Preserve Audio Trail

…featuring the Class of 1918 Marsh Audio Field Trip & Poetry Trail

A small green sign marks the location of an Audio Trail station at the Willow Creek Woods burial mounds.

The Preserve has so many stories to tell! If only the trees could talk…

Well there is a way to learn about the cultural and natural history of the Preserve, that is almost like hearing it from the trees. Next time you are wondering about the Preserve and you come across a “story spot” marked by one of these small 6 X 10 inch signs, take out your cell phone and give us a call to hear a narrated recording.

Just follow the recorded prompts. There is NO CHARGE to you–just whatever your carrier charges for normal airtime. You’ll hear a 2 minute (or shorter) recording on a variety of topics. There are tales about what happened a thousand years ago and stories about on-going projects.

The Class of 1918 Marsh Audio Field Trip (#20-35) was created in memory of Professor Stanley Dodson who died in 2009. Professor Dodson believed that small, shallow waters like this marsh were especially useful to help people of all ages understand the relationship between a water body and its surroundings. This field trip is developed around the way he might have introduced you to the marsh, and its life, as he did for so many students. The Class of 1918 Marsh Audio Field Trip was made possible by contributions to, and efforts of, the Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve.

The Friends of the Preserve have hosted the “It’s in Our Nature” open mic event since 2020. Now the annual event has been turned into a Poetry Trail, featuring poets of all experience levels. “It’s in Our Nature” bring writers together to share their small curiosities, sweeping odes, or any piece of environmental writing in between. You can take a walk and listen to the poems in Preserve or visit the Friends Poetry: It’s in Our Nature webpage  listen to or read the poems from anywhere.

Take along a map…and visit ALL the stops on the Audio Trail

Why not make a treasure hunt excursion out of trying to reach all of the “story spots?” Print an Audio Trail Map.

You can also find this map posted on the information kiosks at the following major trailheads:

  • On the Lakeshore Path at the bottom of Muir Woods (near the stairs)
  • Picnic Point (near the stone wall/ parking area)
  • Frautschi Point (near the stone wall/parking area)

You can listen to the stories right now!

You can listen to the recordings online or download them to your mobile device and listen to them as you walk the Preserve.

1. Muir Woods Restoration / Open audio file / Read more about this topic / Read the transcript

2. Reading the Landscape / Open audio file / Read more about this topic /  Read the transcript

3. Madison Park and Pleasure Drive / Open audio file / Read more about this topic / Read the transcript

5. Friends of the Preserve / Open audio file / Read more about this topic / Read the transcript

6. Picnic Point Farmhouse / Open audio file / Read more about this topic / Read the transcript

7. Biocore Prairie Restoration / Open audio file / Read more about this topic / Read the transcript

8. Summer Cottages / Open audio file / Read more about this topic / Read the transcript

9. Tent Colony / Open audio file / Read more about this topic / Read the transcript

10. Save the Woods! / Open audio file / Read more about this topic / Read the transcript

20. Intro to the Class of 1918 Marsh Field Trip / Open audio file / Read the transcript

21. Geological Origin / Open audio file / Read the transcript

22. Native Americans / Open audio file / Read the transcript

23. A Changing Wetland / Open audio file / Read the transcript

24. Marsh Basics / Open audio file / Read the transcript

25. Cattails / Open audio file / Read the transcript

26. Red-winged Blackbirds / Open audio file / Read the transcript

27. More on Birds / Open audio file / Read the transcript

28. Toads / Open audio file / Read the transcript

29. Leopard Frogs / Open audio file / Read the transcript

30. Aquatic Insects / Open audio file / Read the transcript

31. Water Fleas / Open audio file / Read the transcript

32. Winter and Ice / Open audio file / Read the transcript

33. Fishes / Open audio file / Read the transcript

34. Hydrology / Open audio file / Read the transcript

35. Future of the Marsh/Open audio file/ Read the transcript

36. Overview of the Class of 1918 Marsh / Open audio file / Read the transcript

40.-64. Visit the Friends of the Preserve Poetry: It’s in Our Nature webpage

 Happy trails!