La Crosse Nature Guide
A one-stop resource of outdoor places for nature connections in La Crosse County
This Nature Guide is a resource aiming to make outdoor, nature-rich places in La Crosse County easier to discover - for residents and visitors alike. The array of parks, nature preserves, and hiking and biking trails is expansive. As such, locating and accessing information about each one can quickly become an internet scavenger hunt. This Guide will become your 'home base' when seeking out natural areas in La Crosse County.
The Guide's interactive map allows you to search outdoor places by location. Clicking on a place will quickly provide access to information such as available activities, maps, difficulty level, and more.
Questions? Please contact us!
How to
Use This Guide
Discover
to
Learn
Search by location using the map (below). Hover over a location to view the name. Click on a location to "quick view" additional information.
You can expand the map in a new tab by clicking the square in the upper-righthand corner.
This option is great for discovering somewhere new or places close-by.
Learn
to
Discover
Search for locations using the "Trails" on the menu bar. Each page will contain information as available, including: address, parking and access information/photos, trail maps, available activities, terrain, etc. It will also include a link to the organization that oversees the property, where more information may be available.
This option is great for finding information on a place you have heard of, but want to know more about.
Discover to Learn
1. Zoom In/Out
2. Discover
Click icon for "Quick Facts"
3. Learn
Select "Trails" in the menu bar and click on the trail name for additional information
Note: You can expand the map in a new browser tab by selecting the square in the right-hand corner of the map.
Biodiversity
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Definition:
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The variety in types of life throughout a given environment or ecosystem
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How we Rate:
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Took into account species richness throughout the property area
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Ratings go from (1) little to no biological diversity/monoculture to the higher level rating (5) for a greatly diverse landscape of trees, shrubs, grasses, and water
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Dominant Features
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Biodiversity Rating 1-5
1 - poor
5 - excellent
Scenic
Overlook
Scenic Overlook
Mowed
Grass
Mowed Grass
Water
Features
Water
Features
Maintained Gardens
Maintained Gardens
Tall
Grass
Tall Grass
Trees
Trees
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Connection to Health:
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As the world’s human population continues to be concentrated in urban environments, more people are becoming isolated from nature. Public greenspaces are often the only contact people have with nature. Psychological benefits also increase with the biodiversity of urban greenspace, therefore the species richness of the greenspace should be considered.
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For more information about the connection between health and nature click here.
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Fuller, Richard A., Katherine N. Irvine, Patrick Devine-Wright, Philip H. Warren, and Kevin J. Gaston. 2007. “Psychological benefits of greenspace increase with biodiversity.” Biology Letters 3, 390- 394.
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