News from the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve Winter 2016
’Round the Reserve 2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point, WI 54481 • 715-346-4992 • www.uwsp.edu/schmeeckle
From the Friends president: Your donations at work By Jerry Lineberger Friends Board President
Kevin Leick, an electrician at UWSP Facility Services, installed a push-pad electric door opener at the Schmeeckle visitor center in February. A new door also was part of the project.
the development and expansion of the Reserve from a fledgling idea to a nationally renowned outdoor laboratory for learning and recreation. I pledge Jim Buchholz to carry on Ron’s passion and vision for Schmeeckle that he has shared with me over the past 16 years that we worked together. As part of this season of change, the Schmeeckle visitor center is getting a facelift. Thanks to the
Thank you for being a Friend of Schmeeckle Reserve! Because of your continued generosity of time, energy, spirit, and support, one of the great resources Jerry Lineberger of our community is made even better. I am often asked how the membership and other donation funds are used. Here are some examples of what has been done recently and what it cost: • The granite slabs installed last fall at a Friends Work Day for the Trail of Reflections seating area cost about $3,800. • Stain used for signs, benches, shelters, and other
See Director, Page 2
See President, Page 2
What’s new at Schmeeckle? A lot! By Jim Buchholz Schmeeckle Reserve Interim Director A flurry of change is underway at Schmeeckle Reserve. Cardinals and chickadees are singing their mating songs. Great horned owls are laying eggs. Snow fleas (springtails) are hopping over the melting snow. The human world, too, is filled with change. Ron Zimmerman, Schmeeckle’s only Director for 36 years, retired at the end of December. I am honored to take on the Interim Director position in his place. And I realize that I have big shoes to fill. Ron guided
Director, From Page 1 generous donations of Friends members and assistance from UWSP Facility Services, we now have a fully accessible front door with an automatic opener. The wooden floors in the lobby and Browse Shop were refinished by our student staff who worked night and day. And the exhibits in the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame museum are being updated and renovated, with a new wooden sculpture carved by students that will adorn the door to the formal gallery. With change comes the opportunity to step back and review the direction that we’re heading. Our staff will continue to travel the well-trodden trails that lead to fulfilling our priorities of President, From Page 1 wood in the Reserve is $100 per gallon. That’s not bad if you are staining your deck at home, but quite a bit when you consider the hundreds of square feet of wood to be regularly maintained in the Reserve. • Granite fill used to help make the trails safe and accessible is about $200 for 100 feet of trail. • Shredded hardwood bark is $200 per 100 feet of trail. • Most of the boardwalk installations in the Reserve are about $155 per 10-foot section. To make the visitor center front entrance more accessible to those with disabilities, the Friends Board recently approved funding for a 2
Schmeeckle Reserve student staff sanded and stained the floor in the Browse Shop gift store and entryway this winter. The project required moving all of the merchandise out of the store and took over a week to complete.
preservation, education, and recreation. And we will search for new paths that will open even more opportunities to connect with the campus and community. Our Schmeeckle Friends will be the trailblazers who break ground for achieving the vision that Fred Schmeeckle
shared nearly 60 years ago: “Someday this area will serve as an island of green in the City of Stevens Point.” Jim Buchholz is Interim Director of Schmeeckle Reserve and formerly served as Assistant Director for 14 years. He can be contacted at jbuchhol@uwsp.edu or 715-346-4992.
much-needed electric door opener. UW-Stevens Point is covering half of the $10,000 project. Schmeeckle Reserve and the Friends are covering the other half. More remains to be done to make the visitor center accessible, but we believe this is an important start. As you can see, making Schmeeckle Reserve a great, safe, fun, and accessible place is a costly venture. Many of the Reserve’s funding sources are challenged. A primary purpose of the Friends group is to make sure that regardless of those challenges, Schmeeckle Reserve continues to be here for all who use the natural area. Keep in mind that any contribution you make to the Friends, whether your membership
fee or additional contributions, are tax-exempt. And finally, please join me in honoring recently retired Schmeeckle Director Ron Zimmerman. Ron was the first Director of the Reserve, and we plan on keeping him involved in the future. His vision, energy, sense of humor, and priceless knowledge of Schmeeckle’s history are important to the Friends. How can you be more involved as a Friend? Please share your ideas or skills with us! You may have contacts in the community who may be able to help with marketing, construction, teaching, or other activities. Feel free to contact me at jerrylineberger@ gmail.com. ’Round the Reserve
Contest winners were, from left, Angela King (photography), Erin Kloskowski (art), Bronda Smeltzer (art), Matt Brabender (photography), Jake Elliot (photography), and Bob Mosier (photography).
Tom Razner took second place in the photo (animals and plants) contest.
Arts Contest winners honored at fall reception By Barbara Dixson Friends of Schmeeckle Board Member If you happened by the Portage County Public Library in December, you likely saw a display of the photographs, writing, and art submitted in the 2015 Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve Writing, Art, and Photography Contest. The display went up Dec. 2, followed by an awards ceremony in the Pinery Room attended by several dozen people, including many of the contest winners and their friends and families. The 2015 contest attracted more than 30 submissions. Bronda Smeltzer took first place in art with a layered fabric portrayal of Lake Joanis seen through autumn birches. Erin Kloskowski took second for a drawing of a bottle gentian flower.
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Matt Brabender gained a first in photography with a view of a Moses Creek boardwalk leading toward a line of scarlet trees beneath a deep blue sky. Angela King also had a first in photography with her image of a monarch butterfly sipping nectar. Bob Mosier, Tom Razner, and Jacob Elliot took second place in photography. In writing, two firsts went out: one for an ode about Schmeeckle Reserve by former Stevens Point resident Lisa Trogdon, and another for a poster representation of research done into springtime hydraulic distribution of road salts by four recent alumni: Shane Loesch, Grant Haynes, Brian Adams, and James McCoy. To see the 2015 submissions and winning entries, visit the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve webpage, or stop by the visitor
center, where entries are displayed in the meeting room. As we look toward the 2016 contest, here are four things to note on your calendar: • In September, the Friends will be hosting weekend afternoon workshops featuring local writers, photographers, and artists. • The 2016 contest deadline is Nov. 1. Visit the Friends website to download the entry form. • The 2016 awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 6:30 p.m., in the Portage County Public Library Pinery Room. • In December, the 2016 contest entries will be posted in the public library’s display window facing the street.
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Creative writing class sets the scene in Schmeeckle By Barbara Dixson
Friends of Schmeeckle Board Member “How many people should die in our stories?” The question comes from the top row in the Ross Amphitheater in Schmeeckle Reserve. “I’ve thought a lot about this,” answers creative writing Professor Jeff Snowbarger, gazing up from stage center. The student laughs: “That says a lot about you, that you’ve thought a lot about this.” Everyone laughs affectionately and with the ease that comes from being outdoors on October 22, one of the last gorgeous days of autumn. It’s 62 degrees, the sun warms those sitting on the eastern side of the arena, and maples flash their golds and scarlets. In fact, Jeff explains, deaths in short stories are loud events, which overtake all the other elements, and are to be avoided if possible. Instead, good writers build their stories around a “constellation of telling details.” Jeff has brought his students to Schmeeckle so they can immerse themselves in setting—setting so powerful as to be a character in a story. Jeff asks students to reflect on the ecology of the story. As people’s actions have shaped Schmeeckle Reserve, and as the maple tree has influenced the white pine nearby to grow its limbs farther in the opposite direction, so the details in their stories should shape the ecology of 4
UW-Stevens Point English professor Jeff Snowbarger, right, met with a student during a creative writing class in October in Schmeeckle Reserve.
the story. Going forth to search out their own telling details, students roam toward the rappelling tower, edge into the marsh, and venture into the burr-rich regions alongside the trails. They look and listen intently, alone or in twos or threes, recording discoveries in their notebooks. Squirrels’ nests and logs are abandoned nearby. A story about logging halted to save the squirrels? Cattails with seeds bursting forth but clinging on. They tried to
get away but couldn’t, the student imagines. A story of failed legacy. A sapling with only its central stalk remaining, stubbornly vital. Vandalism? Deer? Symbol of life emerging from death? All different ways a story might go. Jeff was the featured reader at last year’s UW-Stevens Point High School Writers’ Workshop. In the packed Dreyfus University Center theater, every person present was mesmerized as Jeff read from “I Touched Leviathan.” Voices of the upper Midwest, smells of rotting flesh, telescopic views of Lake ’Round the Reserve
Superior—each powerful image drew us more deeply into the world of the narrative. Jeff, an assistant professor in the university’s English Department, earned a master’s of fine arts at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he received the Truman Capote Fellowship and went on to serve as a distinguished post-grad Teaching Fellow. He’s a quintessential outdoorsman as well as a powerful writer. Jeff tells his students a story from literary history: a writer must know not just that it’s a tree, but
what kind of tree it is. He advises them, “If you have details that don’t tell, cut them!” The students in Jeff’s many writing classes willingly follow Jeff Snowbarger his advice, as he so clearly lives it himself. One final word of advice Jeff offers comes from writer Flannery O’Connor: a writer needs “an angle of vision.” One student observes that the
Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve
Join the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve
How to Join Online: www.uwsp.edu/schmeeckle Click on “Friends of Schmeeckle” and then “Join the Friends” Mail this form and a check made payable to Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve to: Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve UW-Stevens Point 2419 North Point Drive Stevens Point WI 54481 Walk-in: Sign up at the visitor center Call: Schmeeckle Reserve, 715-346-4992
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field beside the trail is studded with holes, visible from one direction, concealed in the other direction by cattails. The angle of the character’s vision would shape the way the character approaches these holes, she realizes. The angle of vision for these emerging creative writers is shaped for today and perhaps into the future by the light of the Ross Amphitheater. Barbara Dixson retired in 2015 as an English professor at UW-Stevens Point and serves on the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve board of directors.
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Upcoming Natural and Cultural Programs Singing in the Snow Thursday, March 3, 6-7 p.m. Explore the birds that sing in Schmeeckle Reserve during the winter. Discover who sings which songs and the special adaptations these birds have to survive our harsh winters. Tales From Nature’s Pharmacy Thursday, March 10, 6-7 p.m. Do you have aches and pains? Itchy all over? Take a trip to your local outdoor pharmacy and discover the health benefits of common plants, as well as some fascinating stories about their uses. Things That Glow in Nature Friday, March 11, 5-6 p.m. Do you ever wonder why fireflies light up our backyards in the summer? Or what makes mushrooms glow in the dark? This program will explore the mysticism surrounding things that glow in nature, from animals that fly through the air to creepy crawlers on the ground.
About The Programs... Each semester, UW-Stevens Point students enrolled in an environmental interpretation capstone course at the Reserve present programs about the natural and cultural history of central Wisconsin. Programs are intended for all ages. Programs are free, and registration is not required. * Unless noted with an asterisk, programs meet at the Visitor Center. = Dress for the weather!
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Aquatic Mammal Mystery Tuesday, March 15, 6-7 p.m. What was that animal that ran across the road and into the water? Maybe it was a beaver. Or perhaps a muskrat? Wait, it must have been an otter. Although these three aquatic mammals look similar, they lead very different lives. Discover the secrets of these water-loving animals.
Birds of Prey Don’t Play All Day Thursday, March 31, 6-7 p.m. From owls to hawks, the raptors of Schmeeckle have many different ways of living. Whether they steal their nests or build them, scavenge their food or hunt for it, they all have different survival behaviors. Discover the important role they play within Schmeeckle.
Rhythm of the Seasons Thursday, March 17, 6-7 p.m. As winter turns to spring, animals awaken and plants begin to sprout once more. The seasons change and so do our feelings toward nature. Join in this upbeat campfire experience to find where your rhythm meets the natural world.
Frogs are Back…Back Again! Tuesday, April 5, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Have you heard a sound mimicking the twang of a loose banjo or a high ascending “peep” in your neighborhood? Mosey on over to Schmeeckle to discover the many songs and adaptations of resident frogs.
Mad About Mosquitos Friday, March 18, 5:15-6:15 p.m. Are mosquitoes just a biting nuisance, or is there more than meets the eye? Join us to discover the lives of these creatures that drive us crazy, and the important roles they play in nature.
Butterfly Survival Guide Thursday, April 14, 6-7 p.m. Have you ever wondered how delicate butterfly species have thrived for so long? Join us as we open up the butterfly survival guide and discover the adaptations they use in their top-secret world.
Nature’s Superheroes Monday, March 28, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Have you ever considered an insect a superhero? Discover how nature is full of super-strong, super-fast critters.
The Schmeeckle Buzz Saturday, April 16, 2-3 p.m. Presenting an all-star lineup of Schmeeckle’s native bees, this program will introduce you to the problems they face and the defenses they have against those threats. The future of our food and flowers depend on bees!
Patterns in Nature Wednesday, March 30, 6-7 p.m. Take a closer look. Do you see it? With the rush of everyday life, people often overlook the beauty nature has to offer. Slow down and appreciate the hidden beauty as we explore the patterns in nature.
Little Green Aliens Monday, April 18, 6-7 p.m. Have you ever wondered why those strange plants you pull from your yard keep popping back up? During this walk, we will explore the alien plants that have invaded Schmeeckle and why they are so hard to destroy.
’Round the Reserve
Upcoming Programs It’s Not Her Birthday, It’s Earth Day Wednesday, April 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m. On April 22, we celebrate our planet. Discover the role Wisconsin played in the start of Earth Day and what part you can play today and in the future. Enjoy a recyclables-to-treasure art activity at the end of the program. Springtime Star Party Thursday, April 21, 7-8:30 p.m. Celebrate the night sky in an evening of storytelling and stargazing as we prepare for the upcoming springtime meteor showers. If Those Stones Could Talk * Sunday, April 24, 2-3 p.m. Listen to the stories that gravestones can tell us about our community as we walk through a historic cemetery. Meet at St. Peter’s Cemetery on Old Wausau Road along the Wisconsin River. Park along the west side of the road. Wisconsin’s Early Explorers * Wednesday, April 27, 6-7 p.m. Imagine not bathing for weeks at a time, carrying 90-pound packs over rugged terrain, and paddling until your arms feel like wet noodles. This was the life of a voyageur. Meet us at the Skateboard Park in Bukolt Park for a walk into the past to explore the lives of French Voyageurs in Wisconsin. The Deer of Schmeeckle Thursday, April 28, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Why are the deer in Schmeeckle so tame? Discover what makes these animals so friendly and how being tame affects them. Explore the urban deer of Schmeeckle.
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City critters gathered for the campfire program at the fall 2015 Candlelight Hike Festival.
Dive underwater at Schmeeckle’s spring Candlelight Hike Festival Friday, May 6th, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. What creatures lurk in the waters of Lake Joanis, the Reflection Pond, and Moses Creek? Dive below the surface to explore the underwater world of Schmeeckle Reserve at this spring’s Candlelight Hike Festival. The Candlelight Hike will be Friday, May 6, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve. Walk a half-mile or one-mile trail lit by torches through the spring woods and along the lake. The campfire program, “Underwater Schmeeckle,” will be presented at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. at the campfire ring. Meet critters such as a muskrat, crayfish, fish,
and freshwater jellyfish as they describe their underwater world. It’s a fun program for the entire family. Arrive early for a good seat. Other events all evening will include Aquatic Discovery Stations featuring hands-on activities, fishapproved craft and snack stations, and free door prizes. The event is free; donations of $2 per person or $5 per family are appreciated. All donations go to the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve to support future programs. More than 2,400 community members met Schmeeckle’s “City Critters” at last fall’s Candlelight Hike. Attendees generously donated more than $2,300 to the Friends. To see a video of the campfire program, visit www. youtube.com/SchmeeckleReserve 7
Why I Love the Reserve: Look closely, make memories By Nisha Fernando
Friends of Schmeeckle Board Member When I moved to Stevens Point in 2002 to teach at the university, I was ecstatic to find out about Schmeeckle Reserve. Since then, the Reserve has become a true oasis for me in several different ways. I frequent the natural area for walking, jogging, and just relaxing to get away from a busy work life and the daily mundane things. But most importantly, I love being a witness Nisha Fernando to the wonderful richness of the flora and fauna within the Reserve and the endless opportunities I get to see them, photograph them, and learn about them. Growing up in tropical Sri Lanka, I was always attracted to lush rain forests and the luxurious plant and animal life within them. I felt fortunate that I could always be a part of the natural world around me. As a kid, I used to look under stones and be fascinated by little frogs and insects living there and to inquisitively wonder about the yellow powdery spores under fern leaves. To me, forests were similar to storybooks, waiting to be enjoyed. As a result, I wanted to be a biologist one day. As fate would have it, I became an architect and then an academic instead, but
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Nisha Fernando captured this image of a bluet damselfly in Schmeeckle Reserve. Dr. Fernando enjoys taking photos througout the natural 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 firstperson account, please contact Megan Espe at mespe@ uwsp.edu or 715-346-4992. my love and endless curiosity for nature and science never faded. That is why Schmeeckle Reserve obviously became a central component of my life in Stevens Point—so much so I bought a house right next to it so it is never far from me. As a non-native of Wisconsin, I was able to identify and learn about many birds, trees, plants, wildflowers, mushrooms, and insects of the region because of the
Reserve. My daily excursions were filled with new things to learn about. I’m not a fan of winter, but I enjoy the Reserve during spring, summer, and fall, hiking along the trails, watching birds, and photographing the amazing life that is all around, especially the miniature world of insects. Some trees, perennial wildflowers and plants, and even some bends along the trails seem like friends I visit each year; they have created fond memories for me. There is a particular bull thistle plant near Lake Joanis on which I once photographed a beautiful green spider I could identify and learn about later. Through the camera lens, I also watched for almost 30 minutes as it weaved an intricate web around the spikes of ’Round the Reserve
Welcome Your New and Renewing Friends! New Members: Thank you to the following members who have joined the Friends since Oct. 1, 2015. The Friends is made up of 110 memberhouseholds. Thank you for your support! Troy and Deb Aeby Shelley Auer Mike Bablitch Brian Boettcher Elizabeth Briggs Daniel Czaikowski Erika Jensen Phil and Penny Kallas Owen Kelk Nicholas and Christine Koeller Sean Malec Dan and Ann Newhouse Ron and Sharon Omernick Emmalea Stirn Todd Stirn Hans Wohlbier
A red-legged grasshopper perches on a stem. Photo by Nisha Fernando
the flower base from start to finish, fiercely chased away another spider that came up the stem, caught an unsuspecting fly that stopped by, and settled down to enjoy the lunch. When I see that same plant sprouting to life again each spring, I smile at that memory and wonder what new things await there. Many nooks and corners in the Reserve are so filled with interesting life that one day I spent two-plus hours along a stretch of only 50 yards, looking in and photographing many little things. I find it hard to pick a favorite Spring 2016
spot within Schmeeckle. Each trail and boardwalk offers so much to experience. I also love the fallen trees and the “unmanicured” look within the Reserve. I cannot imagine Stevens Point without Schmeeckle Reserve and I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to be a part of it. To me, it’s a very special place with deep meaning and many wonderful little personal memories of its natural wealth. Dr. Nisha Fernando is a professor of interior architecture at UW-Stevens Point. She also serves on the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve board of directors.
Renewing Members: Thank you to the following members who have renewed their Friends membership for 2015-16. Paul C. and Patti Adamski Emma Bartelt Ginny and Stephen Carlson Bonnie Grubba N.C. Heywood Bernard Hlavac Robert Juracka Ron and Linda Kappell Megan Lineberger Brian Taft Kathleen Taft
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Earlier this winter, my buddy Cooper and I had a fun adventure installing three birdhouses in Schmeeckle. Cooper is 3 years old like me. We took our dads and moms (Chris and Kaila Thompson, Jim and Sunshine Buchholz) along so they could watch. And we let them help a little too. First, we loaded the birdhouses, stakes, ice auger, sledgehammer, and drill onto a long orange sled. Then we slipped and slid across the ice of Lake Joanis to the island. What an adventure! We were careful not to step in any ice fishing holes. When we got to the island, we unloaded the largest birdhouse first. It is for a Wood Duck. They like to live where there is water and some trees—they’re one of the only ducks Wood that can Duck perch
on branches! We put wood shavings 10
Schmeeckle kids ambassador Walden Buchholz, left, and his buddy Cooper Thompson looked into a Tree Swallow house that they helped install in February near the island on Lake Joanis.
in the bottom of the box for the Wood Ducks to build their nest with. After we closed the box, we attached it to a tree on the edge of the island. You can see the Wood Duck box from the sandy area on the north shore of the lake. We also put up two Tree Swallow houses. Tree Swallows like to live in open areas near water where they catch flying insects. Their houses are smaller than Wood Duck houses. We attached these to green metal poles just off the shore of the island so raccoons wouldn’t get in. It was exciting to watch Chris drill through the ice and pull the auger up with a splash. He had to pound the stakes down deep into the mud so they won’t tip over in the spring when the ground thaws. Try to spot these boxes from the north shore of the lake as well, and watch for Tree Swallow families building nests this spring.
Cooper’s family is part of the Schmeeckle Friends group. I am thankful I was invited to go along on this adventure. It feels good to know we made the habitat better for birds that live in Schmeeckle. Cooper’s dad, Chris, makes the birdhouses at home during the winter. He has been doing this since moving to Stevens Point six years ago. Each year they put out two Wood Duck houses and eight to 10 Tree Swallow houses. In the fall, they go back to the boxes and empty them so they’ll be ready for new bird families in the spring. Sometimes they have to kick out the mice that have been living in them. Mice are an important part of the ecosystem too, but I think they should make their own houses. Tree Swallow
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Spring 2016
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Parting View: A fond farewell Congratulations to Ron Zimmerman, who retired at the end of December after 36 years as the Director of Schmeeckle Reserve. Over the years, Zimmerman developed Schmeeckle into a world-class outdoor environmental teaching laboratory and community nature reserve. A retirement reception for Ron was held in December at the visitor center.
ADDRESS LABEL RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED 2419 North Point Drive Stevens Point, WI 54481
Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve