Skunk Creek Woods State Natural Area

Skunk Creek Woods features a northern dry-mesic forest situated within a large expansive peatland. Medium to large red oak and white pine dominate the canopy. Associated trees include white oak, black cherry, mountain ash, and paper birch. Yellow birch, sugar maple, red maple, and eastern hop-hornbeam are also present. Common shrubs are huckleberry, northern bush-honeysuckle, American fly-honeysuckle, maple-leaved viburnum, and sweet fern. The ground layer contains many dry-mesic associated species. Plants noted include wild columbine, wild sarsaparilla, big-leaf aster, three-leaved goldthread, Canada bunchberry, wild strawberry, American starflower, partridgeberry, naked miterwort, round-leaved shin-leaf, rosy twisted stalk, Canada mayflower, and nodding trillium.

Breeding birds include broad-winged hawk, black-billed cuckoo, red-headed woodpecker, pileated woodpecker, great-crested flycatcher, yellow-throated vireo, black-throated green warbler, pine warbler, ovenbird, and scarlet tanager. Rare and uncommon species found here include the state-threatened red-shouldered hawk, golden-winged warbler, and the four-toed salamander.

Skunk Creek Woods is owned by Wood County and was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.

Source: Wisconsin State Natural Area Program