Wildlife refuge established on West Lake Okoboji
Note:
This article was first published in the Summer 2004 edition of
INHF's quarterly magazine.
 Lois
Morgan of Spirit Lake has donated 15 wooded acres on West Lake
Okoboji to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) in order
to create a wildlife sanctuary. The site will be named Wheeler
Heritage Woods in honor of Morgan's parents, Mark and Sybil Wheeler,
and her grandparents, George and Ella Wheeler. Morgan's grandparents
purchased the site in 1900, and she has fond memories of the love
and work all three generations put into the land.
At Morgan's request,
the site will not be open to the public. Instead, it will be set
aside as a wildlife refuge or, in her words, "a place where
the wildlife can rest, not be harassed and chased and hounded."
The donated property includes more than 266 feet of undeveloped
shoreline on Brown's Bay in the southeastern portion of West Lake
Okoboji. It also contains mature woodland maple and basswood trees
and a stand of bur oak-important habitat for a wide variety of
birds and mammals.
"This land was
always a special place to me and to my parents and grandparents,"
said Morgan. "I have wonderful memories of the woods, especially
Mother and I walking in the woods. She called it traipsing. She'd
say, 'Come on, Lois. Let's go traipsing!'
"Mother loved
the woods," Morgan added. "Mother knew all the birds,
the flowers and plants. We'd see songbirds-many more than we have
now-and lots of other animals."
The community has
known this area as Wheeler Woods for many years. Morgan lived
on the property from 1945 to 2003. The Wheelers also allowed six
generations of several families to camp and enjoy the property.
The word heritage was added to the site name to reflect the long-term
commitment to protection and stewardship of this natural area-first
by three generations of the Wheeler family, now by INHF.
Though public use
is not allowed, everyone who uses the lake benefits from the natural
shoreline and woodland-which looks much like it did when the family
bought the land more than a century ago.
"Lakeshore refuges
like this are rare," noted Mark Ackelson, INHF president.
"Mrs. Morgan has protected a marvelous part of the lake's
natural areas. Thank you, Lois!"
For more information,
e-mail Cathy Engstrom,
INHF Communications Director, or call (515) 288-1846.
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