UW-Whitewater is lucky to have over 120 acres of land meant for open and recreational use, which includes a walking trail and a nature preserve. The trail starts at Perkins Stadium which leads to an observation deck with views of the rebuild prairie area.

UW-Whitewater so. Brandon Klinkhammer states, “This trail is convenient because no matter where you live in Whitewater it is no more than a few miles away… These trails have some cool views when you get into the depths of the trees. Fall is the perfect season for hiking here.”

Another amazing part about the trail is that it is used by the cross-country team.

Warhawk cross-country athlete, Brian Kuehl states, “It is a nice place to run. There’s a couple of hills back there that make it difficult. The hills are challenging; they can have a lot of gravel on them so they can be difficult sometimes.”

The cross-country team also practices there two times a week and only have one meet a year there on Saturday Sept. 13.

Many other programs hold projects and events on the preserve in the fall. Geography, geology and biology courses also use it for primary research.

“A prairie seed collection is helping restore a diverse array of plant species. We re-plant a sectionof nature preserve with our collected seed from all the prior weeks,” stated UW-Whitewater Sustainability Coordinator Wes Enterline.

Enterline also mentioned “monitoring programs” such as the Bumble Bee Brigade which is coordinated by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR partners with volunteers from the public to conduct long-term monitoring of the bumblebees, and teaches people about identifying bumblebees.

“Last year is when they started the program, but this is the first year that it is state-wide,” stated Eva Lewandowski of the DNR.

Enterline adds, “The Bumble Bee Brigade citizen science program kicks off our campus sustainabilitymonth (October) events with a focus on pollinators… The event is Friday, Sept. 27 at 10 a.m. at the Hoffman Kiosk. We will teach attendees how to identify bumblebees.”

Overall the preserve is an interesting place with a lot of history behind it and serves as a remarkable place on campus.

To learn more on how to access the preserve or to engage in education on UW-Whitewater’s Sustainability efforts visit www.uww.edu/sustainability.