The Tiffany Wildlife Area
By Kristin DeGroot

Photos by Brian Brezynski

The Tiffany Wildlife Area, located just a few miles south of Durand, is directly adjacent to the Chippewa River. Its location on the river is part of what makes it so unique. In the spring, when the winter's snow melts and the river is high, the Tiffany is transformed from damp silver maple forests and drier upland areas, to soaked swamps and wetlands.

Above all, what gives this wildlife area its charisma is the diversity of vegetation and habitat. The many sloughs that run from the Chippewa through the Tiffany create low ditches, and leave other areas high and dry. Water is allowed to flow into low spots, saturating soil and creating islands and unique patches.

A spring walk through the Tiffany is a great opportunity to experience this variety. The dryupland prairies and oak savannas are filled with vibrant flowers and Big Bluestem grass (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) that reaches far above your head. These areas are managed with cutting and fire by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and keep these scattered patches from becoming overgrown with intruding trees and shrubs. Dense forests are most enjoyable to walk through in early spring and fall, when the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is below your knees and the tree canopy creates a dark, peaceful place. By far some of the jewels of the Tiffany are its Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) swamps. These areas are dark and mysterious. The floors of these swamps are generally very wet or even covered in a few feet of water, depending on the season. In early spring you can canoe among gray tree trunks and river grape that hangs like jungle vines. On damp summer mornings much of these swamps are covered in white mist, making them even more mystical. Some of the most beautiful Silver Maple swamps can be viewed from the railroad tracks that run north and south down the length of the Tiffany. These high tracks will keep your feet dry and, occasionally, in the summer, the Chippewa Valley Motor Car Association offers rides on their antique railroad cars.

The Tiffany is home to white-tailed deer, beaver, raccoon, and river otter, and it is a prime stop-over sight for migrating birds. It is one of the few Wisconsin breeding grounds for the state threatened Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus). During migration, in April and May, every patch of the Tiffany is filled with tiny warblers moving north for the summer. River otter can also be spotted swimming up and down the sloughs and beaver will scare you by slapping their tail on the water's surface. Flushed turkey, grouse, and woodcock can be a bit startling but magical nonetheless. If you're lucky, or not so lucky, you may be able to spot an endangered massasauga rattlesnake, found only in the southern half of the Tiffany. Garter snakes, various species of frogs and lizards and the occasional foot-long snapping turtle are other wonderful gems that the area is home to.

The dynamic nature of the Tiffany Wildlife Area is what makes it so unique. Cycles from winter to summer and back again, make every visit different and the changes that a bit of rain bring create a great diversity and makes for a wonderful walk.

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