Yellow River State Forest IA Hike - Paint Creek Unit

Heading up the bluff

As we enter into Minnesota and Wisconsin's November gun deer hunting seasons, I look to nearby Iowa, whose gun season starts in early December, for some great hikes. 

November is a marvelous time to hit the trails on the bluffs of Yellow River State Forest in Harper's Ferry.  It's see-through season with great views of  the Mississippi River and bluffs of Iowa and Wisconsin. Rock formations are easily seen and green surprises can be found on the ground along the trails.

Paint Creek unit map

The Paint Creek Unit is the largest of the state forest's units at over 5000 acres. It features a couple of campgrounds and multiple hiking, backpacking, biking and horse trails. The trails in this unit sprawl over large parts of this unit.

Forester trail rocks

A great way to get a taste of these trails is to start at the Forest headquarters with the fun 2 mile Forester/White Pine loop that gives you a chance to enjoy a variety of features and some good elevation gains. There are a number of trails you can access from here to head to the firetower, overlooks, and backpacking sites that can add additional miles to your hikes.

Bulblet bladderfern

The Forester trail starts beyond the headquarters along a wide forested path near a small outhouse. Soon you come to a dry and rocky section of the trail that has evidence of former flooding. As you cross this section the path narrows and you begin to climb rather steeply for about a half mile gaining a quick 350 feet. While it sounds daunting, the rock faces and views of the forest you are leaving below, give you plenty of time to stop and appreciate the views along the narrower portions of the trail.

The wide White Pine trail

Once at the top, you will be on on old logging roads. You can hike into an area of backpacking sites called Camp Glen Wendel. Forester and White Pine trails intersect here.  They create a smaller loop where you can explore and find a small pond or rest on benches at backpacking sites before coming back to White Pine Trail which will complete your loop.  This wide grass and dirt trail slowly descends 350 feet over the final mile. Watch for a faint trail to your right that takes you across a dry creek bed back to your car. Your hike will be between 1.8 and 2.3 miles depending on how much you explore at the top. 

One caution. You'll want to make sure you don't follow Forester trail in the small loop all the way back down or you end up at a parking lot on B25 where you'll have to walk east on the road shoulder back to your car. Keep an eye out for a trail marker for White Pine that heads east and all will be well (see map above)!

A small pond at Camp Glen Wendel

THE HIKE

After a level start, a good aerobic half mile hike up 350 feet up a lovely forested bluffside reveals large rock formations, surprising small greenery (ferns, hepatica!!, false anemone) and a couple of large backpacking sites. The 1.8-2.3 mile hike is moderate in difficulty at the beginning, easy at the top and easy downhill on the slow mile-long descent.

Location

728 State Forest Road, Harper's Ferry IA  GPS: 43.8373983, -91.3015158

Additional posts describing Yellow River Forest trails:

• Paint Rock Unit
• Luster Heights Unit

Images, unless noted - Marge Loch-Wouters

Hepatica - what?!?!

Looking for more area hikes? Please stop by the web version of the blog and under the "Labels" tab on the right hand side of the blog, click on "find-a-hike". There are over 60 hike descriptions and lists of hikes to try!

I Spy on the Trails - October 2025

A common milkweed's delicate seeds

The hot temps of late September quickly moderated into a more seasonal string of 60F days before heating up to 70s the first half of the month. 

Then October decided to be a bit more seasonal in the second half of the month. We saw the daytime temps slowly drop down through the 50s and into the 40s before rallying at the end of the month to sunny 50s and 60s .

Significant wind accompanied the temperature drops. Those winds spread fluffy seeds of native wildflowers far and wide. They also contributed to massive songbird migrations south. The woods and prairies are so quiet now. A few rain fronts sweeping through kept things moist - including mushrooms popping up. 

A frosty fog morning for hikers
Image -Nola Larson

Frost finally came and nipped us overnight in the third full week of the month.  It jumped started one of the most dramatic patches of bluff color towering above the west end of the I-94 Wisconsin/Minnesota bridge. It's been a glorious week while driving into Minnesota. 

A bee’s frosty end
Image - Michael Ross

The annuals, plants, herbs and mushrooms along with insects including worker bees were dealt a cold frost blow in many places. It’s always a sad moment.

The milder days around the Mississippi River basin slowed down the leaves in their color change. The delay muted some of the colors to more russet tones. I expect we will still see some jewel-like colors but any rain or significant wind will soon be stripping the trees. Expect more leaf-showers during your hikes and drives!

I was happy to have enough improvement in my knee that I could tackle a few bluff hikes this month. Having a rest day between hikes seems to help. I volunteered for some seed collecting with The Prairie Enthusiasts this month. Seed heads are everywhere and it's great fun to actually be able to identify the seed stage of favorite forbs. It was a great month of learning their forms.

My Nature School guided hike was at Iowisota. Linda and Dennis Haugen, the owners of the education and retreat center, took us on a saunter around the lower valley of their bluff property and taught us to identify trees by their bark and shape. I still have alot to learn but these two forest service retirees were outstanding guides to help us really see the trees.

I hope you plan to continue your hiking as we go into the time change and the "see-through" season of bare trees that reveal rock formations and wider viewsheds. And remember, crisp weather means no bugs and less sweat on those bluff trails!  See you there!

Plant Observations

Flowering/mature plants:

• alyssum, hoary

  

  Aromatic aster

  
  
• aster, aromatic
• aster, blue-wood
• aster, calico
• aster, hairy
• aster, New England
• aster, shotrts
• aster, skyblue
• aster, smooth blue
• aster, white arrowleaf
• chickweed, water
• compass plant
• evening primrose, common
• everlasting, sweet
• fern, bladderwort brittle
• fern, bladderwort, bulblet
• fern, cinnamon
• fern, interrupted 
• fern, lady
• fern, northern maidenhair
• fern, rockcap
• fern, spinulose wood

  

  Rockcap fern

• fleabane, daisy
• goldenrod, elmleaf
• goldenrod, giant
• goldenrod, gray
• goldenrod, showy
• goldenrod, wrinkle leaf
• goldenrod, zigzag
• partridgeberry
• partridge pea
• spiderwort
• sweetfern
• sunflower, false
• yarrow

Sprouts/past bloom:

• anemone, false rueartichoke, Jerusalem
• asters (by end of month)
• blazing star, Ontario
• blazing star, rough
• boneset, false
• boneset, tall
• bushclover, roundhead
• clover, purple prairie
• clover, white prairie
• coreopsis, prairie
• goldenrods (by end of month)
• hepatica, sharplobed
• hyssop, yellow giant
• indian tobacco
• milkweed, common
• milkweed, whorled
• snakeroot, white
• sunflower, wood
• thimbleweed, tall
• verbena, hoary
• virgin’s bower

Fruited:

• barberry
• rose, prairie
• wintergreen

  

  Prairie grasses

Grasses/sedges:

• grass, bluestem, big
• grass, bluestem, little 
• grass, Canadian wildrye 
• grass, prairie dropseed
• grass, side-oats grama
• indiangrass, yellow
• switchgrass

Fungi/moss/lichen:

• fungus, dog's nose
• fungus, jelly tree ear
• fungus, snow
• ghost pipe
• moss, shining club plus MANY others
• mushroom, artist’s conk
• mushroom, bitter oysterling (styptic panus)
• mushroom, deer

  

  Fly agaric mushroom

  
  
• mushroom, dryad’s saddle
• mushroom, fly agaric
• mushroom, golden oyster
• mushroom, honey 
• mushroom, lung oyster
• mushroom, nitrous bonnet
• mushroom, puffball
• mushroom, resinous polypore
• mushroom, scarlet elfen cup
• mushroom, taeny grisette
• mushroom, turkey tail

Wildlife Observations (seen, heard, detected)
Birds:

• blackbird, red-winged
• blue jay
• bluebird, eastern
• chickadee, black-capped
• crow, American
• eagle, American
• goldfinch, American
• grackle, common
• indigo bunting
• junco, dark-eyed
• kinglet, gold-crowned
• nuthatch, red-breasted
• nuthatch, white-breasted
• pelican, American
• robin, American
• sparrow, clay-colored
• sparrow, chipping
• sparrow, savannah
• sparrow, white-throated
• warbler, yellow-rumped
• woodpecker, red-bellied
• wren, sedge

Waterfowl:

• crane, sandhill
• pelican, American
• swan, trumpeter

Reptiles/Amphibians:

• frog, northern leopard

Mammals

• deer

Insects/arachnids:

Katydid at Iowisota

• bumblebee, black and yellow
• bumblebee, common eastern
• butterfly, clouded sulfur
• Butterfly, eastern comma
• butterfly, orange sulfur
• butterfly, pearl crescent
• caterpillar, wooly
• dragonfly, autumn meadowhawk
• Fly, marginalized calligraphy
• katydid

What are YOU seeing on your hikes?

A month of hikes
Hikes below in colored, bold type or underlined have links to previous posts OR descriptions/location of the trails found online.

Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge Visitor's Center, Brice Prairie, WI; Holland Sand Prairie, Holmen WI (2); Necedah National Wildlife Refuge Visitor's Center, Necedah, WI; Lower Hixon Forest Trails, La Crosse WI; Upper Hixon Forest, La Crosse WI, Reno Spillway, Reno MN; Iowisota Retreat and Education Center, Lansing IA; Bluffside Park, Winona MN; Levis Trow Mounds, Black River Falls, WI (2), Yellow River State Forest, Harper’s Ferry IA

Welcome to MN at the west end of I 90 bridge

The "I Spy on the Trails" column is a phenology (the study of seasonal changes in plants and animals) journal to chronicle year-round the weather, plant life and wildlife I observe while hiking. It is very useful in helping me compare observations from year-to-year. The column is published monthly from September through April and then twice-a-month from May through August when warm weather brings the natural world back to vibrant life.

Getting up close and personal with moss
Image - Nola Larson

Images, unless noted - Marge Loch-Wouters

Update on the Iowa/Wisconsin Bridge Project at Lansing

Image - IA DOT

Larry Quamme of the Friends of Pool 9 recently shared an updated slidedeck presented on October 21, 2025 by Daniel Yeh of the IA DOT to the Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission. 

Larry writes: "This is helpful in answering questions and providing information regarding the now closed Blackhawk Bridge."

Please click here to access these short 9 slides packed with information on the bridge project, bridge closure, demolition, alternative routes, car ferry information and helpful weblinks to stay updated.

Larry also shared the link to the live webcam at the bridge construction/demo site.

Let's Get Hiking and Learning - November 2025

For more information on the trips, where available, please click on the brown event titles for a link to the program or hike. 

I will be updating this post throughout the month as new events are announced - usually an additional 2-3 as the month goes on - so feel free to stop back for updated info.

.

Sunday, November 2 - Registration opens for December  6 Owl Prowl 

December 6 Owl Prowl - 

 - International Owl Center, Houston MN

We start with a 30-minute program indoors to teach you how to identify owls by sound and the ethics of calling owls. Then you hop in your vehicle and follow the Owlmobile to about three different locations in rural Houston where Jo, our resident expert owl caller, will imitate owl calls in hopes of getting some responses. The program is capped at 30 participants, and these always sell out in advance. Cost is $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Due to the need to stand perfectly still for 10 minutes or more at a time, these owl prowls are not recommended for children under age 12. No pets, smoking or vaping allowed either indoors or outdoors . Sponsor: International Owl Center  

The Natural History of Prairies and The Prairie Enthusiasts
 - Wednesday, November 5         7:00 pm
 - Sobieski Park Lodge, 965 7th St, Winona, MN 

The Winona Bird Club will host “The Natural History of Prairies and The Prairie Enthusiasts”, a presentation by Steve Winter, on Wednesday, November 5, 7 PM at Sobieski Park Lodge in Winona. Steve will discuss the natural history of prairies, the conservation challenges they face, and how The Prairie Enthusiasts advocate for them. The Prairie Enthusiasts (TPE) is a regional land trust that protects, restores, and manages prairies, savannas, and other fire-dependent ecosystems in the Upper Midwest. Steve’s activities for the Minnesota Driftless Chapter of TPE have included previous service on the TPE Board of Directors and the Minnesota Driftless TPE Board of Directors. He also helps to coordinate and publicize TPE events and he teaches TPE prescribed burn crew member courses. Sponsors: Winona Bird Club, Minnesota Driftless Chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts

Birds of Southern WI and the Impact on Development

 - Thursday November 6               7-8:00pm

 - online Zoom presentation

We are delighted to have Dr. Anna Pidgeon join us for a Zoom conversation on November 6th at 7pm about the birds of southern Wisconsin as we discuss the gains, losses, and opportunities in the face of development. A Beers-Bascom Professor in Conversation, Dr. Pidgeon will discuss several facets of development and how it shapes bird populations, illustrated with evocative images. While it's true there are almost 3 billion fewer birds now than 50 years ago in North America, it is also true that many bird species have experienced major population rebounds since the first half of the 20th century. The effects of development are many and varied. As understanding of bird ecology and perceptions continues to advance, we have gained insights into ways to soften and mitigate the negative effects of development on birds. Register to receive the Zoom link. We look forward to a lively discussion with time for questions at the end. Sponsor: Mississippi Valley Conservancy

Guided Migration Viewing at Brownsville Overlook

 - Saturday, Nov 8         10:00 am-2:00 pm

 - Brownsville (MN) Overlook

Come enjoy the fall migration! As the seasons turn colder, thousands of swans, ducks and other water birds move through the Upper Mississippi River National Fish & Wildlife Refuge, finding a place to rest, relax and refuel before moving further south for the winter. Members of Friends of the Upper Mississippi will be at the Brownsville Overlook to help visitors identify birds and share information on migration. The Brownsville Overlook is located about three miles south of Brownsville, Minnesota along Minnesota Highway 26. We recommend wearing lots of warm layers! Though peak migration is difficult to predict, the best time to see the tundra swan migration is usually the second or third week in November. The swans will typically stay until the water freezes over – if temperatures stay below freezing at night, the peak of migration will be earlier in November. Warmer weather extends their stay.  Sponsor: Friends of the Upper Mississippi 

Image courtesy of Frontenac State Park Association

Sand Point Bird Walk

 - Saturday, November 8           10:00 am-noon

 - Frontenac (MN) State Park, 29223 County 28 Blvd, Frontenac, MN

Walk through the riparian forest and along the beach to Sand Point for late fall migration. We will look for various waterfowl, including large flocks of Common Mergansers and Common Goldeneyes as well as bushels Bald Eagles. Bring binoculars. The trail is well maintained and flat. The full loop is approximately 2 miles long, but you can head back whenever you need to. No need to register. If you have any questions, email janetmalotky@gmail.com. Sponsors: Frontenac State Park and Frontenac State Park Association.

Crisp Morning Meander

 - Saturday November 8      11:00 am - 12:30pm

 - Whitewater (MN) State Park, 3 miles south of Elba on State Hwy. 74

State Parks offer a safe place to stretch your legs during the busy November deer season. During this program we will be taking a short hike up to Eagle Point. Along the way we will learn about the unique history, geology, and ecology that can be discovered by visiting this lesser-known park gem. Distance -1 Mile, Elevation Gain: 200 ft. To register and for more details, please call 507-312-2301. Sponsor: Whitewater State Park

Gems of the Night Sky

 - Wednesday, November 12             10:00am-noon

 - Whitewater (MN) State Park Visitor Center, 3 miles south of Elba on State Hwy. 74

Join us for our monthly H.O.P. into the Park program (Healthy Older People). The dark night sky that we experience in many of our state parks is a natural resource that is rapidly disappearing as cities and artificial lighting expand. Under a dark sky away from city lights, we can see stars, planets, nebulae, galaxies, and other objects, some without assistance and others that require binoculars or a telescope. In this talk Jay McLaren (Rochester Astronomy Club), will teach us the various types of objects in the night sky that fascinate amateur astronomers and casual observers alike. For more information, please call 507-312-230. Sponsors: Friends of Whitewater State Park and Whitewater State Park

Juniper Property Hike - Winter Blufflands Hiking Series

 - Saturday, November 15           9:00am

 - 3503 Crown Blvd, La Crosse WI

Over the course of this 6 month series, hikers will go through the entire La Crosse Blufflands, starting on the south side and moving north. The Juniper property trail is moderate to easy with some uphills. The plan is to hike out and back for approximately 2.5 miles total. Meet at the Crown Blvd trailhead. Note: there is no parking lot. Side of the road parking is narrow. Check out the group's Facebook page events for additional hikes coming up. Sponsor: Blufflands Hiking Group

Ducks and Donuts: Waterfowl ID 101

 - Saturday, November 15      10:00am-noon

 - Dash Center, Sunset Room, 515 Quincy Street, Onalaska WI

Are you planning on taking in the spectacle of fall waterfowl migration on the Upper Mississippi River? Do you need help identifying all of those wonderful birds? Join FOR78 on Saturday, Nov. 15th, 10am - 12pm, for coffee and donuts and enjoy an informal presentation on the species of waterfowl that might be encountered along with tips and tricks for ID and viewing locations. This FREE program is suitable for all ages. Young children must be accompanied by an adult. Please RSVP so we can plan our refreshments. Sponsor: Friends of the Refuge - Mississippi River Pools 7 & 8

Migration Field Day Hike and Observations

 - Saturday, November 15           10:00 am - 3:00 pm

 - Meet at southern end of Red Oak Rd opposite Mohn's Fish Market (1140 Great River Road) Harper's Ferry, IA

Allamakee County Conservation is thrilled to invite you to our Fall Migration Field Day! The day will include a guided hike out onto the spillway at 10:00 am in Harpers Ferry to view migrating waterfowl in the main channel, and maps and directions to local birding hot spots that can be picked up at the Driftless Center. The hike will leave from the spillway parking area at the southern end of Red Oak Rd. across the highway from Mohn’s Fish Market at 10 am. Preregistration is not required. Following the hike, naturalist Erin Cubbon will be out on Red Oak Road in between Harpers Ferry and Lansing with binoculars and spotting scopes ready to talk birds with visitors until 3:00 p.m. Self-guided field trips are available any time during the weekend. Maps and directions to each site will be available from 8a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday the week prior to the Fall Migration Field Day at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center. Sponsor: Allamakee County Conservation Board

Picturing Whitewater's Past

 - Saturday, November 15        11:00 am-Noon

 - Whitewater (MN) State Park Visitor Center, 3 miles south of Elba on State Hwy. 74

Whitewater has been around for over a hundred years. During the program we will use pictures from the parks past to help visitors learn the Whitewater State Park story. Contact Jeremy Darst at 507-312-2301 or by email at Jeremy.Darst@state.mn.us. Sponsor: Whitewater State Park

Beavers in the Valley

 - Saturday, November 15                3:30-4:30 pm

 - Whitewater (MN) State Park, South Picnic Area

Come learn all about nature's architects. We will learn about the adaptations that allow these amazing mammals to thrive in the Whitewater Valley. During the program we will also take a short walk and look at the construction project currently underway. Contact Jeremy Darst at 507-312-2301 or by email at Jeremy.Darst@state.mn.us. Sponsor: Whitewater State Park

November Gear Swap

  -Sunday, November 16             10:00 am - 2:00 pm

 - Curiosi-Tea House, 901 W. 5th St, Winona MN

Adventure lovers! Don’t let bad weather or lack of appropriate gear stop you from getting outside this year! This fall, we're partnering with Janky Gear out of Rochester, Minnesota for our bi-annual Gear Swap! If you have gently used gear and clothing that you would like to sell or donate, you can bring it to us on the day of the event OR bring your items directly to Janky Gear anytime prior to the day of the event. By participating in a gear swap, you can give your unused gear a second life and ensure that it will be used and appreciated by someone else. Any contributions are greatly appreciated! Sponsors: Winona Outdoor Collaborative and Janky Gear

Afterschool with the Driftless Children's Program

 - Tuesday, November 18                 3:30-4:15pm

 - Meehan Memorial Lansing (IA) Library

Naturalist Erin Cubbon from Allamakee County Conservation Board will be here one Tuesday a month for seasonal and interactive environmental education program. No registration required, all children under 10 with a caregiver please. Sponsor: Meehan Memorial Lansing (IA) Library

 Happy Dancing Turtles Presents: Astronomy

- Thursday, November 20       4:00 pm

 - La Crescent Community Building, 336 S. 1st St, La Crescent MN

The final event in our youth series with Happy Dancing Turtle features astronomy.  As our nights grow longer, it's the perfect time to observe the night sky. Join HDT for a journey through our solar system & beyond! Discover fascinating facts about the planets & learn to ID some of the constellations. Participants will make their own starfinders to use on the night sky! Sponsor: La Crescent Public Library

Haas Property - Winter Blufflands Hiking Series

 - Saturday, November 22           Time to be announced

 -Easter Road  La Crosse WI

Over the course of this 6 month series, hikers will go through the entire La Crosse Blufflands, starting on the south side and moving north. FOr details, please check out the group's Facebook page events for details as well as additional hikes coming up. Sponsor: Blufflands Hiking Group

Free Day at Minnesota State Parks

 - Friday, November 28               all day

Minnesota state parks are open year-round, and there's a state park within 30 miles of most Minnesotans. Now in its 11th year, eith a free day in each season, it's a great opportunity to get out there and explore someplace new - or visit an old favorite at a new time of year! Whether you stay for the whole weekend or just spend a few hours outside, you'll make memories that will last a lifetime. The entrance fee waiver for fee-free days does not cover amenity or user fees for activities like camping, rentals, or special tours. The goal is to encourage families and friends to spend time together in nature. Research shows many health and wellness benefits to spending time in nature. According to ParkRx, contact with nature improves one’s physical, mental, and spiritual health. Getting outdoors makes exercise more fun and can boost mood and immunity. The American Psychological Association shares that exposure to nature is linked to benefits including improved attention, lower stress, reduced risk of psychiatric disorders and even increases in empathy and cooperation. Sponsor: MN DNR

Gratitude/Forest Bathing Walk

 - Friday, November 28               10:00 am -Noon

 - Frontenac (MN) State Park
Gratitude/forest bathing walk with interpretive naturalist Sara Holger, director of Project Get Outdoors. Meet at the park’s main picnic shelter. Sponsor: Frontenac State Park Association and Project Get Outdoors.

Do you know of other November hiking/learning events I should include?  Just drop me a line in comments or the contact box on my web version of the blog.

Images, unless noted - Marge Loch-Wouters

In Conversation with the Prairie

May's prairie smoke

This year in early March, I stopped at Holland Sand Prairie to check if any pasque flowers were blooming. When I arrived at the trailhead, I saw a large portion of the prairie was  blackened by a prescribed burn (part of scheduled restoration and prairie maintenance work). I decided, then and there, to see what I could learn by returning weekly and noting the changes as the prairie regenerated.

During thirty visits from March to October, I observed the burned areas recover.  At the beginning, I saw the black, burned surface displaying subtle hints of greenness. That was followed in April by a fuzzier green and a few true sprouts - many too tiny for me to identify. From there, the prairie forbs quickly grew as the months passed and the weather warmed. Each week, I'd take a few pictures from the same vantage point to get a view to use as weekly/monthly/seasonal comparisons. 

Butterfly milkweed

And somewhere in that time, as the weeks rolled on, I realized that there was a conversation that I was having during each amble along the prairie. The plants revealed themselves to me as they grew and bloomed. As I noted what was bloomed, not-yet-bloomed, past its main blooming time and finally going to seed in my phenology journal, I reflected on the complex web of succession blooms and how the prairie colors changed throughout the seasons.

Deptford pink

I was delighted to discover new-to-me forbs and grasses, looking them up for more information and noting the length of their blooming season. When you're new to deeper observation, the learning comes on fast and furious. Yet it was still slow enough to help me begin to easily recognize so many flowers, grasses and plants. It was like greeting old friends from week to week.

Bluebirds checking out
accommodations

It wasn't just the plants that spoke to me as they grew though. Part of the conversation involved the rich web of life supported by the prairie.

The birds returned and began their mating calls and nesting in mid-April. Their songs accompanied my walks in late spring and throughout the summer. When the songs began to fade with the first migrations in September, it left a lull in the conversation that I missed.

Common eastern bumblebee

The insect life was invigorating, to say the least. From the dragon and damselflies to butterflies, bees and beetles, I found a new urge to know and identify them. That was an unexpected learning bonus in my prairie conversations.

So began a new line of discussion with the prairie's insect life added to my understanding - and homework - as I slowly added to species that I could reliably identify. I began to identify and note more precisely the favored blooms that insects gathered pollen and nectar from. When the more inscrutable (to me)* crickets, grasshoppers, and and other orthoptera began to rule the day in late summer and early fall, my conversations were again full of chatter. 

Milkweed seeds

Recent opportunities with The Prairie Enthusiasts to help collect seed there have extended my conversation with this beautiful dry sand prairie gem. But I know that cold and winter are soon coming on and our conversation will pause while we await the spring to talk and learn together once more.

During that pause, I'll have a chance to do a little studying and learning sparked by the observations and phenology notes I've made over the past eight months. 

I think that will give me fresh eyes and topics to bring back in spring when the prairie and I can meet again and celebrate next year's seasons together. 

I can hardly wait for the conversation to begin again.

Here are a few views of the prairie's regrowth after the prescribed burn:

April 12, 2025
The green fuzz has begun

May 30, 2025
So many hoary puccoons

June 28, 2025
Coneflowers and prairie coreopsis dominate to the west

August 3, 2025
Tall grasses in their glory

September 10, 2025
Goldenrods continue their strong showing

October 12, 2025
Grasses and plants gone to seed

Stop here to read a recent history of how this rare sand prairie was preserved and protected originally.

* Helping me learn more about these insects was a recent article titled Three Tiny Tenors in the fall 2025 issue of Inspire(d) Driftless magazine

Images, unless notes - Marge Loch-Wouters

Invite to Public Input Meetings on La Crosse Zoning Codes

This is an opportunity to provide input/feedback especially in light of how future zoning codes might affect natural areas in La Crosse WI

Your Voice Matters – October 29 Public Input Meetings!   We've heard from hundreds of community members, and the number continues to grow. Now it's time to see how your feedback shaped draft recommendations!   Join us for two open-house style Public Input Meetings on Wednesday, October 29, to review preliminary recommendations for the Zoning Code Update: 12–2:00 PM: Black River Beach Neighborhood Center (1433 Rose St, La Crosse) 5–7:00 PM: Southside Neighborhood Center (1300 6th St S, La Crosse) Need a ride?  Check out all the bus info here!   What to expect: Interactive boards showcasing draft recommendations Short presentation at the start of each meeting Project team on hand to answer questions Your chance to provide feedback before we begin drafting   Can't make it? A recording will be available after the meetings at www.forwardlacrosse.org, where you can also submit feedback and learn more about the zoning update.   Your input is essential to shaping a more vibrant, resilient, and livable La Crosse that reflects the needs and values of our community.   Warmest regards,   Forward La Crosse Team

Naturalist's Corner - Fungi Fun

A wreath of turkey tails around a stump

Wow! The late summer and early fall woods have been a wonderland of interesting fungi. While the flowers of the prairies and forests are fading, the mushrooms are still popping.

We often hunt for mushrooms for tasty eating. Who can resist a morel, chicken of the woods, chanterelle or lobster mushroom? But there is much to be said for simply delighting in and learning to identify the mycelium network's endless parade of interesting fungal fruit.  

Fruit? Yes, fruit.

Mushrooms and fungi are the fruiting bodies of the vast, intricate mycelium network that stretches underground, often for miles. Mushrooms use enzymes to break down organic material rather than photosynthesis. They are the great decomposers of the earth. The material that is broken down eventually becomes soil. We see that decomposition work in every branch or tree trunk covered in fungi that we pass along the trail. And, if we stay alert on the sides of the trails we hike, there are many delightful fungi to catch the eye.

Looking at the inside stem of
a chanterelle mushroom
on a guided hike

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend going on a guided hike or two with mushroom experts. They provide great tips on finding and identifying both edible and non-edible fungi. As someone new to mushroom identification, I found these learning experiences really helpful as my eyes got more attuned to fungi finding. Plus I'm lucky to have lots of hiking buddies who share my delight - and much sharper eyes than mine!

As a newbie, I often see a mushroom on the trails that I can't identify. I take photos from different angles and then head home to work on more accurately identifying the fungi. Apps like Picture Mushroom, Shroom ID, Shroomify can help to get a first general ID but can be pricey.  Seek can sometimes come in handy but often can only do a generalized identification.

So I start my real study with Teresa Marrone and Kathy Yerich's field guide, Mushrooms of the Upper Midwest. This guide is small enough to carry in a back pack but I am often hiking at pace and don't have the time to linger. At home, I can take my time to compare my photos and their descriptions to come up with an identification. 

Below are a few of my favorite fungi pictures from the last several months. I hope you keep your eye out for the next few weeks while you're leaf-peeping and see what you can find!

The common but always beautiful 
dryad's saddle or pheasant back mushroom

Jelly tree ear fungus

A herd of orange mycena mushrooms

Fluted elfin saddle mushroom

An intricate wrinkled peach mushroom

Very tiny purple fairy finger mushrooms

Not cheetos, but delicate golden club mushrooms

Chicken of the woods

Dog's nose fungus

Snow jelly fungus

An "old" old-man-of-the-woods

Scarlet waxy cap mushroom

Lung oyster mushroom

Indigo milkcap mushroom

Shaggy mane mushroom going to ink

Purple-gilled laccaria

See you on the trails!

Images - Marge Loch-Wouters