Finally, the weather has turned and there are signs of new life everywhere. Green leaves sprouting on trees, flowers and plants sprouting up from below in gardens and prairies and parks.  A few weeks back I was lamenting the hanging on of winter, and a cold, cold spring.  It was during those gray days I visited three different nature preserves. And I found, even lacking the warmth of spring sunshine, that I was grateful for the gifts of nature surrounding us.  

A recurring theme in all three of these hikes is the gift of conservation.  All of them exist today because in decades past others saw the value in preserving the land, and leaving it in tact for future generations.  They saw the value in preserving the land for wildlife, for the environment, for the earth.  They saw the value in preserving native plant life, for the birds, the bees, and every creature in-between.  They worked the lands, restored it where it needed restoring, and they made a plan to hand it down to future generations, and ensured its safety from commercial destruction.  A Gift of Nature indeed.

I recently visited Retzer Nature Center in Waukesha, The Conservancy For Healing And Heritage in Franklin, and Saller Woods, in Rochester.  They are all beautiful and peaceful natural spaces. All offer something special to those who visit.  And they all have a story to tell. A tale of those who worked to protect and preserve the land.  I've tried to include some of the history in each profile, but I encourage you to follow the links provided and discover even more, if you are interested.

I am grateful to those souls who left us these gifts of nature. And I dream of gifts we can leave for future generations as well.

If you're a Wisconsin nature fan, you can decorate your walls, phone case, home decor, or stationery with images from the parks, nature preserves, and trails of  Wisconsin featured on The Park Next Door.  

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Stop by and take a look!  

​Once upon a time, eight years ago this month, I hit publish on THE PARK NEXT DOOR, and this website was born.  It was a long time coming. I had been out hiking, bird-watching, and photographing nature for several years, when I finally decided to publish what I'd been finding and share it with the world. If I had been struggling to find local nature spots, others must have been, too.

​So, here we are, eight years, and 180 listings later.  With blog posts, special features on gardening, bird migration, and Winter in Wisconsin, too. 

​Season after season, year after year, I'm still discovering new places to spend time in nature. And I'm still in love with the whole process. In fact, I love it even more as time and experience continues.

​Through difficult times, creating and publishing this website and its content have kept me going, instead of faltering. Through loss, health issues, a pandemic. Through good times, too, of course.  It motivates me, pushes me to get out there, to see what I can see. Breathe the fresh air, walk the trails, listen for birdsong, take pictures. Lots of pictures. Nature is such a healing force. I would be lost without it.

​My goal for this year is to get to 200 listings on the site.  I have a pretty good wish list of Adventure Goes Local going, so I have no doubt I'll get there. Sooner rather than later, I expect. In the meantime, here are a few recent highlights that have been added to the website.  Daylight is lasting longer, warmer weather is moving in. Spring is imminent. Step outside. Visit THE PARK NEXT DOOR.  And thanks for coming along!

​Kimberly

​PLEASANT VALLEY PARKS & TRAILS - Cedarburg
This 88-acre park is one of the many Treasures of Oz maintained by the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust. And it's definitely worth the visit. The day we visited was gray and muddy, and yet its beauty shone  through. The trails through the woodlands were muddy, and sometimes steep, but scenic. I can't wait to walk them again once the trees are leafed out and the migrating birds have landed.  Mountain biking trails are featured here, and there is a covered picnic shelter as well.

WILSON PARK - Milwaukee
This 76-acre  park on the near south side is one of the gems of the Milwaukee County Parks system.  Featuring a large lagoon, paved walking trails,  a multitude of little league and softball diamonds, and a kids playground.  There are picnic spots throughout the park, most notably in the charming gazebo along the walking trail around the lagoon.  The pond was busy with migrating geese and ducks, and songbirds were moving among the trees.  Spring migration should be fun here!

Winter is beautiful here, but it sure does drag on some days.  Too many cold gray days in a row and motivation fades.  I have to push and push myself to pick a park and just go.  Monday was such a day. Especially after Sunday's spring-like weather, when everyone seemed to be out for a walk in the blessed sunshine. 

​Then came moody Monday.  Colder. Cloudy. Blah. What I wanted was some color, some art, and some of natures inspiration. It took me all morning to decide where to go. But once I got there, I was rewarded.

Mitchell Park is a 405-acre park on the outer wild edges of Brookfield, and encompasses walking trails, a sledding hill, a park pavilion, the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center For The Arts, and more.

There are some nicely paved trails spanning the length of Mitchell Park, starting along the south end, and heading north towards the Arts Center.  There's a dog exercise area on the south end, which seems to be a popular spot.  In fact, there were lots of dogwalkers there, pups running in the open areas, or leashed and walking the paved trails. 

I found the outdoor art I was craving.  There are several art displays lining the walking trails, offering inspiration in colors that offset the gray day.

From the paved path I took the lowland hardwood trail that exits at Mitchell Park Drive, crossed the road, and followed the paved trail and boardwalk back south to the Arts Center parking lot entrance.  Along the way I found some color in faded milkweed and red-twigged dogwood.

The Strohmaier Sculpture Garden is no doubt stunning abloom in flowers and visiting butterflies, but it has a certain muted beauty in winter as well.  And the sculptures adorning the grounds are truly unique and worthy of attention. 

From a pair of metal sculpted horses, dancing cranes, the graceful 15-foot tall FLIT, inspired by a  nesting sparrow, to the bronze 5-piece musicians in performance installation JOY OF MUSIC, the sculpture garden blends with the natural surroundings in perfect harmony.

I really enjoy Valentine's Day. I think if you get caught up in the romanticism of the day it can be disappointing.  But if you embrace it as a way of spreading a bit of happiness to family, friends, even strangers, I think it's much more enjoyable.  I always loved decorating that little shoebox in grade school so it could hold valentines from classmates.  I've always enjoyed making valentines for others, no matter how simple.  Homemade hearts, cut out cookies, CD mixes (I'm old, and I miss those). Let that inner artist shine!

As a nature enthusiast, advocate, and amateur photographer, I love finding hearts out in nature.  A naturally occurring heart shape found in the bark of a tree, in a stone, a leaf, a flower, a pine cone poking through snow. Of course, these can be spotted any day of the year. But the closer it gets to Valentine's Day the more I seem to search for them.  And they are there! I wrote about this in more detail in a post last year entitled Let Nature Be Your Valentine.

I spotted this pine cone heart on the  trail at Carver-Roehl County Park just a few days ago. I nearly stepped on it!  

I recently discovered that there are heart-shaped snow molds. The same kind of thing you could use to make perfectly formed snowballs.  Which gave me an idea.  I ordered one, and on days when the weather cooperated and the snow had melted to the right consistency, I went out for walks on the trails, and in the parks, and made some snow hearts.  Sometimes I used fallen natural elements to embellish them. Then I placed them along the trails to photograph, and to leave for other hikers to enjoy. Eventually they would simply melt away.
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I don't know if I'd say I was gleeful, but it was a lot of fun. And, hopefully, they brightened someone else's day, too.

Once I got started, the ideas just kept coming.  I couldn't wait to get out and make more. I came up with just a couple props that I could carry with me, utilized the natural elements, set logic aside, and let my artistic side play. I hope you enjoy the results.  HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Some people build snowmen, or snow and ice sculptures.  But I like to make snow hearts.  And, out on the trail, I like to spy nature's hearts along the way. This year I picked up a snow heart mold, and on a few days when the snow was just the right consistency, I made snow hearts along my nature walks. It was snow much fun! Yup, pun intended. But seriously, we've had some really beautiful winter days lately, and I've been exploring our parks and nature trails.  Some tried and true, and some new to me.

​I visited, for the first time, the Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Riverwalk in Delafield. It was a perfect winter day for exploring the trail along the Bark River.  On one side is a natural trail that loops back around to the boardwalk trail on the opposite side of the river.  It's an easy walk, and scenic, too.  

Featured along the trail are nine separate war memorial sites, honoring veterans service in all wars with monuments, and educational kiosks illustrating the history of each war. 

Wisconsin has some brutally cold winter days. I took advantage of one of those this close to sub zero temp days to take a drive to view the Tiffany Bridge along the Turtle Creek Parkway in Rock County.

This 5-arch stone historic railway bridge is noted to be the oldest bridge in Wisconsin, it's a beauty. And just as beautiful in winter as any other time of the year. 

Also in Rock County is the historic Beckman Mill County Park.  Another cold weather road trip. This 50-acre park includes the Beckman Mill and other historic buildings, along with a boardwalk and woodland nature trail.

Events are held on site throughout the year. It was quiet the winter day we visited, so we had the grounds to explore on our own. Worth the trip!

There's more nature going on in Delafield.  I paid my first visit to hike the Lois Jensen Nature Preserve. This 30-acre hilly woodland preserve will provide you with a great winter workout, and great views to boot. The peaceful vibe comes complete with the sounds of woodpeckers and Chickadees flitting from tree to tree overhead.

​The trails can be icy, so be prepared. I'll be visiting this gem in spring and summer for certain.

The ice-capped shore of Lake Michigan called and we took a ride down to the Port of Milwaukee for the frozen views, and a rare snowy owl sighting! 

​We're so lucky to live along such a beautiful lake here in Milwaukee.

Have you ever seen ice bubbles up close?  I happened upon ice bubbles in Spring Brook Creek at Carver-Roehl County Park this week. I went to check out their "Hearts in the Park" feature, and was treated to the bonus ice bubble sighting.  It's a great park any time of the year, but gorgeous in winter! 

The hiking trail can be steep and icy in parts, so good hiking boots and a walking stick can come in handy. 

There's something about Natureland County Park in Whitewater that just appeals to me. Maybe it's the name (clever), or its simple beauty.  At 122-acres, the park features 4 different walking trails along different types of terrain. It is as stunning in winter as it is in any other season. I spotted a heart in one of the trees I hadn't noticed before. 

​Nature is full of surprises.

On the coldest days here in Wisconsin, I look out the window onto our backyard and watch the wild birds with wonder.  It's freezing out there, and yet they are perched on tree branches,  power lines, and on fence posts.  We're lucky, we have a wide variety of feathered visitors in the winter months. Goldfinches, House Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatches, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Juncos, Downey Woodpeckers, Black Crows, Cardinals, Mourning Doves, Starlings, and the occasional Cooper's Hawk. 

We have lots of wildflower seed heads in our faded garden for the birds to eat, a pair of juniper bushes, and a young crabapple tree, but until our garden matures, we put out feeders in the winter months to supplement that, especially when its bitterly cold.  We have two very tall and large evergreen trees in our backyard, which offer great shelter for the birds as well.

We put out black oil sunflower seed for the birds, but since the squirrels tend to make a feast of it, we started including safflower seed cylinders. The squirrels don't care for the safflower, so they tend to leave them alone. The finches, nuthatches, and woodpeckers especially love the safflower, and the cylinders hang nicely and tend to last a while.  Super handy when the weather is brisk and snowy.

Back around the holidays I kept seeing birdseed ornament ideas popping up on my Pinterest feed. So cute!! These are often made with gelatin or suet.  But then I saw another option made using ice molds. Artsy, photo friendly, and less messy, in my opinion.  So I decided to try making some to hang in our backyard as an extra treat for our visitors.  Using silicone molds, and a variety of fresh fruits and seed mix, I made up a batch of heart shaped feeders.  And they turned out!

To Make T​hese You Will Need:
Silicone Mold (I used 4, 6-pc molds)
Fruit: Fresh fruit is best, frozen next best thing.
I used: 1 fresh orange, sliced and then in quarters
Fresh raspberries - half pint, sliced
Fresh blueberries - half pint
Wild bird seed mix - including black oil sunflower seeds, etc. Approx. two-three cups
*Note: you can vary the fruits, but be sure any fruits are pitted, and fresh or frozen
Roll of natural twine for hanging 

To Do:  Layer in seed to cover bottom of mold
              Layer in each fruit: orange, raspberry, blueberry (or fruit of your choice)
              Sprinkle a small covering of seed over the top of the fruits
              Fill in each mold with fresh water
              Cut equal numbers of twine, make significant knot at the end, place knot in mold
              Put on cookie sheet or similar, and place Outside or in Garage to freeze
              When frozen remove from silicone mold and hang on bushes, trees, shepherd hooks, etc.

Making these little feeders was a great way to add a bit of creativity to a cold winter day, with the added bonus of feeding local wildlife, and providing something fun to photograph in the outdoors as well.
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I had enough of these to scatter them throughout the yard, and give a few away.  I even took a couple along on a local nature walk and left them for our woodland friends. 

21 Times. As of today. As of right now. Tonight. 21 times I have bid farewell to a precious pet. Said a sudden goodbye to one of our flock. Yes, they are birds. Yes, they are parakeets (or budgies). And every single loss has broken my heart (21 times in 15 years).

Tonight Wiki died suddenly. Everyone was having a good day. Had a good evening. Were settling into bed as I sung them the usual lullabies. Everyone was content. Grinding their beaks. Ready for dreamland.

But a couple hours later, just a short time ago, we heard some squawking.  We went in to see if there was a scuffle for a favorite sleeping spot. And there was Wiki, at the bottom of the cage. Blood oozing from her beak and mouth. Still warm. But dead.

​Wiki is one of six babies that were born within our flock. Back in 2014. A gift to us by a pair of parakeets we adopted from someone who could not keep them. Watching them hatch, and grow, and thrive, was an incredible experience that I will never forget.

It has been eight years since then. And since that time, we have said goodbye to many of our flock. Old age, or illness striking. We do everything we can. We take great care of our flock. They get amazing medical care. Fresh veggies. Lots of sunshine, and exercise, and music, and social connection.  They live good lives here. But even so, death comes.  And every single damn time, it breaks my heart as if it has never happened before.

​Wiki has been looking after Daisy of late. Daisy hasn't been feeling her best, and we are going to see the vet in the morning to be sure she is ok, or to treat what we can.  I was worrying about what would happen to Wiki if we lost Daisy.  Only a few months ago Nokia, one of Wiki's hatch-mates, and Dancer, her father, passed away within weeks of each other. Both rather suddenly.  Wiki sometimes likes to hang out in the flight cage she shared with them at bedtime.

And lately the gang of 5 that hang together, have been hanging out in there, close knit, for a good part of the day.  They always settle in to their bedtime house together in the evening, but it seemed to me that Wiki was missing her sister and her father, and it helped her to hang out in there.  I may be anthropomorphizing, but birds are social creatures, and they experience all of the emotions we do.  Happiness, anger, fear, bliss, love, sadness. I know they do.

So, now, tomorrow, when I am taking Daisy to the vet to see if there is anything we can to do to help her get back to her normal self, I will be taking Wiki along. But to say goodbye.

The first real measurable snowfall here this winter came a few days after Christmas. I had plans for that day, but took a detour to the Root River Parkway in West Allis to capture some of the winter magic. 

It was a lovely, softly falling snow. Sure, roads were messy. But winter magic persisted.  There were ducks swimming in the open water along the parkway, and birds like Juncos, Downey Woodpeckers, Cardinals, and Goldfinches flitting from snowy branches. Scenic indeed.

After taking in the beauty along the Root River Parkway, I went just a few minutes east to McCarty Park, in West Allis.  It's amazing how a blanket of new snow can add so much sparkle to our neighborhood parks. 

There were ducks and geese swimming in the open water on the pond, and a few others out walking the paved trails. I could see there was a good start to the base of the sledding hill. One of my favorite trees flanking the pond looked especially handsome with its branches frosted in snow.

This week, after our New Year's Day snowfall, I took a walk at Euclid Park. Another charming neighborhood park, just minutes from my house.

​The walking path was mostly clear, and the snow was still fresh, the air crisp. This is a popular spot for local residents, but it was quiet at the time. Just a lone Red Cardinal and me.