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Start of fall colors 2023

Fall Color Report Sept 21 – 28, 2023

A little color, mostly green. Yep, it's going to be a quick report this week! The first place we see colors changing with Devil's Lake State Park each year is around roads and parking lots. These trees not only get…

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Fall Color 2023, East Bluff Trail

Fall Color Report #1 – 2023

It's that time of year again! Going forward into October we will be sharing our fall color observations for Devil's Lake State Park & the Baraboo Hills each Thursday as we've been doing for many years now. While the Wisconsin…

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chicory

That Little Blue Flower

What is that blue flower lining some of the roads around Devil's Lake State Park right now? It's chicory! Chicory is native to Eurasia and was brought to America by settlers in the 1700s, originally for medicinal purposes. During the…

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Tracking Bats with an iPad

A Little Good News for the Bats

Back when I worked at Devil’s Lake State Park in the early ‘90s, naturalist Ken Lange (the park’s first naturalist) would tell us that the north shore bat colony was over 1,000 strong. By 2010, that often-quoted number had dropped…

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Smoky Haze

Air Quality Alert

Now through Thursday, June 29th, our area is under an air quality alert which will impact everyone including those in good health. Keep this in mind before hiking, biking, or putting in any outdoor exertion over the next couple of…

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Spongy Moth Spray 2023

Spongy Moth Spraying, Thursday, May 18th

Tomorrow, Thursday, May 18th, an airplane is scheduled to spray parts of Devil's Lake State Park with the bacterial insecticide "Foray" to control Spongy Moth caterpillars that threaten to defoliate and kill valuable trees in public use areas such as picnic…

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Blue Green Algae Sign on Devil's Lake's North Shore

Caution, Blue-Green Algae

Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, has been reported in Devil's Lake and can pose risks to people and pets. Of course, it's not always easy to spot and just this morning I spoke with a park visitor with their…

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Lake Flies

Lake Flies or Rain?

As the weather starts to warm up in Wisconsin, visitors to Devil's Lake State Park always have about 2 weeks to share the shoreline with an unwelcome addition to their outdoor experience - the dreaded lake flies. These small, harmless…

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Wood along south shore road, april 16, 2023

What’s Up With All The Downed Trees?

As we hike and drive through the forests of Devil’s Lake State Park, we’re surrounded by the majesty of towering trees, many of which are now struggling to survive. In many locations, we're also surrounded by dead wood piled up…

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Prescribed Burn, Merrimac Preserve 2023

Prescribed Burn, Merrimac Preserve

Yesterday evening, a prescribed burn was conducted on the Merrimac Preserve which is located just east of Roznos Meadow on the southeast corner of Devil's Lake State Park. Smoke from the fire was visible from Devil's Lake and the city…

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