The Barrens
The Namekagon
Barrens Wildlife Area (NBWA) is a 5,050 acre property located in the
northeast corner of Burnett County, northwestern Wisconsin,
consisting of two parcels. These are referred to as the north unit
and the south unit. This property is leased by the State of Wisconsin
from Burnett County. The north unit lies 7 miles east of Highway 35
on St. Croix Trail Road or 11 miles west of Minong. The south unit is
2 miles to the south and west of the north unit on Namekagon Road and
Springbrook Trail. The St. Croix River flows within a mile to the
west of the barrens while the Namekagon River lies between the North
and South Unit. Both rivers are designated as part of the National
Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The NBWA is part of the Northwest
Sands Area of northwest Wisconsin, and contains mainly pine barrens
community habitat. This community type is globally rare and includes
rich and diverse prairie flora and fauna. Two trout streams, Beaver
Creek and Clemens Creek, originate from springs on the north unit and
flow to the nearby St. Croix River. The surrounding lands are mainly
Burnett County Forest and industrial forests owned by Mosinee Paper
Company, and contain mostly jack pine, scrub oak, and red pine
plantation forests (information borrowed from the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources website). Many old-timers in the area
refer to the entire sandy region found in the area as “the barrens”
or “the pine barrens.” They often refer to the very young habitat
found after a fire as “brush prairie.” Perhaps more frequently,
people refer only to the recently burned areas as barrens. The region
is noted for having very sandy, droughty soils. Prior to modern fire
control techniques much of this area burned quite frequently either
by acts of nature, such as lightning strikes, or was intentionally
burned by humans. Early settlers frequently set fires to clear land
for farming. Prior to this, Native Americans burned the region to
attract game animals, stimulate blueberry production, control biting
insects, and ease cross country travel. These frequent fires kept
much of the landscape in a mixture of brush, prairie plants, and very
short oak or pine. Pine barrens covered 7% of the land, or 2.3
million acres, prior to the European settlement. Oak barrens covered
5%, or 1.8 million acres. As of 1995, approximately 10,000 acres of
good quality pine and oak barrens remained at 65 Wisconsin sites. To
date, the total estimate of remaining pine and oak barrens is 50,000
acres, but much of it is degraded. Most remaining pine and oak
barrens exist as small, isolated fragments on approximately a dozen
state- or federally-managed areas. These fragments may indicate that
a larger area of the surrounding landscape has the potential to
return to a barrens stage. (Info taken from Wisconsin Ecological
Landscapes Handbook)..
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It's Friends
Numerous National Parks, State Parks,
and other areas have a Friends group to promote the knowledge,
appreciation, and perpetuation of resources. Friends of the Namekagon
Barrens Wildlife Area (FNBWA) share these objectives for Lake States
barrens in general, and the Namekagon Barrens in particular. FNBWA
will provide information via newsletter, website, newspaper articles,
tours, and other public events. Many resources from nearby areas,
including other Friends groups, are applicable to Namekagon Barrens
with only minor modification. We will work to facilitate lease
renewal from the County or the outright purchase of the area.
Calendar
- Board Meeting: May 9, location “The Prime” in Trego, lunch at noon, meeting to begin at 1:00pm.
- Sharptail grouse blinds available: April 1st - May 30th
- General membership meeting: May 18, location: the Barrens Headquarters -- see Other News below.
- Field trip to photograph butterflies: Sat June June 8 -- see Other News below.
- Board meeting: July 11, location TBD
- Board meeting: October 17, location TBD
Other News
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Bird Walk -- Saturday June 22nd
Sponsored by Friends of the Bird Sanctuary - see the flier attached below.
Posted May 16, 2013, 4:11 AM by Bruce Pankratz
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FNBWA Annual Meeting
Attached is the flier for the FNBWA annual meeting. See below.
Posted May 13, 2013, 4:12 AM by Bruce Pankratz
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Butterflies on the Barrens June 8, 2013
What is a brush footed butterfly and
how does one photograph it?
This question and many others will be answered at the butterfly
photography workshop at Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area in
northeastern Burnett County on Saturday, June 8th, from 9
am - 3 pm. This one-day workshop will feature an
introduction to the barrens’ history and present management,
butterfly photography instruction,
and tips on how to look for
butterflies and which ones can be found on the Barrens. During the
afternoon we will hike the area to find, identify, and practice
photographing butterflies.
Location: Namekagon Barrens Wildlife
Area, Burnett County, Wisconsin
Date: June 8, 2013
Time: 9:00 – 3:30
Lunch: Bring your noon lunch. Water
and light snacks ...
Posted May 8, 2013, 6:51 AM by Bruce Pankratz
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A note from our friends: Want to see a Skydance?
"Would you be so kind and forward this flier out to those who may be interested in this Skydance? This up-close and personal woodcock experience is limited to the first 20 participants so please register early. Thanks in advance!!! Cheers, Chris TrosenWildlife Biologist, USFWSSt. Croix Wetland Management District1764 95th StreetNew Richmond, WI 54017"(see the attached file to view the flier)
Posted Apr 19, 2013, 10:48 AM by Bruce Pankratz
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A note from Hunt Hill
Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary Northwoods Birding camp:Friday, June 7 – Sunday, June 9Registration Deadline: May 17The Northwoods Birding Camp is a great experience for adults interested in discovering and expanding their understanding of our feathered friends! Campers will enjoy a full yet flexible schedule filled with opportunities to hike, bird watch, learn from locally and nationally known birding experts, explore the birding opportunities in the local area on optional field trips, relax in a beautiful and serene setting and so much more.Camp is geared towards beginning and intermediate birders, but is open to all levels of bird-lovers! Those who cannot attend the whole weekend are encouraged to sign up for individual programs using our NEW program ...
Posted Apr 19, 2013, 10:48 AM by Bruce Pankratz
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FNBWA ANNUAL GET TOGETHER
We have generally tried to have our annual members’ meeting in the fall, but decided to give spring a try. After a long winter many of us will look forward to spending time outdoors on one of our favorite wild places. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, May 18. You will want to go to bed early on Friday night as we hope to experience nature early in the morning when it is most active.If you have not seen the courtship dance of sharp-tailed grouse, reserve a viewing blind on our website for Saturday morning. We have set them aside on May 18 for your use, but limited space requires you put your name on one. Since you ...
Posted Apr 12, 2013, 12:23 PM by Bruce Pankratz
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