State Natural Area Filled with Beauty

Wisconsin was first in the nation to have a statewide natural area program, and it will celebrate it's 60th year in 2012.  We have 653 State Natural Areas with 358,000 acres of prairies, forests and wetlands in Wisconsin. Learn more about our nature heritage in this article from the Wisconsin DNR.

MADISON – The nation’s first statewide natural area protection program turns 60 this year and wears it well, Wisconsin’s top land official says.

Six hundred fifty-three designated State Natural Areas preserve 358,000 acres of prairies, forests, and wetlands that are among the best of their kind left in Wisconsin and are a vital refuge for endangered plants and animals, says Kurt Thiede, administrator of the Department of Natural Resources’ land-related programs.

“The 60th anniversary is a time to celebrate with citizens and partners and to recognize the hard work done so far,” Thiede says. In addition to DNR, 51 other agencies, organizations, local governments, land trusts and private citizens have designated State Natural Areas on their own lands, and such sites account for one-third of all State Natural Areas.

Full Story State Natural Areas protect some of Wisconsin’s best natural landscapes

Enjoy nature on your own property!  Listings across Wisconsin BuyWisconsinLand.com

Who's the Mitten State?

If you are on Twitter or Facebook you already know that Travel Wisconsin, the State Tourism Bureau, has changed it's logo to a mitten that has the shape of Wisconsin.  In fact, they recently changed the original brown mitten to a green and gold one, in light of the Packers success.

What you may not know is that many people in Michigan are quite upset about this.  They believe that their state, not ours, looks like a mitten and that Wisconsin has taken their identity.  Many news stories and blogs have been showing up about this issue.  Here's a selection of them, from both sides, so you can decide where you fall on this mitten state debate.

From WBAY.com in Green Bay - The Great Wisconsin-Michigan Mitten Flap

From Examiner.com - Mittengate - Wisconsin adopts mangled hand logo

From NPR.com - Michiganders Get Territorial About Mitten Comparison

From the Detroit Free Press - Freep.com readers take the gloves off in mitten debate

From USAToday.com - Michigan gives thumbs down to Wisconsin's mitten travel campaign

From the DailyMail.com in the UK - The gloves are off! Michigan and Wisconsin trade blows out over which state looks more like a MITTEN

From Gawker.com - Dumbest War Ever Erupts Over Which State Looks Most Like a Mitten

Wisconsin Odd History

History includes tributes to the brave, the adventureous, the generous...and the odd.

Wisconsin has had it share of odd history as well, some funny like Filthy Lucre, some happy like The Man Who Vanished, some interesting like Aunt Mary Ann and some just puzzling like Legislator Obsessed with Underwear.

Read more odd stories and information about the History of Wisconsin, check out the Wisconsin Historical Society's website wisconsinhistory.org

We here at BuyWisconsinLand.com wish everyone a safe and fun fulled 4th of July weekend.