Cofrin Center for Biodiversity

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G. Douglass Cofrin Gateway
- Introduction
- Tribute to G. D. Cofrin
Lenfestey Family Courtyard
Observation Tower

G. Douglass Cofrin Gateway

The Cofrin Arboretum Gateway was dedicated in August, 2003 to commemorate the generosity of G. Douglass (Doug) Cofrin and his family. This green corridor links the center of campus with a 7+ mile trail system in the Cofrin Memorial Arboretum, a 300 acre natural area surrounding the campus.

The Gateway Trellis will provide a structure for native vines like Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), a member of the grape family. Old fields typically harbor many non-native species, but goldenrods (Solidago spp.), asters (Aster spp.) and other native wildflowers are abundantly evident in the Gateway during late summer and autumn. Animals frequently seen in this area include White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and grassland songbirds like Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) and Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida).

Gateway Trellis.

The Gateway today is mainly “old field,” a mixture of grasses, shrubs, and other plants that have colonized abandoned agricultural fields. Natural succession and strategic plantings eventually will transform this area into a forested corridor, symbolic of the growth and maturity of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay itself.

planting oaks along the gateway. In October 2002, students, faculty, staff and community members planted approximately 100 oak seedlings in an effort to hasten the transition from old field to forest. Acorns from white oaks in the UW-Green Bay (Shorewood) Golf Course had been collected and planted by Dr. Brock Robinson, an area physician and neighbor of the university. The Shorewood oaks, some of which exceed 150 years in age, are remnants of the area’s original vegetation described by land surveyors in the 1840’s.

Biodiversity Topics: Introduction . Plants . Animals . Mammals . Birds . Reptiles & Amphibians . Arthropods . Spiders . Insects