User:LeahDS/sandbox

Grant Park
Grant Park is located along Lake Michigan in South Milwaukee, WI. It is a popular area due to its proximity to the lake, with a beach, and hiking trails throughout. A favorite trail found here is called Seven Bridges. Grant park is managed by the Milwaukee County Parks. There is also a Friends of Grant Park website for more information.

History
The Milwaukee County park system was new in the early 1900's. The park system was looking for a horticulturist and found Frederick C. Wulff in Germany, since there were no colleges teaching horticulture in America. He moved to America and built his home, in 1917, in Grant Park, now known as Wulff Lodge. Wulff had a nursery outside of his home where he grew many of the plants for the park system, plants still found today. Wulff created paths around his home, which was what started the Seven Bridges trail

Natural History
There are many different landscapes, such as the lake shore (Lake Michigan), bluffs, forests, and grasslands. This is an ideal habitat for many different species, both plants and animals. In 2016, a BioBlitz was done over a 24-hour period, to determine how many species could be found. There were 976 species found, +8 that were reported on site. Some species found include fish, amphibians and reptiles, mammals, other invertebrates, spiders, birds, insects, and plants.

Mammals and Birds:
White-tailed deer, Big brown bat, raccoon, Eastern grey squirrel, woodchuck, American robin, Belted kingfisher, Black-capped chickadee, Great blue heron, Great horned owl, and Red-bellied woodpecker

Fish, amphibians, and invertebrates:
Bluegill, Rainbow trout, American toad, Bullfrog, Painted turtle, Pond snail, and Fairy shrimp

Plants:
Different mushrooms, Queen-Anne's lace, Black-eyed Susan, Goldenrods, many different grasses, Beech tree, Shagbark hickory, White oak, and Sugar maple