Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Welcome to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources! This page is for sharing your experiences recreating in Wisconsin's outdoors.

This page is not monitored 24/7. Report wildlife violations at https://dnr.wi.gov/contact/hotline.html The Department of Natural Resources is charged with sustaining and enhancing Wisconsin's natural resources and environment. A cornerstone of our mission is providing for outdoor recreation in our state. The WI DNR page is a place for the outdoor recreating community to share information

about fun in Wisconsin's outdoors. If you are looking for more information about Wisconsin DNR, please visit http://dnr.wi.gov.

Invasive Species Awareness Weekend is on Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21 and this Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera ...
06/13/2026

Invasive Species Awareness Weekend is on Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21 and this Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera photo of a woodchuck in Jefferson County shows an example of a widespread invasive plant called garlic mustard.

Invasive species are non-native species that harm our native ecosystems; garlic mustard, for example, spreads quickly and will crowd out Wisconsin’s native flora.

While Snapshot is a volunteer-powered trail camera project that aims to collect data on wildlife, images of invasive species inevitably appear as well.

Garlic mustard is a biannual plant, meaning it has a two-year life cycle. In the second year of growth, it produces small white flowers. If you look closely, you can see one of these flowers framed by the woodchuck’s body. Garlic mustard flowers become seeds and to avoid the potential for seed spread; the plant’s shallow roots can be hand pulled.

If you’re free next weekend, consider joining one of the Invasive Species Awareness Weekend events to learn more about the effects invasives have on our environment and how you can help care for local natural landscapes: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Invasives/eventsandvolunteering

If you’ve ever encountered a fawn curled up in your yard, you may have wondered if it needed help, but the good news is ...
06/11/2026

If you’ve ever encountered a fawn curled up in your yard, you may have wondered if it needed help, but the good news is that it was likely doing exactly what it should be.

White-tailed deer fawns are typically born anytime between now and late June. For the first 2-3 weeks of their life, fawns are not strong enough to follow their mother and will lay very still to reduce the chance of being found. To keep attention away from the fawn, the mother will stay away most of the day, visiting the fawn a few times to feed, clean or move them to a new spot.

Staying curled up and alone is a natural behavior that protects fawns from predators. Their spotted coat and minimal scent help them blend into their environment and keep them safe.

That’s why if you spot a fawn alone, remember: a young wild animal’s best chance of survival is with its mother. Don’t touch or move the fawn, give it plenty of space and keep pets away so the mother feels it is safe to return. Fawns have specialized dietary needs that are not easily met, and they need to learn normal social behaviors from their mothers.

Wildlife rehabilitation facilities often reach capacity during the warmer months and need to limit admissions of sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. The public can help reserve space for wild animals truly in need by always contacting a licensed professional for advice before assuming a wild animal needs help.

Learn more about what to do if you find a fawn or other young wild animal at: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/WildlifeHabitat/orphan

Image Credit: Malia Moore
Video Credit: Carissa Knab

Wisconsin state natural areas have been protecting special natural spaces in Wisconsin for 75 years! For example, Avoca ...
06/11/2026

Wisconsin state natural areas have been protecting special natural spaces in Wisconsin for 75 years! For example, Avoca Prairie and Savanna State Natural Area in Iowa County is 2,208-acres and contains the largest remnant tallgrass prairie east of the Mississippi River.

Oak barrens, oak savanna, sedge meadow and flood plain forest add to the rich variety of plants and habitat at this site. Over 200 species of plants are found at this property.

Because it has maintained its native plant diversity for thousands of years, the seeds here are collected by DNR state natural areas staff and dispersed to nearby sites to ensure the genetic legacy of the plants that have long called the riverway home. This practice helps build resiliency for these sites for generations to come.

Wisconsin state natural areas protect natural communities and habitat for rare species, but that’s not the only goal of ...
06/09/2026

Wisconsin state natural areas protect natural communities and habitat for rare species, but that’s not the only goal of the program. State natural areas also protect sites with significant geological and archeological features.

One of these sites, Ancient Aztalan Village State Natural Area, is located within Aztalan State Park.

Aztalan is one of the most important archaeological sites in Wisconsin. It is an indigenous settlement from what archaeologists’ call the Middle Mississippian civilization, the heart of which was centered in the early city of Cahokia near present-day St. Louis. The site showcases Mississippian design with palisades and temple mounds situated along the Crawfish River. The village flourished between 1000 and 1200 AD. It is one of the northernmost outposts of the great southern civilization.

Aztalan become a state park in 1948. The site was designated a National Landmark in 1964 and listed in the National Registry of Historic Places in 1966. Ancient Aztalan Village was designated a state natural area in 2003. This year marks the 75th anniversary of state natural areas – learn more about the program and this property at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/statenaturalareas/AncientAztalanVillage

Every turtle counts toward a healthy population of these unique reptiles! Most hatchlings don’t survive their first fe...
06/09/2026

Every turtle counts toward a healthy population of these unique reptiles!

Most hatchlings don’t survive their first few years.

Some turtles take 10 years or more to reach reproductive age, and females must reproduce their entire lives to ensure that just ONE hatchling makes it to adulthood to sustain the population.

When a turtle is removed from wild or faces road mortality, that can have a significant, negative impact on the population.

June is Invasive Species Action Month! Whether you’re hiking, camping, on the water or tending to your home garden, educ...
06/08/2026

June is Invasive Species Action Month! Whether you’re hiking, camping, on the water or tending to your home garden, educate yourself and take action to help prevent the spread of invasive species.

One common invasive plant that’s in-bloom this time of year is dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis). This slender 3-4' plant with four pinkish-purple (or white) petals spreads quickly in forests, along roads and in natural areas. It is sometimes found in “wildflower mixes” and is a restricted invasive species in Wisconsin, which means it is unlawful to transport, transfer or introduce it on the landscape.

It’s birthday party time in the Northwoods!Remember when we told you back in early March that we were monitoring elk cow...
06/08/2026

It’s birthday party time in the Northwoods!

Remember when we told you back in early March that we were monitoring elk cows for pregnancy? Well, the time has come for their babies to be born!

So far this spring, DNR staff have located, tagged and collared over 20 elk calves – with hopes to capture another 10-15 calves in the next week or so.

These calves are part of the Northern Wisconsin Elk Herd (Sawyer, Ashland, Bayfield, Price and Rusk counties), which is expected to be about 380 elk after calving season.

Biologists use alerts and GPS coordinates from the cow’s GPS tracking collar to estimate the calf’s general whereabouts, but it’s already on the move shortly after birth. To cover as much ground as efficiently as possible, searchers form a line standing about 15 feet apart and bushwhack their way through thick brush, swarms of mosquitoes and all types of weather looking for the newborn calf. The calf is the size of a medium dog (~35 pounds) and camouflaged by dense vegetation – talk about looking for a needle in a haystack!

The one you see in this picture was about 350 yards, or three and a half football fields, into the Flambeau River State Forest from the closest gravel road. In less than 20 hours, this calf traveled about 135 yards from its birth bed.

Once located, the calf is tagged, collared and weighed, so the DNR can keep track of it throughout its life and factor that data into herd management decisions. From there, biologists leave the area to allow the calf to hide and reunite with mom.

Havenwoods State Forest in Milwaukee is a great spot to take an afternoon walk, spot a lifer bird or get your hands dirt...
06/07/2026

Havenwoods State Forest in Milwaukee is a great spot to take an afternoon walk, spot a lifer bird or get your hands dirty at a volunteer workday.

The property is the only urban state forest in Wisconsin, and a wide variety of wildlife call its more than 200 acres of grasslands, woods and wetlands home.

Inside the state forest’s nature center, several reptiles and amphibians also call the park home. Staff often host opportunities to interact with the animal ambassadors.

Havenwoods is very popular among hikers, runners and joggers. The park has more than 6 miles of trails, with several different trail segments, so visitors can choose a hike of varying lengths. There are many trails at Havenwoods that are open to pets; remember to keep pets on a leash 8 feet or shorter.

Wisconsin state natural areas make up only 1% of the state, but they are critical sites for rare species. Last year we c...
06/06/2026

Wisconsin state natural areas make up only 1% of the state, but they are critical sites for rare species. Last year we completed 7,307 acres of prescribed burns and 6,842 acres of invasive plant control on these properties.

June 6 is National Prairie Day, and state natural areas like Romance Prairie, depend on this type of management done by DNR staff. Prairies are home to native species which depend on abundant sunlight and are sometimes threatened by encroaching woody plants. Conservation and management efforts are critical to maintain places like this that represent all that remains of Wisconsin’s prairies.

Support from our many partners and donors to the Endangered Resources Fund help make this work possible.

We’re “beary” excited to share this image of a black bear in Eau Claire County! The photo was captured by a volunteer-ma...
06/06/2026

We’re “beary” excited to share this image of a black bear in Eau Claire County! The photo was captured by a volunteer-managed trail camera through the Snapshot Wisconsin project.

For the last decade, this community science project has been collecting wildlife images and analyzing them. The data from this effort is used to support wildlife management decisions. Snapshot has over 1,800 volunteers statewide and has collected more than 100 million photos!

Head over to the Snapshot Wisconsin webpage to find out how you can get involved: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/research/projects/snapshot/

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Madison, WI

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Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

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