Trees rightfully get a lot of attention, especially in April during Arbor Day. This year, Arbor Day falls on April 24th following on the heels of Earth Day on April 22nd. It is almost as if the two days are linked- plant a tree, and all will be well on planet Earth. The majesty of a large, old tree like a centuries-old oak stirs a passion in many. Like this beautiful bur oak in Onalaska: Aldo Leopold wrote a captivating elegy in A Sand County Almanac for a massive oak that came down on his...

In 1879, Charles Darwin wrote to his good friend and fellow botanist Joseph D Hooker that "the rapid development as far as we can judge of all the higher plants within geologic times is an abominable mystery". In this famous quote, Darwin was referring to the flowering plants or angiosperms and was perplexed and mystified about their rapid appearance in the fossil record which seemed to upset his theory of evolution occurring slowly and incrementally over long periods of time. The angiosperms...

Friends of the Blufflands is pleased to introduce our newest board member, Nine Dodge. Nine encountered one of our board members while hiking the Birch Point Trail in the summer of 2025 and visiting Zoerb Prairie. This meeting ignited her interest, and she soon became a frequent volunteer during work days. Friends was impressed by her commitment and leadership skills when working alongside other volunteers, including students from UWL, and ultimately invited her to join the board. We are...