Review of the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary http://www.baybeachwildlife.com/ Along with the Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo in nearby Suamico, Wisconsin, the Green Bay area features another animal attraction. In this case, it is the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, which was originally envisioned to be a golf course, but shifted focus to become an animal refuge in 1935. Throughout its operation, the Sanctuary became well known for its work with Canada geese, with its banding program becoming Wisconsin’s longest running of its kind. A master plan began in the 1980’s that called for the opening of multiple new animal exhibits and buildings, which still stand to this day. I’ve been to this institution once, maybe twice, before when I was really young. However, other than the deer exhibit and an indoor play area, I remember nothing else, so I saw the place with mostly fresh eyes and a couple glimmers of memory. I found this wildlife facility to be a pleasant experience on the whole. There are some older enclosures and some species that I can easily find in the wilds of my home state, but the educational aspects and general presentation, particularly with some of the more major animal areas, make up for it. Animal Exhibit Complexes Wildlife Habi-Trek – This complex is without a doubt the strongest in the Sanctuary, and part of that is because of a pair of habitats that is simply spectacular. Up first is an enormous slice of woodland for five gray wolves. The viewing is mainly through chain-link fencing, along with a set of windows within the “Woodland Building,” looking into a fantastic oasis of grass, rolling hills, rocky sections, and large trees that provide ample amounts of shade. It is surely one of the greatest wolf enclosures I’ve ever seen, and also includes a plethora of educational signage by the windows, highlighting the recovery of Wisconsin wolf populations and pack life. The second exhibit is down the pathway, and houses white-tailed deer (strangely I only saw one doe), a pair of sandhill cranes, and wild turkeys. It has more of a feel of a forest edge, with tall trees, large tangles of branches, and shrubs predominantly on the sides, opening up to a pasture in the center of the enclosure. The guest viewing here is also great, with open views across most of the area, along with a tall tower that climbs a couple stories, providing a wonderful vista of the deer habitat. Other than those two star exhibits, there is also an incredibly lush coyote habitat featuring a few rock outcrops (no canines to be seen unfortunately), a small cage for ravens, and another cage that currently sits empty. Also included in this complex is the “Woodland Building,” featuring both interior and exterior exhibits. On the outside, there is a string of rocky exhibits containing river otters, bobcats, red foxes, and a single cougar. These have a few natural features and up-close viewing, but are a bit small in terms of size. One element I found interesting was the waterfall that begins in the otter area spills into a stream, cuts through the next two sections, and ends in the cougar exhibit. Going into the building takes one past the underwater viewing into the otters’ deep pool, and a series of well-done graphics that educate the importance of forests, and how conservation and tree usage has evolved over the years. I was quite impressed with the detail presented in the info, both visually and factually. Apart from the wolf viewing windows, the last area is a dark hallway with nocturnal wildlife. First up is a terrarium with two snake species, followed by a mink (larger than I anticipated) and an opossum each residing in exhibits that are on the small side, but offer some variety in terms of design, and come with a little burrow. Next, white-footed mice (a first for me) and a chipmunk have terrariums each with two levels, while next-door is an average-sized exhibit that could use more branches for Eastern screech owls. Then, the best exhibit here features a spacious mixed-species environment for eastern cottontail and flying squirrel, complete with artificial tree trunks. The last enclosure is another reptile terrarium, this time a rocky one with a large pool housing a variety of turtle species, including snapping, painted, Blanding’s, and wood. Nature Center – A stunning lodge-like structure that serves as an education building for the most part. Several artifacts are scattered around the main room, including glass cases of beehives, animal footprints, scat samples, and other intriguing finds in nature. The highlights, however, are the larger than life replicas of hollowed trees, burrows, and even a pond ecosystem; most have many taxidermy animals accompanying the displays, along with interactive signs detailing how these living things correspond with one another. The best feature is how they are combined into play areas for children; for example, there is a slide that shoots through the artificial pond, and the burrows are able to crawled through. Live animals are not absent from this building though, as there are a number of tiny terrariums for smaller species, but most of them are rather basic in appearance. Some of them include Madagascar hissing cockroach, leopard gecko, African pygmy hedgehog, Eastern tiger salamander, and White’s tree frog. The only exception is a cage for a salmon-crested cockatoo (which I assume is used for educational programs) that can be viewed through glass. Birds of Prey Loop – Wow – that’s a lot of raptors! Other than a decent walkthrough wetland aviary (containing hooded merganser, American wigeon, pintail, wood duck, green-winged teal, redhead, Richardson’s goose, blue-winged teal, and canvas back), the exhibits hold perhaps the largest collection of birds of prey I’ve seen in any zoological establishment. The best habitat is towards the end of the loop, containing a trio of bald eagles; it is very roomy, packed with vegetation, a mix of glass and mesh viewing, and is overall excellent for the U.S. national emblem. Aside from that, the aviaries range from enclosed glass-and-wood enclosures for the very small species, to cages ranging from small to average-sized with some perches, to large, grassy cages that offer a decent amount of height for some of the larger species. A sample of the raptor species: bald eagle, snowy owl, white-tailed kite (another first), turkey vulture, red-tailed hawk, Northern goshawk (another first), great horned owl, peregrine falcon, merlin, Cooper’s hawk (these two were firsts), and golden eagle. Observation Building – The primary feature here is the nursery for orphaned or rehabilitating wildlife. Visitors can observe animal check-ups or procedures through a window, and from behind a counter in a next-door room. This is also the start of the “Resch Conservation Wing,” where a hall of animal exhibits can be found. It begins with a large-sized terrarium for a common boa, before one is engulfed into a dark room where African straw-colored fruit bats can be seen in a decent exhibit. Up next, visitors enter a boardwalk that looks into a trio of nicely designed aviaries, two of which are fronted by piano wire. The first is a forest aviary that has varied terrain and foliage (for cardinal, cedar waxwing, and more), followed by one resembling the grasslands (some residents being Eastern bluebird and mourning dove), and finally a coastal habitat with a shallow pool and scenery pieces like a dock and beach signs (containing mallard, Franklin’s gull, black-crowned night heron, among others). Before turning back to the beginning, there is a little room tucked away, where a native fish tank can be found though no one seemed to be occupying it on my visit. A snake terrarium for corn snake and one other species (don’t recall) is the last exhibit seen before exiting the hall. Visitor Experiences In contrast with most wildlife facilities that I’ve visited, the Sanctuary is divided into two areas: the birds of prey and Observation Building are adjacent to one another, while down the road, the Nature Center and Wildlife Habi-Trek are situated next to each other. Both offer a gorgeous setting to walk through, whether it is alongside a lake teaming with waterfowl, or weaving down a trail in a dense, green forest. Apart from an archway that visitors drive under, there is no specific entrance plaza to be found – probably due to the two separate sections of the property. Mention must also be made of the nearby Amusement Park in the Bay Beach area. I didn’t venture over there on the day of my visit, but I remember going on some of the rides when I was younger. Due to the small size of the facility and the Park’s close proximity, this may probably explain why there are very little amenities at the Sanctuary. Between some thrills and viewing Wisconsin wildlife, a family can definitely have a great day at Bay Beach! This being said, there are some other elements on offer here. In addition to the play areas in the Nature Center, a couple amphitheaters can be found at the end of the Birds of Prey Loop and on the Wildlife Habi-Trek; a feeding area where visitors can toss corn to greedy geese and ducks; a dock where one can go fishing; numerous hiking trails; a small gift shop in the Nature Center; and a separate path that takes one past a couple of stunning waterfalls. I didn’t go down this route, but I could see one of the falls while driving by. HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Three times a week, the Sanctuary hosts a wolf feeding, in which the canines are fed chunks of meat from a deer carcass. I had the pleasure of being able to witness this event during my visit. After being let out into their spacious forest, the wolves went straight for their meal by the windows. Watching the pack devour food as they may in nature, along with seeing some pack dynamic behaviors, was very cool. The omega wolf was hanging out in a cave, while the rest of the dogs got their food, including the two alphas that were protecting their quarry from the other members. OVERALL: The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary may have mostly familiar native species, but what swings it back into favor are the pretty grounds, its educational details, and a number of above-average exhibits (particularly on the Wildlife Habi-Trek). It is a pleasant blend of old-fashioned/new and naturalistic exhibitry, a nature museum, and a hike through the woods. I don’t know if it’s worth going out of the way for, but definitely nice to spend a couple hours at if in the area. If one were to tackle Green Bay’s animal attractions, I can easily see someone going to either Bay Beach or NEW Zoo for a few hours, followed by the other facility afterwards. As of my visit a couple weeks ago, the Nature Center was in the midst of an expansion. Based on what I could find online, it appears to be now open under the title “Learning and Conservation Center.”
That would be a California Kingsnake. This will be a new home for the nature-based kindergarten program. The nature center also has a hidden exhibit for Painted Ladies, which may be seen by going down the staircase next to the gift shop.
A bit delayed on my part, but I appreciate the replies and updates! Enjoy the photos, now up in the gallery.
