Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type. Temperate grassland regions include the Pampas of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, and the steppe of Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan. Lands typically referred to as "prairie" tend to be in North America. The term encompasses the area referred to as the Interior Lowlands of Canada, the United States, and Mexico, which includes all of the Great Plains as well as the wetter, hillier land to the east.
Walworth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 102,228. Its county seat is Elkhorn. The county was created in 1836 from Wisconsin Territory and organized in 1839. It is named for Reuben H. Walworth.
Whitewater is a city in Walworth (mostly) and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located near the southern portion of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Whitewater is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 14,390. Of this, 11,150 were in Walworth County, and 3,240 were in Jefferson County.
The Ice Age Trail is a National Scenic Trail stretching 1,200 miles (1,900 km) in the state of Wisconsin in the United States. The trail is administered by the National Park Service, and is constructed and maintained by private and public agencies including the Ice Age Trail Alliance, a non-profit and member-volunteer based organization with 21 local chapters.
The Driftless Area is a region in southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme northwestern corner of Illinois, of the American Midwest. The region escaped the flattening effects of glaciation during the last ice age and is consequently characterized by steep, forested ridges, deeply carved river valleys, and karst geology characterized by spring-fed waterfalls and cold-water trout streams. Ecologically, the Driftless Area's flora and fauna are more closely related to those of the Great Lakes region and New England than those of the broader Midwest and central Plains regions. Colloquially, the term includes the incised Paleozoic Plateau of southeastern Minnesota and northeastern Iowa. The region includes elevations ranging from 603 to 1,719 feet at Blue Mound State Park and covers 24,000 square miles (62,200 km2). The rugged terrain is due both to the lack of glacial deposits, or drift, and to the incision of the upper Mississippi River and its tributaries into bedrock.
Devil's Lake is an endorheic lake in the South Range of the Baraboo Range, about two miles south of Baraboo, Wisconsin, in Sauk County, Wisconsin, USA. The lake is one of the primary attractions of Devil's Lake State Park. It is also a popular recreation destination for watercraft, fishing, hiking, and climbing.
Kettle Moraine is a large moraine in the state of Wisconsin, United States. It stretches from Walworth County in the south to Kewaunee County in the north. It has also been referred to as the Kettle Range and, in geological texts, as the Kettle Interlobate Moraine.
The Kettle Moraine State Forest is a state forest in southeastern Wisconsin. The chief feature of the reserve is the Kettle Moraine, a highly glaciated area. The area contains very hilly terrain and glacial landforms, such as kettles, kames and eskers. The 56,000-acre (23,000 ha) forest is divided into two large and three small units, which are spread across a hundred miles.
Lapham Peak is a Wisconsin state park located in the Kettle Moraine State Forest. It is just south of Delafield and seven miles (11 km) west of Waukesha. The park entrance is two miles (3 km) north of the Glacial Drumlin State Trail.
The Pike Lake Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest is a 678-acre (274 ha) unit of the Wisconsin state park system. The unit is located just east of Hartford, Wisconsin on State Highway 60, on the east shore of the 446-acre (180 ha) Pike Lake. It was dedicated by Wisconsin governor Patrick J. Lucey in June 1971.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is an agency of the state of Wisconsin charged with conserving and managing Wisconsin's natural resources. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has the authority to set policy for the WDNR. The WDNR is led by the Secretary, who is appointed by the Governor of Wisconsin. The WDNR develops regulations and guidance in accordance with laws passed by the Wisconsin Legislature. It administers wildlife, fish, forests, endangered resources, air, water, waste, and other issues related to natural resources. The central office of the WDNR is located in downtown Madison, near the state capitol.
Wyalusing State Park is a 2,628-acre (1,064 ha) Wisconsin state park at the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers in the town of Wyalusing, just south of Prairie du Chien.
Wyalusing means "home of the warrior" in the Lenape language spoken by Munsee-Delaware tribes who settled in the area in the 19th century after being displaced from farther east. 500-foot-high (150 m) bluffs dotted with prehistoric Native American mounds look out over the river valleys. Two park resources have been recognized nationally: the Wyalusing Hardwood Forest is a National Natural Landmark and the Wyalusing State Park Mounds Archaeological District is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mirror Lake State Park is a 2,179-acre (882 ha) Wisconsin state park in the Wisconsin Dells region. The process of establishing the park began in 1962 and the park officially opened on August 19, 1966. It contains Mirror Lake, a narrow reservoir with steep sandstone sides up to 50 feet (15 m) tall. The lake has a surface area of 137 acres (55 ha) and an average depth of 10 to 14 feet. Recessed out of the wind, the water of Mirror Lake is usually calm and often as glassy-smooth as a mirror, hence the name. Situated in a major tourist area, the state park has an extensive campground and other visitor amenities. Also located within the park is the Seth Peterson Cottage, a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building available for public rental.
The Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive is a designated scenic route in southeastern Wisconsin that links the two units of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. The route traverses through scenic and historic areas, including landscape shaped by glaciers from the latest ice age, known as the Wisconsin glaciation.
The Loew Lake Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest is a 1,090-acre (4 km2) member of the Wisconsin state park system. The unit offers hiking, hunting, and horse riding along the east branch of the Oconomowoc River and the shore of 23-acre (0 km2) Loew Lake, and also features a number of large conifer plantations. A section of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail runs through the park as it follows the Kettle Moraine.
Whitewater Lake is located in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States in the Kettle Moraine State Forest.
The Upper Midwest forest–savanna transition is a terrestrial ecoregion that is defined by the World Wildlife Fund. An oak savanna plant community located in the Upper Midwest region of the United States, it is an ecotone between the tallgrass prairies to the west and the temperate deciduous forests to the east. A part of the Upper Mississippi River basin, it is considered endangered with less than 5% of the original ecosystem remaining intact, due mostly to overgrazing and conversion to agriculture.
The Eisenbahn State Trail is a multi-purpose trail designated as a park by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The trail is maintained by the counties through which it transgresses, Washington and Fond du Lac counties. The trail extends 25 miles, from the village of Eden in the north to Rusco Road, south of West Bend. The trail follows the route of the former Fox Valley Railroad.
Whitewater, Wisconsin, is a town located in Southeastern Wisconsin roughly 45 minutes from Madison and Milwaukee. The city’s population is 14,732 and features one of the University of Wisconsin system schools, The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Throughout the city and surrounding areas, there are over 20 parks, trails and preserves.
