That Cottonwood

That Cottonwood That Cottonwood is a 100 year old giant tree in the La Crosse River Marsh. We will document its beauty & grandeur for 365 days, every day of of 2015.

That Cottonwood That Cottonwood is a 100 year old tree in the middle of the La Crosse River Marsh. We have been calling it "The Giant Cottonwood." It is a huge and remarkable tree, right on the main trail that runs through the marsh. It is accessible from Myrick Park and one can park in the lot next to the Myrick Park Center, the nature center at the bottom of Myrick Park, or by the Dog Park at th

e end of East Ave. We have been inspired to take a picture of it every day for a year, starting January 1st, 2015. We invite any and all of you to visit this wonderful tree, to take pictures of it and submit them to this page. This project was inspired by a similar project called "That Tree" by photographer Mark Hirsch who lives near Platteville, WI. He also found a remarkable tree, a huge Bur Oak and photographed it every day for a year. Please visit Mark's website to view images of "That Tree." If you submit a picture, please add a description of that photo and commentary of why you liked that particular image. We will pick the best photo each day to add to the page.

01/02/2016

YOU ARE INVITED to my new project called "THAT RIVER." It has its own page and I encourage anyone to add photos of the La Crosse River, either present day or historic. Post them, or send them to me and I will include them.

John Sillivan took some candid shots of us as we watched the fireworks. A fine time was had by all.
01/01/2016

John Sillivan took some candid shots of us as we watched the fireworks. A fine time was had by all.

Day 365 BonusDecember 31, 2015Contributed by John Sullivan This is us, Richard Frost and Teri Wachuta, who did this pro...
01/01/2016

Day 365 Bonus
December 31, 2015
Contributed by John Sullivan

This is us, Richard Frost and Teri Wachuta, who did this project. I took the photos every day and Teri managed the page.

Believe it or not, today, January 1st, I am embarking on a new project called "That River." I will be taking photos of the La Crosse River every day in 2016 that I am in La Crosse. Stay posted for details.

Day 365December 31, 2015Photo by John F. SullivanHallelujah! Our project came to its grand conclusion last night when th...
01/01/2016

Day 365
December 31, 2015
Photo by John F. Sullivan
Hallelujah! Our project came to its grand conclusion last night when this fine group of supporters came out in the cold for the final photo. My tremendous thanks to photographer John Sullivan for taking these wonderful photos. My sincere thanks to all of you who took a week of your time to take photos when I was out of town.
You can see the fireworks from Grandad's in the background. Karen Acker and her friend David brought wonderful treats, sparkling juice, black-eyed peas and corn bread for the party.

It was the last day of this wonderful project. Going out to the marsh was a highlight that I looked forward to each and every day. I developed an even closer relationship with the marsh and with this magnificent tree.This amazing cottonwood tree is a testament to the incredible debt we owe to these wonderful beings who give so much and ask nothing but respect in return.

Thank you to all, and to all a good night.
Richard Frost

12/30/2015

A final invitation: tomorrow is the last day of this project, Day 365. We invite you all to join us for the Grand Finale Group Photo at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow evening at the Cottonwood. Dress warmly, we will take the last picture with us gathered in front of the tree with the fireworks on Grandad's Bluff behind us.
I suggest that you park by the Dog Park and walk down on the paved trail and take a right to the Cottonwood. This trail is plowed so the walking will be easier. Come a bit early because the fireworks won't last long. See you tomorrow a little before 6:00 p.m.

Day 364December 30, 2015"My little horse must think it q***rTo stop without a farmhouse nearBetween the woods and frozen...
12/30/2015

Day 364
December 30, 2015
"My little horse must think it q***r
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year."
This is the second stanza of Robert Frost's famous poem, "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening," which I started yesterday. The frozen pond in this photo reminded me of the line
"Between the woods and frozen lake."

Day 363December 29, 2015"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sle...
12/29/2015

Day 363
December 29, 2015
"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
This last stanza from Robert Frost's poem "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" was running through my mind as I trudged through the deep snow on my way to take today's picture, so that's the scene I tried to capture. You can see the Cottonwood in the center background.

12/28/2015

A reminder that our Grand Finale Group Picture will be on Thursday evening, New Years Eve, at 6:00 p.m. at the Cottonwood. This is the last day of this project, Day 365, and we would like everyone who has been interested in it or a part of it to be in the group photo. We will take the photo with everyone in front of the tree and the fireworks from Grandad's Bluff in the background. Plan on arriving about 10 minutes before 6:00 p.m. so we can get organized before the fireworks starts. Come one, come all, and dress warmly.

Day 362December 28, 2015The lull before the storm. There is a big snowstorm coming around noon, so I got out to the mars...
12/28/2015

Day 362
December 28, 2015
The lull before the storm. There is a big snowstorm coming around noon, so I got out to the marsh early and got this wonderful scene, with so many different logs, trees, marsh grass, and duck w**d and leaves frozen into the ice. The ice along the edges looks white because the water level has dropped and there is no longer water beneath it.

Day 361December 27, 2015More mushrooms. These fungi are on a dead log near the Dryad's Saddle fungi from yesterday. They...
12/28/2015

Day 361
December 27, 2015
More mushrooms. These fungi are on a dead log near the Dryad's Saddle fungi from yesterday. They are amazing and beautiful. You can clearly see the gills on the underside. I don't know the species, so if anyone knows, let us know. Our Cottonwood is in the background, on the far side of the pond.

Day 360December 26, 2015More fungus among us! This beautiful fungus is called Dryad's Saddle, Polyporus squamosus. It do...
12/26/2015

Day 360
December 26, 2015
More fungus among us! This beautiful fungus is called Dryad's Saddle, Polyporus squamosus. It does look like a saddle but for those of you from farms, it looks exactly like an old tractor seat. You can see our Cottonwood on the other side of the pond. It was a fairly nasty day weather-wise, cloudy and windy with light sleet coming down, with temps about 36 degrees. You see some melting on the ice too, with temps above the freezing point.

12/26/2015

Don't forget New Years Eve, 6 p.m., at the Cottonwood. We hope to take a group photo on Day 365. Please join us if you can.

Address

La Crosse River Marsh
La Crosse, WI
54601

Telephone

(608) 785-0368

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