Cofrin Center for Biodiversity

G. Douglass Cofrin Gateway.

The Cofrin Memorial Arboretum forms a natural boundary of 290 acres encircling the UW Green Bay campus and providing ready access for field trips and research projects. Several miles of trails afford opportunity to enjoy the aesthetic and ecological features of the Arboretum and are used frequently by joggers, skiers, bird watchers and people out for casual walks in all seasons of the year.

The Cofrin Arboretum was established to restore and preserve natural areas for their ecological, educational, and aesthetic values. The purpose of the Arboretum is to restore and preserve some of Wisconsin’s native ecological communities and to provide a place where people can enjoy and appreciate nature. It serves both the University and the local community as a popular destination for hiking, recreation, and outdoor learning. Emphasis is placed on the protection, enrichment, and development of native Wisconsin plant communities and areas of special ecological significance. Forests, prairies, ponds, and creeks represent some of the major communities thriving in the Arboretum. The Arboretum also contributes significantly to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay environment, surely one of the most beautiful college campus in the United States.

campus air photo. The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Cofrin Memorial Arboretum is one of the most significant remnants of green space in the rapidly growing metropolitan area of Green Bay. The purpose of the Arboretum is to restore and preserve some of Wisconsin’s native ecological communities and to provide a place where people can enjoy and appreciate nature. It serves both the University and the local community as a popular destination for hiking, recreation, and outdoor learning. The Arboretum also contributes significantly to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay environment, one of the most beautiful college campuses in Wisconsin.

Benefits of the Cofrin Arboretum extend to the campus and to community members. More than 6 miles of trails are open to the public for passive recreation such as hiking, biking, bird-watching, cross-county skiing, and simply meandering. School and non-profit organizations regularly conduct walks and bike rides to raise funds or draw attention to their causes. University and high school classes make use of the Arboretum for lab exercises, field trips, and student projects. Guided tours, informal courses, and workshops are open to the community and are offered throughout the year, with topics ranging from spring flower and bird identification to wetland conservation to animal tracking. Grants are available to UWGB students to conduct independent research on the arboretum lands.

The Arboretum also provides food and shelter for wildlife, including an estimated 45 mammal species, more than 200 resident and migratory bird species, as well as significant populations of native amphibians, reptiles, insects, and other arthropods. The physical proximity to the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary increases the movvement wildlife between the Arboretum and the sanctuary.

The Goals of the Arboretum are to preserve existing natural communities and to develop examples of other communities of this geographic area.

To preserve and reinforce existing natural areas
To re-establish plant communities and wildlife indigenous to northeastern Wisconsin at the time of European settlement in the mid 1800’s
To establish plantings of non-indigenous species that can be expected to
- 1) survive in this climate and
- 2) provide educational benefits for students and visitors
To promote opportunities for research in natural history, environmental science, ecological restoration, and related fields
To foster appreciation of nature through public trails and exhibits
To coordinate planning and activities with other ecologically significant areas in northeastern Wisconsin
To support recreational activities that are harmonious and compatible with the above goals
To prohibit or discourage activities that threaten the integrity of the natural communities and educational opportunities for future generations

Development of the Arboretum is an ongoing process. In addition to the plantings for the purpose of establishing new, representative communities, trail construction and maintenance, pond excavation and landscaping, and the annual burning of the prairie are part of the continuing effort to enhance the ecology and beauty of the Cofrin Arboretum.

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