We Walk at Horicon Marsh

This past Monday afternoon, Linda and I walked for three hours on a beautiful day in Horicon Marsh, a stunning area only forty minutes from my front door.

As the opening description on the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge's web page notes, this fresh-water marsh is notable for a number of reasons:

"At over 32,000 acres in size, Horicon Marsh is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United States. The marsh provides habitat for endangered species and is a critical rest stop for thousands of migrating ducks and Canada geese. It is recognized as a Wetland of International Importance, as both Globally and State Important Bird Areas and is also a unit of the Ice Age Scientific Reserve."

I will certainly add to the photographs from this special location over the summer, for we will return to bike, walk, and one of these times to rent a canoe and do a bit of touring and fishing, especially as the daily rental fee is very reasonable.

Oh, and the bird watching and wild-flower gazing kept us busy and made us equally pleased, even if we forgot to put on some insect repellent.

I like the area as well because in addition to marsh, it supports woodlands and prairie, offering considerable diversity--and necessary shade from the sun now and again.

In addition to adding to my photography collection from Horicon Marsh as the summer progresses, I plan to increase the number of places in the state we visit, keyed by my wife's Christmas gift, All of This and Robins Too: A Guide to the 50 or so Best Places to Find Birds in Wisconsin by Steve Betchkal, an excellent guide that will get you out to see some excellent Wisconsin terrain.

Next, I look forward to visiting "White River State Wildlife Area," which is located not far from my home here in Ripon, Wisconsin.