Let's hear it for the states that are wet and flat! They may not have a lot of mountains to climb, but their diversity of plant, animal and bird life far exceeds any collection of wind-blown mountain tops.

Great egret, wing down for preening. Photograph courtesty of the Refuge Reporter.

Wisconsin is one of those states, a land of gentle hills and plains rather than towering mountains. Water defines Wisconsin: Lake Michigan bounds its eastern edge, the Mississippi River fixes the southwestern edge, and Lake Superior caps the north. In between there is a heady wealth of rivers, lakes, and marshes suffusing the state's prairies and lush forests. This is the sort of landscape that adapts readily to farmland. Bye, bye wildlands. The southern half of Wisconsin is more densely populated than the north, which even has two sizeable national forests  Chequamegon and Nicolet.

All is not lost in the south, however. Wisconsin is known for the quantity and quality of its state, county and city parks. Madison and Milwaukee have more parkland per capita than almost any other U.S. city. And six National Wildlife Refuges in the state's southern half preserve significant vestiges of Wisconsin's natural habitats  and the creatures that need them.

Trempealeau lies in the Mississippi River floodplain, and preserves sand prairie, backwater marsh, and hardwood fores habitats. At least 60 mammal species, 250 species of birds, 30 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 25 fishes have been spotted within the refuge's boundaries. In October, as many as 8,000 cormorants and 2,000 pelicans pass through the refuge. And a newly installed water control system will expand the stretch of its wetlands, inviting madcap parties of shorebirds.

Necedah preserves a crucial piece of the rare oak barren ecosystem. Oak barrens are the choice environments of 100 species of nesting birds and rare species that include the massasauga rattlesnake, phlox moth, Blandings turtle and the exquisite Karner blue butterfly.

Canadian geese feeding by the water. Photograph courtesty of the Refuge Reporter.

Horicon is truly a superstar wetlands. In 1990, it was designated as a"Wetland of International Importance," a distinction accorded to only 15 other sites in the U.S. out of 775 such sites worldwide. Some facts: It is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the U.S. A whopping (for the north country) 266 species of birds have been recorded at the refuge. And during the fall migration, over 200,000 Canadian geese pass through the refuge.

Horicon also administers 3 smaller national wildlife refuges. Fox River NWR is 923 acres of wetland and upland that protects an important breeding and staging area for greater sandhill cranes. It was acquired in 1978 as part of a court settlement against the owner for wetland violations and is located 60 miles west of Horicon NWR. Gravel Island NWR and Green Bay NWR in Lake Michigan are two of the oldest, having been established in 1912 and 1913, respectively, as island preserves and breeding grounds for birds. Gravel Island NWR consists of a single 4 acre island and Green Bay NWR is comprised of 23 acre Spider Island and 2 acre Hog Island. Colonial nesters on the islands include herring gulls, ring-billed gulls, double crested cormorants, great blue herons, and black-crowned night herons. The islands are designated wilderness areas and offer no public accommodations.

Move on to Horicon

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