One Northsider’s ode to neighborhood natural areas
By Dan Tortorice
Northside News
When we moved our family to the Northside from the Marquette neighborhood in 1990, we were looking for a big backyard to grow vegetables, fruit and flowers. One of the first things we noticed was the very dark night sky, with a string of planets shining like flares and the Milky Way arching across the zenith.
We soon figured out that this sky was the reflected darkness from Lake Mendota and the remarkable vast areas of preserved natural lands in our new part of town. The explosive growth of surrounding communities has since lightened our night sky, but those natural areas are still with us and they are healthy, well-supported and growing.
Just think about the natural assets so beautifully photographed by our readers and ask yourself, “Just how many neighborhoods anywhere can come close to us in preserved natural areas?”
The three units of Cherokee Marsh — North, South and Mendota — comprise over 1,300 acres of preserved marshland. These areas are open to the public for year-round recreation and are the home of countless wildlife species.
Warner Park, right in the center of our area, is really three distinct parks if you think about it. There is the recreational area, which is one of the most used urban parks in the country because of the tremendous success of Mallards baseball. The wild portion is small but on a par with any secluded area of the north woods. And there is Warner Beach with spectacular skyline views across one of the finest fishing lakes in the country.
Climb up the hill to Lake View Hill County Park for an even better view of the entire city. The trail will take you through restored urban woodland that also features the cultural heritage of Lake View Sanatorium.
Governor’s Island is a 60-acre refuge with a circular trail and cliff views across Warner Bay to Maple Bluff and beyond.
Troy Gardens has 31 acres with community gardens and a restored prairie.
All of these areas can be visited in one day on a bike. But a short drive will get you to Governor Nelson State Park, another 400-plus acres with more hiking trails and a dedicated dog beach. The Dorn Creek Fishery preserve is just a couple of minutes from there by car.
Add to all this at least nine smaller city parks and you can see the tremendous opportunities to enjoy nature in our part of town. I would love to see how many communities across the country could come close to us.
By the way, our dark sky is still there. You just have to stay up later to view it.