Sunset Clearing

Sunset Clearing, originally uploaded by jw_creations.

Shot within the Olson Oak Woods State Natural Area, Southern Wisconsin.

South Bluff State Natural Area Pano

South Bluff Panorama 2, originally uploaded by jw_creations.

Natural Oscillations

Natural Oscillations, originally uploaded by jw_creations.

Natural Highlights

Natural Highlights, originally uploaded by jw_creations.

Pewits Nest State Natural Area

Pewits Nest State Natural Area, originally uploaded by jw_creations.

"The dominant feature at Pewits Nest is a 30- to 40-foot deep gorge formed during the retreat of the last glacier. Associated with it are Skillet Creek, shaded cliffs, and a northern dry-mesic forest. When Glacial Lake Baraboo drained, Skillet Creek cut a narrow canyon through the Cambrian sandstone, forming a series of potholes and waterfalls. The layers of Cambrian sandstone show that a finer-grained sediment was laid down by the Cambrian seas "inside" the syncline, a process different from that at Parfrey's Glen where coarser Cambrian conglomerates and sandstones are found in layers. Skillet Creek has a gradient of 38 feet/mile and an average flow of 0.8 cfs. Forest cover includes red cedar, white pine, hemlock, and yellow birch." -Wisc. DNR

Autumnal Sunset

Autumnal Sunset, originally uploaded by jw_creations.

360-degree Forest Panorama

360-degree Forest Panorama, originally uploaded by jw_creations.

This one turned out really cool. It's a series of eight or ten HDR shots in the Gotham pine forest. When viewed full-size (about 60 megapixles) this is especially cool, or in an interactive Quicktime VR file. Shoot me a message or email if you want to check this out, and I'll send over the 2MB Quicktime file.

Gotham Jack Pine Barrens State Natural Area; Gotham, WI

Saggy Orchard

Saggy Orchard, originally uploaded by jw_creations.

The Ski-Hi apple orchard and distant Wisconsin topography of Sauk County, Wisconsin.

Pleasant Valley Sunset

Sundown Atop The Bluff, originally uploaded by jw_creations.

Located in the Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin, Pleasant Valley Conservancy sits on a long narrow ridge that runs almost due east/west, with steep hillsides facing both north and south. The site contains a nearly complete range of southern Wisconsin natural community types including oak woodland, oak savanna, dry and wet prairie, sedge meadow, shrub-carr, open marsh, and spring complex. The steep south-facing ridge supports several prairie remnants, which are now thriving after intensive management began in 1995. The oak savannas, primarily on the ridge top, contain numerous large, open-grown bur and white oaks with many being over 150 years old. The savanna supports numerous grass, sedge, and forb species including the state-endangered purple milkweed, which re-appeared after restoration and prescribed burning began. The cooler north-facing slope is predominantly oak woodland with red oak, basswood, hackberry, butternut, yellowbud hickory, and red maple. The savanna and oak woodland support a diversity of bird species which include the red-headed woodpecker, a declining bird species of conservation concern. Other birds include blue-gray gnatcatcher, eastern wood pewee, tufted titmouse, eastern bluebird, yellow-throated vireo, scarlet tanager, black-billed cuckoo, and yellow-billed cuckoo. Also present is the spring-fed Pleasant Valley Creek, which flows through the wetland and into East Blue Mounds Creek. Pleasant Valley Conservancy is owned in part by The Prairie Enthusiasts and by Tom and Kathie Brock with management support from the Savanna Oak Foundation, Inc.. It was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.

Derived from dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/sna/sna551.htm

Spurt!

Spurt!, originally uploaded by jw_creations.