

Winners in the sixth annual Friends of Schmeeckle Writing, Art, and Photography Contest were honored at a reception in December. The contest brings together people of all ages and backgrounds who share their passion for Schmeeckle through art.

Winning entries were: • Photography (Beginner Level): First place, Alyssa Johnson;

second place, Alex Fredrich; third place, Christy Nordin.

• Photography (Intermediate/ Advanced Level): First place, Sophia Sperduto; second place, Ian Vierck; third place, Justin Rohe.

• Art (Grades 7-12): First place, Tessa Bruckhart; second place, Katherine Schoenecker; third place, Matthew Schoenecker and Elizabeth Schoenecker (tie).

• Art (Adult): First place, Aleisha Muras; second place, Tim Swiecki; third place, Carli Uher.

• Writing: First place, Michael Houlihan; second place, Gina Patton; third place, Bill Lawlor.

First place, Photo (Intermediate/ Advanced Level) by Sophia Sperduto

First place, Photo (Beginner Level)

by Alyssa Johnson

To see all of the amazing 2019 contest entries, visit www.uwsp. edu/schmeeckle, click on “Friends of Schmeeckle” and then “Arts Contest.”

Second place, Art (Adult) by Tim Swiecki

First place, Art (Adult) by Aleisha Muras Winter/Spring 2020

First place, Art (Grades 7-12) by Tessa Bruckhart 5

Spring 2020 Programs & Events

Free Family Nature Programs Join us for our spring season of nature-themed family programs! Presented by university students in environmental education and interpretation, each program features hands-on activities that involve all ages. Snacks are provided. All programs meet at the visitor center, unless otherwise noted.

Nocturnal Neighbors Thursday, March 12, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Navigating Nature Tuesday, April 14, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Do the wildlife that are out at night seem scary or creepy? Think again!

Put on your detective hat and explore Schmeeckle at dusk to uncover the truth about our nocturnal neighbors.

Discover the signs that allow you to read the land like a map. See the plants, animals, weather and landmarks of Schmeeckle with a new appreciation that will help you find your way.

Schmeeckle’s Next Top Critter Thursday, March 26, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Warblers: Tree-Top Gems Sunday, April 19, 1-2 p.m.

This season on “Schmeeckle’s Next Top Critter,” opossums, spiders and worms! These underdogs will demonstrate their hidden talents, and you get to decide who’s on top.

Each spring, thousands of colorful warblers decorate the trees of Schmeeckle. Discover the stories of these tiny travelers as they stop in central Wisconsin on their way north.

Caring for Critters Saturday, March 28, 1-2 p.m.

‘Bee’ an Intentional Gardener Tuesday, April 21, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Whether you find friendly neighborhood wildlife away from their homes or in your own home, there are ways we can help. Explore how to aid animals that are injured, lost, or abandoned.

Transform your yard into a vibrant haven for birds, bees and butterflies.

Unearth the value of your lawn by cultivating native plants that help local wildlife and the environment.

Who Let the Logs Out? Saturday, April 4, 1-2 p.m.

Do you have what it takes to be a logger in the 1800s? Turn back time to the golden age of logging. Discover how the lumber era influenced the development of Schmeeckle.

Nature’s Pantry Tuesday, April 7, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Take a stroll through time, discovering how people who lived here historically used nature’s plentiful pantry to survive life’s challenges. Dine like settlers with a hands-on meal experiences.

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Moses Creek: Tales Through Time* Sunday, April 26 3-4 p.m.

Travel back in time and discover the many chapters of Moses Creek’s past 200 years. Explore the evolution of this wetland from pre-European settlement, through the farming era, to the restored wetland of today. * Meet at the entrance on Wood Lane Fun-damental Fungi Tuesday, May 5, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

From mold to morels, fungi keep the environment healthy, though much of their work is invisible. Discover how plants and animals, including humans, can benefit from Schmeeckle’s fungi.

Schmeeckle’s Open House Saturday, May 9, 3-4 p.m.

Schmeeckle is your destination for affordable and unique wildlife real estate! Tour the pristine animal properties and get to know the animals that live in them.

Spring Candlelight Hike Festival Friday, May 1, 6-9 p.m.

Arrive and leave when you like! A donation of $2/ person or $5/family supports future events.

Program: “May Day Celebrations” A character program will be presented at 6:30 and 7:30 at the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater.

Ring in spring with the May Queen and her forest friends. Join in the festivities as Schmeeckle’s plants and animals celebrate the new season!

Other events all evening: • Walk torch-lit trails • Campfire with s’mores • Spring-themed crafts and activities

• Live raptors • Snacks for sale in the visitor center • Marvelous gifts in the gift shop

Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve

Spring 2020 Programs & Events (continued)

Preschool Discovery Programs

Frolic with the Flowers Friday, May 8, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

For children ages 3 to 6 with a parent or guardian, these programs begin at the visitor center and will go outside, weather permitting. Snacks are provided.

Registration not required.

Play a part in the production of spring. Discover the plants and trees that are blooming with beautiful new life this season!

Schmeeckle’s Symphony Friday, March 27, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Junior Audubon Bird Programs

You’re invited to Schmeeckle’s spring concert! Listen to the sounds of nature created by animals, plants and weather, and mimic their musical talents.

Water Flows, Rivers Grow Friday, April 3, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Splash in the puddles created by melting snow and spring showers. Make it rain through songs, stories and an exploration of our watery world.

Nature’s Nursery Friday, April 10, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

As winter winds down, a new generation springs to life.

Young explorers will spot the signs of Schmeeckle’s little critters through stories, songs and using our senses.

Finding Froggy Friends Friday, April 17, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Explore the exciting life of frogs and toads from tiny tadpoles to brave adults through stories, songs and handson explorations!

Led by birding experts from the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society, these programs target ages 6 to 12 years old, but all ages are welcome. Programs feature themed activities and crafts. Binoculars and ID books will be available to borrow.

Bird Songs: Birding by Ear Saturday, April 18, 9-11 a.m.

World Migratory Bird Day Saturday, May 9, 9-11 a.m.

Explore self-guided crafts and activities related to birds. Local Audubon experts will be available to share basic birding techniques and answer questions. From 10-11 a.m., join a guided family-friendly birding hike.

Bird Banding Demonstration* Saturday, May 30, demonstrations on the hour from 7-11 a.m.

Bob Welch, director of the Waupaca Biological Research Station, will be catching songbirds using mist nets and banding them for research. You get to help release them! * Please call 715-346-4992 to register for a time slot.

President, From Page 1 stage at the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater and belting out a Broadway tune or two. Or maybe a line or two from your favorite Shakespeare play. If your kids enjoyed performing on the old stage, this new one is a hoot!

Speaking of Shakespeare, the Central Wisconsin Area Community Theater (cwACT) will be performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Aug. 15–16 at the amphitheater. The Friends will Winter/Spring 2020

also be co-hosting a family literacy event with United Way of Portage County at the amphitheater this summer. There is lots more planned for the spring and summer at the Reserve!

One last thing. Be on the lookout for some exciting changes for membership opportunities. We will be offering Life Membership as a way for you to make a vital investment for tomorrow. Life Member

donations will be invested in the Friends Endowment Fund at the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin. Our goal is to establish a sustainable support base for Schmeeckle into the future. We are very excited about this and hope that you are as well.

As I write, it is February, the sun is out, and spring, according to Punxsutawney Phil, is just around the corner. Thank you for being a Friend!

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Schmeeckle is the perfect fit for wildlife course Research Update

By Barbara Dixson Friends Newsletter Editor Wildlife 150, Living with Wildlife, taught by Natural Resources professors Cady Sartini and Scott Hygnstrom, was the first class to meet in the brand new Pankowski Friends Amphitheater last fall. Now, in spring semester Dr. Cady 2020, the class Sartini is scheduled to meet in the Reserve on four occasions, beginning with a campfire and s’mores in early February. Schmeeckle Reserve is “a great resource,” Scott Hygnstrom observes, and these instructors are eager to introduce it to first-year students.

Diverse perspectives are a core element of Wildlife 150.

The class meets general education Dr. Scott Hygnstrom requirements for both environmental responsibility and social sciences, and its team teaching approach goes beyond the two professors. Joe Quehl, a senior UWSP student, serves as teaching assistant and takes a vital role, while several guests speak, ranging from a Native American describing a tribal perspective of the land to a

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Cady Sartini (standing) teaches a Living with Wildlife course in the new Pankowski Friends Amphitheater

professional woman speaking with authority on hunting.

Most important, the students in the class bring their own diversity, with 21 majors represented among this semester’s 36 students, and with a range of ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Hikes and outdoor group activities get students talking to each other from the beginning. Shared experiences lead these students into a mutually engaged and respectful community.

This class is designed to stir things up!

Cady Sartini reflects that in the upper level wildlife classes she teaches, she’s “preaching to the choir.” She and her students already share deeply held values about wildlife and the land. But with this general education class, about 40% do not have strong, positive outdoor experiences. Cady says, “I’ll ask a question, and I’ll hear something I’ve never heard before, which is a treat.”

Cady and Scott have crafted assignments to bring students into their own understanding of the outdoors, and to reflect on these new perspectives using social science tools. For example, the first assignment (introduced around the fire ring behind the Schmeeckle Visitor Center on a February afternoon) is called “autophotography.” It asks students to take a selfie in an outdoor setting, plus nine other photos with a wildlife theme.

Students then look at and comment on self-images and reflections other students have posted online and reflect on the comments they receive on their own selfportrayals. This process teaches students about qualitative social science research, while fostering metacognition about their own assumptions around outdoor spaces.

You can expect to run into this class all over the Reserve.

Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve

In their second Schmeeckle foray, students will focus on birdwatching, swapping sessions in the visitor center birding area with trail walks, binoculars and field guides in hand. The third Schmeeckle trip will bring them to the southern edge of the Reserve, where a forest restoration project is underway on the four acres decimated by the sudden huge winds of June 2017. Now there are native trees and plants, many of them protected against deer with sturdy fencing. And for the class ending, on a (hopefully) balmy May day, students will gather at the southeast corner of Lake Joanis to reflect, review, and just enjoy the Reserve and each other for their last time together.

Wildlife 150 creates the discomfort that can open people to new understandings. Sometimes results are dramatic, as with a student who wept over a new insight that took her far from her family’s strong views. Almost always, the class opens wider perspectives, including for those who teach it.

Joe Quehl, the undergraduate teaching assistant, grades all the online commentary, brings up a conservation topic at the beginning of each week, leads several classes, and fills in as needed. For Joe, this experience confirms his professional direction to become a university professor, as it’s “pretty fun,” and he likes helping students. Scott and Cady see that many students go on to add

Thank you to our new and continuing Friends!

New Members: Marion Aiken Margaret Bau Lee and Siri Bendtsen Judy Cable Anderson James DeGoey Nolan Doran Amy and Ben Durfee David J. Eckholm Robert and Karen Johnson Frederick Littmann Barb and John Munson Christine Neidlein Lonna O’Keefe Sandra Orgish Pauline Pray Mike and Becky Schmidt Kookie Stieber Kurt Zimdars

Winter/Spring 2020

Renewing Members: Mark Balhorn and Julie Schneider Jim Canales Erin Cherkauer Michael and Pat Dombeck James and Mary Fico James Haferman Dan Holloway and Trish Baker Scott and Jan Hygnstrom Gene and Nancy Kemmeter Bob and Nancy Korth Matthew Kovalaske Lynn Markham Stephen and Lynn M. Marquardt Gary Nickel and Deborah Padgett Bridget O’Brien Joe Passineau Noreen Schreiber Sol Sepsenwol Kirby Throckmorton Steve and Anne Treankler Claudia Trimarco

natural resources classes to their music and other majors, and some become natural resources majors.

It’s evident that this class nurtures students with a sense of grounding in the natural environment.

Schmeeckle Reserve is essential to this outcome! At Schmeeckle, “we have a really interesting story to tell,” Scott comments. We ended our conversation reminiscing about Schmeeckle Reserve in its early days, including its then bare landscapes and those wonderful Harvest Moon festivals. Scott was there for the 1981 autumn celebration, where Tom Pease performed and sang “Rooty Toot Toot for the Moon.” We both hope that, decades from now, the students of Wildlife 150 will have their own fond outdoor memories.

October 1, 2019–February 19, 2020 Sharilyn Willer William and Ann Yudchitz Noah and Andrea Zimmerman Special Donors: Michael and Beverly Gross, Friends donation John and Dori Jury, in support of Friends Endowment Fund Jerry Lineberger, Friends gift membership Nancy Ross, Friends donation Dick Steffensen, donation of cordless drill and saw Kay Taschwer, Friends donation in honor of Tim Taschwer Active Portage County Walk Wisconsin, Friends donation Living Well Yoga, Friends donation Sentry Insurance Foundation, in support of Trailhead project 9

“It’s my favorite place on earth.”

By Barbara Dixson Friends Newsletter Editor When Mike and Diane Houlihan were walking in Schmeeckle Reserve recently, they spotted a raptor flying over the northwest corner of the frozen lake. As it got closer, they identified it as a red tailed hawk, and from its claws sagged a very dead rabbit. They were amazed!— and even more so when the hawk swerved back, landed briefly on the trail in front of them, then soared towards a stand of nearby trees to tear into its prey.

Mike walks or runs a figureeight route incorporating the lake loop and various segments connecting to the Green Circle Trail, and he’s been running some version of this route for four decades. Schmeeckle Reserve “has opened up so many things to me,” Mike commented.

The origins of the Reserve have roots tangled with Mike’s family history. His father worked for Chancellor Lee Sherman Dreyfus around the time the Reserve was taking shape, and young Mike once caught a ride to New York in the Sentry Insurance airplane along with one other passenger, John Joanis (of Lake Joanis fame).

Mike and Diane have nieces and nephews surnamed “Schmeeckle.”

When their daughters were little, the family would spend time at the lake, the girls paddling around on floats, Diane and friends swimming around the island, and Mike moving from biking into the Reserve, to running his figure-eight a couple of times, then on to lapping the island 10

Mike and Diane Houlihan are longtime supporters of Schmeeckle Reserve with roots in its history.

“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 wearing flippers for added speed and buoyancy, in his own private triathlon. Summer memories from before the “no swimming” days!

Likewise, the Candlelight Hikes have marked the rhythm of their years, with multiple generations making their way with flashlights to join the torch-lit walk.

Mike and Diane both relish Schmeeckle’s soft surfaces, which are kind to joints and feet. “We walk there every day of our lives,” Diane told me. Warm and outgoing, both chat easily with passersby. Once Mike accosted a class that was being instructed in the history of the Reserve and volunteered to tell the students “the real story,” a humorous tall tale that he made up on the spot.

Other times, Mike has stopped apparent prospective students and parents to tell them how fabulous the gift of Schmeeckle Reserve is to the campus and community, and very often, Mike and Diane have talked over the wonders they’ve seen with passersby, enjoying shared delight or the expertise offered by UWSP students of nature.

For both Mike and Diane, Schmeeckle has the power of sacred ground. Mike finds that in Schmeeckle, the memories of his late father take on heightened power and vividness. Recently, the two of them spotted an enormous, soft shelled turtle, more than 13 inches across and with a long snout. A woman and man came by just then, and the woman lifted the turtle to show its white underside, “like lifting up the Host at communion,” Diane marveled.

Schmeeckle Reserve is “what I miss when I’m gone,” Mike said.

“It’s my favorite place on earth.”

Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve

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

I got to spend some time at Schmeeckle during my holiday break from school at the end of December. Watching all the activity that happens on a normal day at the visitor center made me realize who really keeps Schmeeckle running—the students! Did you know that more than 50 university students get jobs at Schmeeckle every year? We have a big photo wall in the office just to keep track of who they all are.

For some students, working at Schmeeckle is the first job they ever have. Schmeeckle is an important part of their experience at the university and can help them get jobs after they graduate. My dad, the Schmeeckle director, writes lots of recommendation letters for former student employees.

To work at Schmeeckle, students need to have something called “Work-Study.” This means the federal government pays part of their wages while attending college. This allows Schmeeckle to hire a lot of students.

Why does it take so many students to run Schmeeckle?

There’s so much to do! Here are just some of their jobs: • Office Staff: Answer visitor questions, make gift shop sales, rent outdoor equipment, set up the meeting room, clean the building, care for the captive frogs, turtles, and fish Winter/Spring 2020

Kids Ambassador Walden Buchholz hangs out at the front desk with Teresa Lind, Schmeeckle’s student office manager for the past several years. Teresa graduated in December with a degree in political science.

• Maintenance Staff: Maintain trails, fix lots of things indoors and outdoors, create cedar signs and benches, maintain the outdoor birding area, build boardwalks, cut hazard trees • Artists: Carve and paint cedar signs and benches • Recreation Intern: Monitor trail use, manage outdoor equipment rentals • Ecological Restoration Crew: Remove invasive plants such as buckthorn and Phragmites, plant native trees, restore habitat Sometimes students work at Schmeeckle the whole time they are at UWSP. When they graduate, we are sad to see them go, but are excited that they are starting their new careers. We love it when they come back to visit, or when we happen to see them on our trips throughout the state and country.

Last semester we said goodbye to two long-time Schmeeckle student employees. Teresa Lind was our office manager who worked at Schmeeckle for 3 years.

She is going to graduate school next and one day plans to work for the United Nations. Anthony Pues was a Schmeeckle maintenance supervisor who also worked here for 3 years. He is ready to work in law enforcement as a police officer or park ranger.

Next time you’re at Schmeeckle, ask the students what they are studying and what they hope to do when they graduate.

You’ll be amazed at the different jobs they will have someday!

Anthony Pues worked as a maintenance supervisor. He graduated with a degree in Conservation Law Enforcement.

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Parting View: A New Year’s winter wonderland A fresh snowfall created a beautiful winter scene in the Moses Creek Wetland on the first day of 2020. Winter is the perfect time to explore the quiet side of Schmeeckle Reserve. Snowshoes and skis can be rented at the visitor center.

Save a stamp (and printing costs)! Switch to our e-newsletter format by contacting us at schmeeckle@uwsp.edu

ADDRESS LABEL 2419 North Point Drive Stevens Point WI 54481

Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve