Inside This Issue

• Message from the Executive Director
  
  
• Devil's River – A Sense of Place
  
  
• Call for Champions of Conservation
  
  
• Program Reports:
  
  
  • Friends of Hika Bay
    
    
  • Water’s Edge Artists Grow and Expand
    
    
  • Ledge Tours Visits Brown County
    

A Message from the Executive Director

LNRP is excited to launch a newsletter feature - a series of "place" based stories that tie into our long-term investment in stewardship.  Each story will look at various views of a watershed or river or ledge site... aerial views, close up photography, artist renditions all tied with a historical and cultural perspective.  The stories elaborate on the threats and opportunities for each place, link to our paint-outs or ledge tours each season, and attempt to capture the reasons to extend a stewardship ethic.

I’d like to share a favorite Gary Snyder quote of mine that is a source of inspiration for LNRP’s membership and programming mission of cultivating a stewardship ethic in the place we call the lakeshore:

"Of all the memberships we identify ourselves by the one thing that is most forgotten, and that has the greatest potential for healing, is place. We must learn to know, love, and join our place even more than we love our own ideas. People who can agree that they share a commitment to the landscape/cityscape - even if they are otherwise locked in struggle with each other - have at least one deep thing to share."

LNRP’s mission is to cultivate environmental stewardship in the lakeshore region.  We accomplish this underlying goal by fostering partnerships, providing funding, promoting a forum for discussion and dialogue, and supporting activities advocating a balance between natural resource management, conservation and protection.

We look forward to sharing our sense of place through the stories that will appear in our newsletter.  However, these will only be excerpts from a larger collection of notes, photos, and paintings.  The full portfolio can be found on our website at www.lnrp.org/sense-of-place.php.  The portfolio is a collective effort of LNRP volunteers, board members, and staff currently led by Catherine Egger.  Our first featured place is the Devil’s River in Manitowoc County.

It's an honor to serve you,

Jim Kettler, Executive Director

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Devil's River – A Sense of Place
By Catherine Egger

After flowing gently through Wisconsin farmland, the water droplets in Devil's River will begin to dance with one another on terraced limestone rocks, cascading over subtle waterfalls and catching the sunlight streaming through the surrounding cedars, creating a sudden magical beauty.  Many have come to the bank of this river to quietly watch these gently swirling waterfalls, finding them a source of energy and rejuvenation.

The dramatic rock formations shaping the waterfalls at Devil's River are the west-end dolostone outcroppings of the Niagara escarpment. Part of the West Twin River watershed, the river runs 12 miles through Brown and Manitowoc counties, flowing first into the Neshotah River and joining the West Twin River before heading into Lake Michigan.

The name 'Devil's River' conjures up images of rapid waters creating perilous crossing, with some historic truth.  Between 1829 and 1831, while stationed at Fort Winnebago, Second Lieutenant Jefferson Davis reportedly nearly drowned before a companion saved him. Also, during the Black Hawk War in 1840, when the river was a defense boundary for American Forces, Col. Zachary Taylor allegedly was swept off his horse by the rushing waters, rescued by fellow soldiers.

While reason enough to give the river its ominous name, the misnomer resulted from white settlers misinterpreting the Ojibwa name for the river, Ma-na-to-kik-e-we-se-be, or ‘Stooping Spirit River’. Its root, ‘Ma-na-to’ (Manitou), was often mistranslated as 'devil’.

In 1847, New York millwright and spectator, Pliney Pierce, built the Rock Mill adjacent to the rapids of Devil's River into a hill where the Devil's River has one of its greatest drops.  Long stone channels were constructed to divert the water from the river, over the mill's wheel, and back to the river again, several hundred yards away. Initially constructed as a sawmill, it was converted to a gristmill as land was cleared for farming.  Serving mostly local German, Czech and Irish immigrants, the Rock Mill ground as many as 118 bags of grain a day, producing wheat, rye and graham flour, and animal feed and functioned as the center of social life in the area during its almost 90 years of operation, closing its doors in 1934.  One of the oldest structures in Brown County, the mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

In the late 1950's, Robert (Bob) and Doris Lyman moved from Chicago to Francis Creek, and purchased a 130+ acre dairy farm.  Farming as a child during the depression, Bob’s love of the land called him back.  The couple would drive up the road with their four children to a wayside next to Devil's River.  They strolled in one day when the property gate was open and, upon seeing the gentle rapids with its dancing water shimmering off the sun, Doris declared, "My God, imagine someone owning a place like this."

When Bob’s growing herd required more acreage for hay in the ‘60s, they purchased 80 acres surrounding the falls of Devil's River, inheriting the Rock Mill. They also purchased the wayside from the county.

A few years later, Bob wondered, “Wouldn't others also enjoy the relaxation and rejuvenation that come from camping along the scenic waterfalls?” and drew out a 152-site campground surrounding the mill, running up to high bluffs overlooking the river and back down again.  A labor of love for this land and the river - which has now spanned the past 40 years - had begun for their entire family. Initially, they decided to sell the dairy cows but kept the heifers as a back-up. "People thought I was crazy" recalls Bob.  One skeptical local banker asked him, "Who's going to come out there?"  After securing financing, they restored and repaired the mill and a crumbling foundation. They completely rebuilt the water wheel and restored the front of the building.  In 1976, the mill was opened for tours.

The Lymans moved three small log homes from various surrounding locales to a site along the river, combining them into one large building as their home and campground office.  The first winter, with a porta-potty as their privy, they toted two large cans back and forth from a water pump.  "It sounds very Swiss Family Robinson", says Bob Lyman Jr., who now runs the campgrounds, "but it was a hard winter."  Bob Sr. stresses how a complete family effort was required for the campgrounds to succeed.  "We couldn't have done it if the whole family wasn't involved."  The campgrounds have been a continued success over the years – some sites have been leased by the same family for over 30 years. Each summer, over 80 seasonal sites provide a base to allow campers to enjoy its beauty. The campground has about 125 campsites for both seasonal and overnight camping.  Bob Jr. plans to keep the focus on the history and nature of the area.  In the past two years alone, he has planted over 100 large trees at a cost exceeding $12,000. The family expects to continue preserving and enjoying Devil's River and its surrounding land for years to come.  "It would be terrible if it wasn't in the family," says Bob Lyman Sr.

For internationally awarded artist, Bonnita Budysz her ever-deepening love affair with Devil's River started at age 15 when she began babysitting for the Lyman's children. She still walks the bank of Devil's River several times a week; one large rock serves as her resting spot to soak up energy and inspiration from her surroundings. Her oil painting 'Seeking the Source', pictured above, shows the vivid dance of water in dappled light as it pours over gentle rocks at the falls.  The painting captures the vision of the Water’s Edge Artists, the painters for preservation group she founded in 2006.

In Bonnita's words, "The powerful symbol of water as the essence of all life permeates our plein air paintings.  During the process of painting outdoors, one's physical senses are heightened to respond to the natural world; a deep emotional engagement involving both the moment and memory occurs; and our art spirit soars as the creative communiqué continues.  The resulting artworks are images that resonate with wonder and a unique sense of place and time.”

Very soon, the beauty of this special place will be open to even more people. The Devil's River State Recreation Trail is being built alongside the river to provide recreational hiking and river access, running from Rockwood Road to Denmark, and crossing two high train trestles, including a 56' high steel trestle bridge.  Eight of the 14 scenic miles of the multi-use recreation trail are complete. With funding now secured, the final six miles will be completed by the summer of 2012. The expansive view of the landscape and the winding river from this bridge will be breathtaking – just one more spot to draw inspiration from Devil's River's rich heritage and gentle beauty.

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Call for Champions of Conservation

Do you know of a deserving individual, organization or business who is helping to preserve, protect and clean up Northeastern Wisconsin’s land and water? If so, we invite you to help us reward and celebrate their work with our Champions of Conservation! Just click on the link above for information, a brochure, nomination form and a set of instructions. Fill out the application form and attach two letters that describe the accomplishments of your nominee.  Send the nomination materials to: Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership, PO Box 62, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235, by April 15th, 2012.

Now more than ever we need to recognize the people in our communities in Northeastern Wisconsin who have been working diligently to preserve, improve our area’s environment and educate and encourage their fellow citizens into action. These people help protect our region’s ground and surface waters, the soil and forests, and the unique features that make the landscape of the lakeshore region so special. Champions of Conservation categories include: Water Resource Protection, Environmental Education & Outreach, and Land Use Protection & Habitat Restoration.

Applications will be posted on the web on February 1 and the award program will occur in early June with a full announcement and all the details appearing in the Spring issue of The Source – due out in mid-April.

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Friends of  Hika Bay

Protecting and Restoring Calvin, Pine, Point, Fischer, and Centerville Watersheds

Much is happening along the Lake Michigan shoreline in the area of Hika Bay! Since establishing themselves in April and developing a mission statement, the Friends of Hika Bay have been working on a number of initiatives.  The group has been exploring a spectrum of plans to restore and rehabilitate the millpond, establish a recreational and environmental corridor along the lakeshore, and enhance Hika Park through a series of educational, recreational, and cultural facilities.

This autumn, the Centerville Creek Restoration Project took another step forward in going through the DNR approval process with a public hearing.  As soon as final approval is given, construction on restoring the creek can begin.

Meanwhile, Ethan Poling, an intern, sampled weekly at six sites on Centerville Creek and a site on Point and Fischer Creeks from June through August.  This is the second field season of sampling by a UW Manitowoc Intern.  Ethan’s data set consisted of a number of chemical and biological measures and is on our Hika Bay website at hika-bay.org.

Ethan presented his data to the public during an evening engagement on November 3 at UW Manitowoc.  The evening helped celebrate the partnership between UW-Manitowoc Division of Biological Sciences, the Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership and the Friends of Hika Bay.  Charles Clark, the newly appointed Dean, welcomed folks and expressed how important community partnerships are to the university.  Cindy Huhn, Cleveland Village President, provided an historical overview explaining how LNRP has been working with the Village Plan Commission to develop a framework for tying together a comprehensive approach to restoring the abandoned millpond and enhancing Hika Park.  John Kirsch, LNRP Board Member, then discussed invasive species removal in the park and presented an overall park design. 

The UW Faculty, Rick Hein and Rebecca Abler, finished the evening explaining how they are using their courses to establish community service while teaching research methods.  Water quality and stream analysis are conducted by three courses that have lab and field components.  A day on Point Creek was captured with a front page story by the Manitowoc Herald -Times Reporter.  Twenty-four students completed a set of macro-invertebrate sampling along with a number of bio-chemical measures.  The public forum on the results of the sampling engaged area residents and kept them informed.  

Plans for 2012 include a series of seminars, an expansion of the intern program, additional field days for the Biology and Environmental courses, expanding the sampling regime, and continued work on Centerville Creek and Hika Park restoration. You can track the progress of this exciting restoration and expansion at their website, www.hika-bay.org.

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Water’s Edge Artists Grow and Expand

The Water’s Edge Artists formed in 2006 to give artistic expression to LNRP’s focus on the waterways and landscapes of the Lake Michigan lakeshore region. This past year alone, participation and excitement have grown significantly as demonstrated by six new artists of the 11 featured in the 2012 Lakeshore Waterways Calendar. There were a record 51 submissions, from which 13 works were chosen.  Attendance has been up at bi-monthly meetings and monthly paint-outs. Recent meetings and events exemplify a new activism and volunteerism propelling the organization into 2012.

In the third quarter of 2011, WEA Officers and Chairpersons were installed as follows:  Jeffry Young, Vice President; Sherrill Anderson, Secretary; James Olson, LNRP Treasurer; with Bonnita Budysz, WEA Founder and Artistic Director, as Interim President.  Committee Chairpersons are:  Mary Anderson, Promotions and Presentation; Karen DeNoto, Paint-outs; Rob Wasmund, Exhibitions; Phyllis Verhyen and Sherrill Anderson, Membership.

With the annual 'Visions of Water' Exhibition and launch of the Lakeshore Waterways Calendar at the Rahr-West Art Museum, the Water’s Edge Artists normally plan and present one major, and several smaller exhibitions each year. In 2011, they featured two major exhibitions including "Creating a Stewardship Ethic" at the Plymouth Arts Center, which included a 'Merging Art into Stewardship' panel discussion and painting demonstration. 

WEA Artistic Director Bonnita Budysz said, “Artists not only stepped up to the plate, but absolutely shined with beautiful, multiple artworks submitted.  Their level of involvement with the WEA mission for preservation of our waterways was evident in so many ways at paint-outs, receptions, and events.”

Water’s Edge Artists also expanded their paint-out venues with a regional week-long painting outing on Washington Island in Door County. In 2012, WEA will travel to Maine in August for a national venue, and is exploring an international painting excursion to Italy for 2013 for artists and spouses/partners. Opportunities for painting partnerships and adventures continue to grow. To learn more, visit their website, www.LNRP.org/art.

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Ledge Tours Visits Brown County

The first Saturday of last November, 21 members and guests of the Niagara Escarpment Resource Network and LNRP were treated to a half-day informational Ledge Tour of Wequiock Falls and Bay Shore County Park in Brown County. Dr. John Luczaj, geology professor and researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, helped us dig deeper into the mysteries of the Niagara escarpment geology of this region.

Luczaj explained, “The escarpment and bay of Green Bay exist because of the differential erosion of two different rock types. The more resistant dolostone present in the Door Peninsula overlies a much weaker, easily eroded green shale known as the Maquoketa Shale. Ancient river erosion, followed by intense glacial scouring over the past two million years, has carved this soft shale out of Green Bay and the Fox River lowlands west of the escarpment.”

Our tour began at the falls, where he pointed out the small creek flowing over the escarpment toward the bay. What many people may not realize is, “While most rivers flow eastward down the dip slope of the Niagara cuesta, glacial moraines east of here impound the water and force it to flow westward!” He described and pointed out the rock formations and their evolution demonstrated by the presence of abundant fossils.

From there we drove the short distance to Bay Shore County Park where the escarpment’s present is much more dramatic and evident, due to the thicker deposits there. Luczaj showed us the Maquoketa Shale “concealed by talus at the base of the slopes” with the same “stratigraphy” as the first site we visited. “Chert-rich dolomite cane be observed along the road cut and at the base of the cliff trails. The result is recessive weathering, unstable slopes, and occasional overhangs on trails,” he added.

Participants included members of the Geology Club of Green Bay. Many others, unfamiliar with these geological wonders, commented how much they enjoyed learning about these places.

We have plans underway for an exciting array of Ledge Tours lining up for 2012, watch for forthcoming details of places and dates.

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