Early spring wildflower walk yields many discoveries on the Chequamegon-Nicolet

By Cathy Fox on May 5, 2009

Walk serves as educational tool on the native flora and non-native invasive species

(Contributed by Leesha Howard-McCauley, SCEP - Botany, Medford-Park Falls Ranger District, 715-748-4875)

Fighting wind gusts up to 41 mph, blowing snow, and temperatures as low as thirty-six degrees; eight die-hard nature lovers joined the Medford Master Gardeners and Forest Service staff of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest for the 2009 Wildflower Walk. The group met at Jerry Lake in Medford, WI on Saturday, May 16 at 10:00 am to see the spring ephemerals. On display were ground cover plants like Virginia Waterleaf, Foamflower, native Violets, Spring Beauties, Hepatica, Trilliums, Blue Cohosh, Wintergreen, and Wood Anemone. Four ferns, which included Ostrich Fern; Lady Fern; Interrupted Fern, and Sensitive Fern, were seen. There was also Gooseberry shrubs, Dewberry bushes, White Meadowsweet, Wild Sarsaparilla, and a few sightings of Jack in the Pulpit. The strong winds and cold temperatures were a useful deterrent of black fly and tick attacks, as participants asked the identification and possible uses of individual species. The Master Gardeners Wildflower Walks are planned every year at a different site to educate the public on the native flora as well as the management and prevention of non-native species.

Jerry Lake Trail is part of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, and is situated within the margins of the Perkinstown End Moraine. Over 10,000 years ago, Wisconsin was sculpted from glacial mountains of ice leaving in their path large deposits of gravel that now make up the landscape of the fourteen trails. The lake itself is surrounded by tag alder swamp, that contribute organic material in the form of humic and folic acid. Jerry Lake is a soft-water, drainage lake located at the headwaters of the South Fork Yellow River. It has a maximum depth of about 33 ft, with a surface acreage of 10.2.

About the Ice Age National Scenic Trail

A mere 15,000 years ago during the Ice Age, much of North America lay under a huge glacier. Mammoths, saber tooth cats and cave lions roamed the earth! Some of the best evidence of this glacier is found in Wisconsin such as the state's many lakes, river valleys, gently rolling hills, and ridges. The nearly 1,200 mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail, established in 1980, traces the glacier's edge.

There are hundreds of trailheads and access points located along the 1,200 mile route of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Some of these are located near established communities, state and local parks with facilities. Access points are generally located every few miles, however, in remote areas they can be more than 10 miles apart.

The Ice Age NST traverses 1,200 miles throughout Wisconsin. The climate varies considerably across the state with an average annual temperature of 39 F in the north to about 50 F in the south. The average dates of the first snowfall vary from early November in the north to early December in southern Wisconsin counties.

For more information, visit the Ice Age Trail website: http://www.nps.gov/iatr/