Welty habitat

Welty Environmental Center

Habitats & Wildlife at Beckman Mill Park

When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.
--John Muir, My First Summer in the Sierra

Habitats | Pond & Stream Life | Birds | Insects

Habitats
Within Beckman Mill Park is a broad array of habitats, including an oak savanna remnant, a stream, dam, and pond, woods, extensive wetlands, parkland, and scrub. These diverse habitats allow an impressive diversity of plants and animals which are enjoyed by visitors to the park.

-Oak savanna
Along the pond margins is a fringe of hardwood trees, mostly oaks and walnut. Part of this area is being restored as an oak savanna by replanting a prairie ground layer beneath their canopy. When European settlers came to Wisconsin, there were 5 million acres of oak savanna. Today there are about 500 acres.

-Prairie
A prairie planting in the sun on the east side of the Park attracts birds and butterflies.

-Wetlands, Meadows, and Woodland
The wild area at the north side of the Park is crossed by a small tributary to Raccoon Creek that is bordered by a small wetlands of high quality. Higher ground to the north is retired farm land that has changed by ecological succession to a young woodland and meadows. The woodland is dominated by trembling aspen and other hardwoods, mostly native species. Shrubs are a mix of native and introduced species, and herbaceous plants are mostly introduced but with sufficient natives mixed among them to make the area ecologically interesting.

Pond and Stream Life
The west fork of Raccoon Creek is a clear, relatively cold, high quality stream with high biodiversity. In the pond and stream are several species of fish, clams, snails, crayfish, and many species of aquatic insects from mayflies to giant water bugs and diving beetles. Turtles, frogs, and snakes are frequently found. Beavers and muskrats make their homes in the pond at times.

Birds
In spring and summer, the park is home to over 100 species of birds including Sandhill Cranes, Pied-billed Grebes, Great Horned Owls, Eastern Bluebirds, and numerous warblers. The Great Blue Heron, Swainson's Thrush, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, and Connecticut Warbler, all known from the park, are listed as species of special concern by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Natural Heritage Inventory. The Sandhill Crane, once nearly eliminated from the entire state, has bred in recent years in and around the park as it continues its remarkable comeback. See the list of birds at Beckman Mill Park.

Insects
The insects of Beckman Mill park are equally fascinating. Many visitors enjoy watching rapid-flying dragonflies foraging over the pond and stream for insect prey. Many different species and types of dragonflies and damselflies can be seen in the park, including darners, skimmers, meadowhawks, jewelwings, dancers, and bluets. Butterflies, moths, and beetles likewise are diverse and impress visitors with their colors and patterns.