Nature Notes: Why Boardwalks Matter – Protecting Fragile Habitats
By Sam Hoffman, Land Manager
If you are a wanderer of The Ridges trail systems, particularly in the ridges and swales, you’ve probably noted the relatively high number of boardwalks (roughly 25 in total), and the recent progress staff and volunteers have made on replacing ones that have shown their age. Much time and effort are invested in maintaining our network of trails and bridges for a multitude of reasons. These include providing comfortable visitor access to the preserve while simultaneously protecting the very ecosystems we want people to immerse themselves in.
As a child, any place with boardwalks stood out to me. I still hold strong memories of some of those trails and the feelings they evoked. A place that comes to mind is the 1000 Islands Environmental Center and Conservancy in Kaukauna, WI, on the Fox River. Here, many boardwalk trails run parallel and very close to the river. In spring, the river would often flood its banks, leaving heavy, rushing water beneath one’s feet where it was normally dry. Jack-in-the-pulpits lined the shoreline as if they had the best seat in the house to watch the thousands of ducks, geese, and other waterfowl feeding among the rocky pools. The best part was that you felt like you were part of it. When I first walked the boardwalks at The Ridges, similar feelings arose from being immersed in swales tucked into the boreal forest.
Why do people love boardwalks?
Boardwalks are often elevated, giving an observer a slightly different perspective of the immediate landscape around them. They also often occur in wet areas (which The Ridges has no shortage of!). This makes them an exciting place to explore without worrying about trudging through water and mud. They provide a great way for people of all ages and abilities to directly connect with nature in areas they otherwise would not go to.
It brings me great joy to see children in summer camp leaning over the edge of Solitude Swale to get a closer look at a frog or a pitcher plant, or an individual who uses a wheelchair being able to get outdoors with their grandchildren on the Hidden Brook Boardwalk and listen to the chorus of warblers in the spring. These connections are crucial if we want our current and future generations to care for the natural world and carry on the important work of environmental preservation.
Why do we love boardwalks?
Traversing these boardwalks is already enjoyable from a human perspective. In addition, these structures are critical to the preservation pillar of The Ridges’ mission. Providing visitor access is an important part of our work. Protecting the rare plants and habitats we wish to see is even more so. Thus, one of our trail etiquette rules is to always stay on the trails and boardwalks. If we were to allow people to enter the swales and other wetlands directly, it would certainly cause irreversible harm to critical habitat for Hine’s emerald dragonfly, among many other creatures that call this place home.
The next time you find yourself exploring a natural area from a boardwalk, I hope you take the time to think about all the people who have walked the same path and those who made it possible. I’m grateful for the foresight of the founders of The Ridges in putting these structures in place right from the start, when the organization was formed in 1937. Ever since, generations of volunteers and staff have given their time and energy to keep the trails safe and accessible.
Boardwalk Volunteers
We always say that volunteers are the heart and soul of what we do here at The Ridges. Nowhere is that more evident than when I work alongside them on the trails. Our Wednesday Crew and Logan Creek Stewardship Crew volunteer groups are responsible for the bridge improvements you see. This community never fails to show up when needed. Even when a giant spruce tree took out several sections of Hidden Brook boardwalk during a frigid winter storm this last January, they had it back open the very next day.
So, I want to say thank you to ALL our incredible volunteers! Thanks to their efforts, our boardwalk system is nearly up to date. We are ready to welcome thousands more to this special ecological area for many, many more years. I hope you get the chance to explore the preserve this season and experience the captivating life that thrives here as we progress through the heart of summer.
