Momes
- Jan 25, 2022
- 3 min read

Misadventures in Vernon Marsh

Updated: May 13, 2022

I knew it was going to be hot today, but I had no idea what I was getting into. I stepped out of the minivan and immediately sweat through my clothes and my hair frizzed up with the humidity. Disgusting. Moist. Uncomfortable. This is going to be a fun day. "Oh my GOD! Mom!!! You ran over a snake!!" Stinky screamed from further along the gravel covered parking lot. Sure enough. The three of us stared at the now pancaked garter snake feeling terrible. It was incredibly small, so there was no way we could have avoided running it over. What a great way to start the hiking trip! (ehhhhh.....)

Vernon Wildlife Area is located in Mukwonago, Wisconsin and is about 4,655 acres of wetlands, grasslands and wooded areas. This area was originally leased as a public hunting ground but the DNR ended up purchasing it in 1950 as a wetland and waterfowl preserve. This area is known especially by birdwatchers because many rare water birds like to migrate and nest in this area specifically.

Why so many rare water birds? Because Vernon Marsh is home to a very rare and very endangered ecosystem called a calcareous fen. I had no idea what this was so I had to do some additional research. What I found was fascinating and also very upsetting. A calcareous fen is a wetland that collects a rare type of peat. It also depends on a constant supply of ground water that deposits calcium and other minerals. Because of the contents of this type of fen, it houses a lot of unique plants that usually can't be grown anywhere else. These plants thrive in low oxygen, low nutrient, cold peat soils that also contain a lot of calcium carbonate deposits (the stuff shells and pearls are made of). Because of these very specific requirements, it is really easy to disturb calcareous fens. Loss of ground water supply, sediment depositing floods that bring extra nutrients and invasive plants along with it, and of course humans. I also found out that these types of fens are mostly found in Southeastern Wisconsin and Minnesota. How cool is that?!

We had hardly left the parking lot when Kristi (Victoria's mom) decided to drop her water bottle which then casually started dripping water from a crack that had formed. Good thing I brought an extra with me. This was going swimmingly! It can only go up from here! WRONG! I have been to Vernon Marsh a couple of times in the past, but I recognize NOTHING. Literally nothing. The path ahead of us is knee high and dense and I see no sign of water. The main reason for us going to the marsh was to see frogs and tadpoles...but all we could see was thick grass. Eh, it should be fine! Maybe the water is back further than I remembered?

We continued to trudge through the tall grasses, meeting many friends along the way, until we finally got to an area where the grass had been trimmed. But the more we walked the more uncomfortable I began to feel. I knew this wasn't right and my anxiety began to intensify Victoria's already anxious mind. So we turned back and tried to find the trails that I had remembered.

Spoiler alert: We never found it. We ended up in a new location just down the street and, haha, it wasn't the right area!! Victoria wasn't jazzed about being "lost" but we decided to brave the humid heat once more to see what this area had to offer. I mean...we were there, so why not?

It was gorgeous! It was a beautiful mixture of grasslands and wetlands. While the air was still thick with heat and humidity, the breeze was refreshing and brought with it the scents that only a marsh can bring. Stagnant marsh waters, moist grasses and pollens from wildflowers and wetland grasses (if you know, you know). This area had more hills than the other location, and we could see clusters of tree in various colors, chunks of marsh lands scattered through out old rundown farmlands.

It was still sweltering out and while we were having a great time, spirits were dwindling quickly. Victoria wasn't happy, we were hot and sweaty and just ready to go. Naturally we forced ourselves through the rest of the trail (we had to get back to the car so it was easier to continue onward than backtrack).