Welcome to the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity

History

by Andy Paulios

Green Bay has changed drastically since the French first explored the Bay in the mid to late 1600's. Upon their arrival, they called the Bay "Baye des Puants" after the great amount of mud and mire seen along the shorelines. Both Green Bay and the "Rivies des Puants" (Fox River) were noted for large numbers of "bustards, ducks, teal, and swans" which were attracted to extensive beds of "wild oats" (wild rice). Grassy marshes made up the east shore of the Fox River. Early explorers of Green Bay and the Fox River wrote of the vast forests that bordered the bay: hemlock, pine, spruce, and fir along the east side, and cedar and tamarack on the west that gradually gave way to mixed hardwoods that continued into Minnesota. Crossing these deep impenetrable forests to the Mississippi and Wisconsin River trade routes was nearly impossible.

People and Pt. Sauble

Point au Sauble, 1873 During the past century Point au Sauble has been owned by residents who have generally maintained the natural qualities of the site. Development on the point itself has been limited to several semi-permanent structures used as duck hunting camps. In order to prevent Pt. Sauble from being developed, each member of the early camps agreed to sell his share of the point only to one of the other members. John Rose, the last remaining member of the duck camp, donated his property to the Nature Conservancy in 1997. Coupled with two earlier purchases at the base of the point, The Nature Conservancy now owns a significant part of the point and adjacent land, to be forever preserved as an example of a Great Lakes coastal ecosystem.

Since Point au Sauble is the only large wetland on the east shore, it attracts thousands of waterfowl that stage in Green Bay before spring and fall migrations. After the Civil War and before strict game laws were in place, market hunters and sport hunters would shoot ducks of all kinds during these periods of high waterfowl concentration. Hunters were able to push their skiffs within range of feeding flocks and kill dozens at a time. It has been estimated that no less than half a million waterfowl were shot in lower Green Bay during the late 1800's and early 1900's. Most of these ducks were brought to market in Chicago for ten to twenty cents apiece. Duck numbers have been reduced significantly since that time, and the lower Green Bay ecosystem has changed significantly. However, Point au Sauble has remained one of the best duck hunting areas in northeastern Wisconsin.

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