News Archives:2005

Wind Storm Hits Schmeeckle Reserve

On Saturday, July 23, 2005, a major thunderstorm blasted Stevens Point. Gusty winds in excess of 100 mph uprooted and snapped large trees in half. Schmeeckle Reserve was hit especially hard by the storm. Thousands of trees throughout the natural area cracked in the wind, blocking trails and creating hazards for users.

“This was the worst wind damage that we’ve seen in Schmeeckle Reserve in 30 years,” said long-time Reserve director Ron Zimmerman.

For the safety of visitors, all trails in the Reserve were closed immediately following the storm. Maintenance crews from Schmeeckle and Treehaven worked long hours to clear logs from the trails and remove hazardous hanging trees. The Green Circle Trail east of the Berard Oaks was actually rerouted around a major tree fall area. Most trails were reopened within four days after the storm.

The Schmeeckle Reserve maintenance crew will continue to clean up storm damage throughout this fall and winter. As part of the Reserve’s natural area policies, downed trees away from trails are not removed. The decaying wood serves as habitat for plants, fungi, and wildlife species. Trees that fell over the trails will be cut into firewood or planed into boards for constructing rustic benches and signs.

Despite the major damage and loss of trees, Schmeeckle Reserve is focusing on the positive aspects of the storm. “Wind has always been a natural component of the ecosystem in Central Wisconsin,” says Zimmerman. “Some areas that were completely shaded by the dense canopy now are open to full sunlight. This has increased the diversity of habitats in the Reserve.” White-tailed deer and wild turkeys are already frequent visitors to the windfall areas.

People are encouraged to visit the Reserve and see both the destruction and new life close up. However, users should stay on marked trails at all times. Hazardous conditions still exist off the trails, where hanging trees and dead branches could fall at any time. Several large trees weakened by the wind fell several days after the initial storm.

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Trail Rangers patrol at Schmeeckle Reserve

People walking the trails of Schmeeckle Reserve this summer may have noticed some friendly faces greeting them. Trail Rangers were hired to help patrol the Reserve and ensure the safety of all visitors.

“The primary purpose of the Trail Ranger is to be an ‘ambassador’ of Schmeeckle Reserve. Rangers greet visitors, answer questions, provide information, and interpret the natural and cultural history of the area,” says Jim Buchholz, Assistant Director of the Reserve.

As part of their duties, Trail Rangers enforce the rules of Schmeeckle Reserve, established to protect visitors, preserve the sensitive natural area, and maintain research and educational use. The rangers work closely with Protective Services and the Stevens Point Police Department to monitor situations and take action if needed.

So far, the program has been very successful, resulting in over 500 contacts with visitors during the summer. In June, one individual was arrested by the Stevens Point Police Department for indecent exposure near Lake Joanis.

Trail Rangers work at varying hours throughout the week, including early morning and late night shifts. The rangers wear easily identifiable green Schmeeckle shirts and identification badges.

Amanda Schramm, Brett Johanen, and Matthew Schleis were hired as the first Schmeeckle Trail Rangers. The program is an internship coordinated through the Law Enforcement Discipline of the College of Natural Resources. Bob Holsman, CNR Professor of Wildlife, and Bill Rowe, Director of Protective Services, provide training for the rangers.

Rowe is very pleased with the new program and how it is progressing. “It truly is a win-win for all involved.”

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Schmeeckle Hosts News Channel 7 Broadcast

On June 6, 2005, Wausau's Channel 7 News (WSAW-TV) broadcasted live from Schmeeckle Reserve. This was part of a series called "Your Town Wisconsin," which featured different communities in the area.

To watch the video clip, choose from the list below:

The text from the news clip is included below:

Downtown Stevens Point is what a lot of us recognize. It's usually pretty busy on any given weekday, and of course, the university, with several thousand students taking classes there.

But just a few blocks from the streetlights, door-to-door homes and businesses, is 275 acres of mostly untamed wilderness.

Ron Zimmerman, Schmeeckle Reserve director, says, "You don't see mowed lawns out here. You don't see concrete and asphalt; it's pretty much all natural. Preservation is our number one priority out here."

And they've done a pretty good job of it. Ron Zimmerman's been the only director of the Reserve since it opened in the late 70s.

Under his management, the reserve has more than doubled in size and is now home to 33 species of animals, more than 220 species of birds, and lots and lots of trees.

There's also more than five miles of trails, including a piece that hooks up with the 26-mile Green Circle Trail that surrounds Stevens Point, and on one end of the reserve, a good sized, manmade lake.

With all of those outdoor options, Zimmerman says the reserve is a recreationalist’s paradise. Zimmerman says the reserve has three priorities. One is to provide free recreation for people in Stevens Point. Two is the conservation and preservation of a pristine wilderness area, and the third priority is to serve as a research and education center for the university, which Zimmerman says has the largest undergraduate program for natural resources in the country.

"We have lots of class use out here, everything from art classes to jogging classes to more scientific pursuits."

The reserve is not just for the university and it does benefit the whole community.

When a business tries to recruit employees to work for them, they need to tout what the area has to offer, try and sell the person on the city's quality of life, and Zimmerman says the nature reserve has been a very successful recruiting tool for Point's business leaders to use.

"I've got a lot of people who've told me one of the motivations they've had in accepting a job here in Stevens Point was the fact that they'd visited places like the Schmeeckle Reserve, or they've been in the Green Circle Trail."

The reserve has also helped out its fair share of nervous boyfriends; a countless number of proposals have taken place on the wooden swing, which is part of the reason why Zimmerman says he can easily sum up what this reserve means to the people of Point in just one word.

"Beloved. Many, many people have told me, both young and old, that this is one of their favorite places in Stevens Point."

If you'd like to experience the trail, Zimmerman says he's happy to have you. The Schmeeckle Reserve is open seven days a week and it doesn't cost anything to visit.

-Justin Ware

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Schmeeckle Implements a “Carry In-Carry Out” Policy for Trash

Students and faculty walking through Schmeeckle Reserve might notice something different this spring: no garbage cans. “We felt that the trash receptacles detracted from the natural character of the area,” said Ron Zimmerman, Director of Schmeeckle Reserve. “The trash cans aren’t compatible with our rustic theme; they are unattractive, and at times produce smells and attract wasps.”

Schmeeckle Reserve has implemented a “Carry In-Carry Out” Policy that has been very successful in the Wisconsin state park system. All garbage cans from the interior of the Reserve have been removed. Visitors are responsible for carrying out any garbage that they bring in.

The policy not only preserves the aesthetics of the natural area, but also reduces costs associated with garbage removal, an important measure with the current budget restraints. “Our employees can spend more time on other projects that benefit the Reserve, and the University has less garbage that needs to be shipped to a landfill,” says Jim Buchholz, Assistant Director of the Reserve.

Schmeeckle staff and UWSP Protective Services will be carefully monitoring the litter situation throughout the Reserve. Littering is an offense under UWS Chapter 18, and the citation is currently $181.00. In mid-April, an individual was fined for throwing garbage into the Reserve.

The staff of Schmeeckle Reserve has high hopes for the new policy and the associated benefits. “Visitors have always respected the Reserve as a natural area,” says Zimmerman. “We hope that people will follow the new Carry In-Carry Out policy to help keep our natural area clean.”

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