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Train Ride in the Tiffany Wildlife Area
May 13 @ 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Description: Board an antique open-air train and ride into the most remote areas of the Tiffany Wildlife Area! Enjoy stops with short hikes into floodplain forests, savannas, and prairies with views of the Chippewa River while you learn about the ecology and history of the area.
Mid-May is the peak of spring migration. Birds will be brightly attired, active, and vocal throughout the day. With luck, we’ll see newly arrived resident species, as well as birds headed to Canada to raise the next generation of boreal migrants.
Learn about historical people and events very specific to the lands and waters of the Tiffany Wildlife Area, and land protection in the greater Chippewa River watershed.
Children are welcome, however, the educational content will be for an adult audience. No seatbelts are provided in the antique open-air train cars.
Read more about the guides for this event down below. You do not want to miss this unique opportunity!
The Tiffany Train
Location: On Hwy 25, just south of Durand; Buffalo County.
Parking Area: Across from the intersection of Thibodeau Road and Hwy 25, 4.5 miles south of Durand, WI
Registration: Capacity is limited! Sign up today! Adults: $20 | Kids: $10
What to Bring: Water, insect repellent, sunscreen, binoculars, and field guides. Wear appropriate footwear and field clothing.
Meet Our Guides!
Birds: Craig Thompson
Craig Thompson started working for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) when gas was 86 cents a gallon. Over the past 30 years, he’s held a variety of positions with the Department, specializing in migratory bird conservation and protected areas management.
He currently serves as Chief of Program Integration for the DNR’s Natural Heritage Conservation (NHC) Program. Craig has a clinical obsession with birding in the tropics, especially during Wisconsin’s chilly winters.
Craig Thompson
NHC Program Integration Chief
Craig.Thompson@wisconsin.gov
608-785-1277
Land Protection: Rick Remington
Rick is a native of central Wisconsin, and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. Rick has worked in conservation throughout the Midwest, Maine, and Kentucky in land management, restoration, and legal land protection before joining the Landmark Conservancy staff in 2002. In his spare time, Rick serves as Board President of the Menomonie Market Food Co-op, and enjoys a variety of outdoor pursuits including running, biking, gardening, and spending time outdoors with his wife and daughter. Rick leads the Landmark conservation team from the Menomonie office.
History: Terry Mesch
Terry Mesch was the Pepin County Recycling/Solid Waste Coordinator and Community Development Outreach Specialist for over 20 years before retiring in 2014. He is known informally as the Pepin County historian and has managed the Old Courthouse Museum in Durand, Wis. as a volunteer for nearly two decades. He knows hundreds of stories and anecdotes about the area from pre-historic times to the present.
Geomorphology of the Lower Chippewa River: Zach Hilgendorf
Zach is a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He is also a graduate of the same program, with a B.S. in Environmental Geography, an M.S. in Geography from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and a PhD in Geography from Arizona State University. Zach’s career focuses on understanding how landforms evolve over time and space and how human interactions alter this evolution. He is most passionate about applying these concepts to restoration of degraded natural systems.
Watch this 6-minute video to learn more about this experience: