Treasures of Oz:
The Wonderful Waters of OZ
Saturday, June 16, 9am - 5pm
We're off to see the river and wonderful wetlands of Oz on June 16th as Treasures of Oz opens 8 sites along the Milwaukee River and selected inland bogs and marshes for its 2012 event.
Ozaukee County is home to almost 40 miles of the Milwaukee River. Explore our river banks and miles of winding trails. Learn about this watershed and see the world famous fish habitat restoration complete with engineered fishways.
Discover the natural beauty that comes when a river is restored to natural rapids with dam removal. Travel upriver to see fish spawning areas. Ozaukee is fortunate to have close to 30% of its acreage in wetlands, providing rich wildlife habitat while providing water filtration, water recharge and flood control. Wetlands can be mysterious and we are highlighting several very unique examples, which you will find are home to a myriad variety of flora and fauna - a veritable treasure chest of wonders.
This day is an opportunity for hiking, photography, geocaching and learning. Find out how our waters impact your everyday life. Discover new land and water trails to follow and places to explore. Expand your knowledge of how all these components fit together and how you can be part of all this that makes Ozaukee County one of the best places to live and raise a family in this country. This adventure ends for the day with food, music, a silent auction, raffle and more at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve. Collect passport stamps for free raffle tickets.
Details for this free, family-friendly event, The Wonderful Waters of Oz, can be found on our website
www.treasuresofoz.org.
Download a passport, collect stamps at each site and turn them in at Forest Beach for raffle tickets to win very cool prize certificates from local businesses.
Riveredge's Offerings this Year:
Visit Riveredge and you will find one of the most diverse ecosystems in the State. The 380-acre beautiful sanctuary includes eleven miles of trails around ponds and fens, through woodlands and prairies, through the unique 47 acre Riveredge Creek and Ephemeral Pond State Natural Area and a mile and a half of trails along the Milwaukee River. Stop by the Sturgeon Rearing facility and learn what Riveredge is doing to restore a breeding population of lake sturgeon in the Milwaukee River.
- Sturgeon Trailer Tours from 9 until 1
- Work as a Habitat Healer near Riveredge Creek from 9 until noon
- Phenology walk with senior naturalist at 1:30pm
- All fees waived for this event and you are welcome to walk the preserve from dawn until dusk.
Many other organizations will be present as well at the various sites with offerings of their own on diverse topics.
- Tendick Nature Park
- Riveredge Nature Center
- Cedarburg Bog
- Bike Path Island
- Grafton Historical Corner
- Mequon-Thiensville Dam
- Ulao Waterfowl Production Area
- Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
Location information:
Forest Beach Migratory Preserve plus 6 more sites on or near Lake Michigan
Address: 4970 Country Club Road, Belgium, WI 53004
Website: www. treasuresofoz.org