Events

Ladysmith Residents Turn Out for Prairie 101
August 2, 2008

On August 2, the Flambeau Mining Company and a local business, the Ladysmith Veterinary Clinic, co-hosted a Prairie Workshop for local residents featuring presentations and prairie tours.

Dr. Julian and Terresa Lang, owners of the Ladysmith Veterinary Clinic, have developed their very own one and a half-acre prairie, the Lang Prairie Plot, south of Ladysmith in the Grant Town development area. They decided to install a prairie to avoid the time consuming job of mowing and enjoy the fact that the beauty of the wildflowers and native grasses provides an added benefit - providing a food source for birds and butterflies.

The Lang’s daughter-in-law, Jody Lang, a Wildlife Biologist, assisted the Langs by designing, planting, and providing consultation on the maintenance of the Lang prairie. Jody’s prairie experience includes working for the WDNR doing invasive species control on prairies.

The half-day workshop started with presentations on the value of prairie and other grasslands, how to start a prairie, and maintenance required by prairies. Following this, residents toured the Lang Prairie Plot, where Jody identified the numerous prairie plant species found in the Plot, and those native prairie plantings to be found on the Reclaimed Flambeau Mine site.

If you missed this opportunity, the Reclaimed Flambeau Mine Nature Trails are open to the public and now through fall is a great time to enjoy the natural beauty of the prairies.

Halloween Hunt
October 28, 2006

If you were visiting the Reclaimed Flambeau Mine Nature Area on the morning of October 28, you might have seen a princess, football player, witch, ladybug and court jester, just to name a few of the characters. Costumed children were on hand for a Halloween Hunt. Like an Easter egg hunt, children had a chance to search for Halloween treats in the Reclaimed Flambeau Mine Nature Area. But what they didn’t know was that for each age group one of the smaller, hidden prizes was marked for a special grand prize. Mikayla Izdepski, a witch, won the 4 yr and under prize which was a VTech Write & Learn Smartboard. Shannon Isham, a princess, won a Leapfrog LeapPad for the 5 to 8 yr age group. And, Alyssa Schwaller, a witch, won a Leapfrog IQuest for the 9 to 12 yr age group. Every child wearing a costume was entered into a drawing for a gift card. Hannah Izdepski, a Packer football player, won the gift card.

Even though the morning was chilly and there were many cold toes peeking out of princess and fairy shoes, the girls and boy (yes, only one boy!) had a fun time searching the prairie for prizes. Happy Halloween!

Leaf It To Rusk Fall Festival
September 23, 2006

Leaf It To Rusk was a county wide fall festival in Rusk County during late September. The Reclaimed Flambeau Mine hosted trail rides on the Copper Park Equestrian Trails and a trivia scavenger hunt along the Reclaimed Flambeau Mine Nature Trails.

Nearly 50 community members turned out to ride Linda Flater’s trail horses that made the trip up from Flater’s Trail Rides near Holcombe, Wisconsin. Many childhood memories were shared by adults remembering when they used to have their own horse and many memories were created by children who hope to have their own horse some day. The threat of rain didn’t keep the riders from turning out and the rain held off all morning so riders stayed dry.

The trivia scavenger hunt required participants to search the Reclaimed Flambeau Mine for answers to many questions. Many of the answers could be found in the newly installed information signs along the Reclaimed Flambeau Mine Nature Trails. Treks were made to the Flambeau River, along the prairie, and next to the wetlands. All those who attempted to answer the questions were eligible for a digital camera. Bill Morgan was the lucky winner of the camera.

2nd Annual Ladysmith Community Walk
September 9, 2006

Healthy Lifestyles for Rusk County held the 2nd Annual Ladysmith Community Walk on the Reclaimed Flambeau Mine Nature Trails. A chilly early morning turned into a beautiful late summer day with the sun shining and the Reclaimed Flambeau Mine wildflowers in full bloom and prairie grasses putting on a show. Nearly 100 community members turned out to enjoy a walk on the four miles of trails located on the Reclaimed Flambeau Mine. Information booths were set up along the trails by Healthy Lifestyles, Flambeau Fitness Incentive Team, Deertail 4-H Wildflower Group, Ladysmith Area Trails Association and Flambeau Mining Company. Walkers with passport cards had their passports validated at each of the display areas to qualify for a prize drawing for a digital camera and fanny pack loaded with trail essentials. If walkers made it to the Flambeau River rest stop along the trails, they could pick up a card to turn in for a t-shirt from the Flambeau Mining Company. Also, as each walker finished their time on the trails, Healthy Lifestyles had gifts for everyone. Everyone had a great time and realized that being active can not only lead to a healthy body, but it can be fun too!

Flambeau Mining Company Unveil Photo Exhibit of Reclaimed Mine Site
September 23, 2006

Flambeau Mining Company unveiled a photo exhibit of the reclaimed Flambeau Mine at the September 23 “Leaf It to Rusk” event. The photos, which will be on display at the Youth & Community Center in Ladysmith, feature nature and wildlife at the reclaimed mine and were documented by award-winning Wisconsin nature photographer Jeff Miller. Following the unveiling, the framed series of images will be on display at the Rusk County Visitors Center through October and other various community locations in the coming months.

The goal of the photo exhibit is to bring some of the best of the reclaimed Flambeau Mine to the community.

“We are very excited about showcasing these beautiful photos to our residents of Rusk County and all of Wisconsin. The purpose of the exhibit is to encourage citizens to visit the reclaimed Flambeau Mine and make use of the thriving recreational and nature area that is there,” said Jana Murphy, environmental manager for the Flambeau Mining Company.

The Flambeau Mine, just south of Ladysmith, Wis., operated from 1993 to 1997 and produced more than 181,000 tons of copper as well as gold and silver. The mine site, which spans more than 180 acres, has since been reclaimed and today is a nature area open to the public for events, hiking, bird watching, horseback riding, river fishing and more.

“The Flambeau Mining Company made promises when the mine was originally proposed to protect the environment, benefit the local community and restore the land to a beneficial use. We work every day to ensure that those promises are kept,” Murphy said.

Miller’s previous photography work has been featured in a variety of state and national publications, including the New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, Science, Nature, Wisconsin Trails and others.

In addition to viewing the photo exhibit, residents will also be able to participate in a “Scavenger Hunt for Information” and horseback rides, both at the reclaimed mine site, as part of the community “Leaf It to Rusk” event.

The photo exhibit and additional photos from the reclaimed mining site can be viewed here.

2nd Annual Conference in the Garden
July 29th 2006

Individuals who visited the Reclaimed Flambeau Mine during the 2nd Annual Conference in the Garden braved the threat of rain followed by an uncomfortably hot day.

The reclaimed mine site was one of the many stops at garden tours being held within the community. Local residents as well as visitors from outside Rusk County had a chance to view a display on the Flambeau Mine in the trailhead parking area before heading out on a guided tour of the Reclaimed Flambeau Mine. Some of the native plants identified were Yellow Coneflower, Wild Bergamot, Stiff Goldenrod, Blue Vervain, Swamp Milkweed and Boneset. With over 250 native plant species, the site is a great place for wildflower enthusiasts or anyone who enjoys walking in a beautiful environment observing nature.

Bird Watch Event
July 2006

Approximately 50 area residents attended the 2006 Bird Watch event hosted cooperatively by the Hunt Hill Audubon Nature Center, DNR Ladysmith Service Center, Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin – Rusk Co. Chapter and Flambeau Mining Company. The July 5 event was held at the reclaimed Flambeau Mine site, and featured presentations on various birds found at the reclaimed site, inspections of the on-site bluebird houses, demonstrations of a red-tailed hawk and great horned owl, and bird watching hikes across the reclaimed site.

4-H Club Wildflower Project Beautifies Parking Lot

The Deertail 4-H Club wildflower members have helped to beautify the parking area at the Department of Natural Resources – Ladysmith Service Center. The Flambeau Riders and Flambeau Mining Company constructed two large wooden planters and split rail fence to connect the planters. The planters and fence separate the DNR parking area from the access road to the trailhead parking for the Copper Park Equestrian Trails.

The 4-H club planted approximately 150 wildflower and grass seedlings in two planters in May and returned in early July to weed the planters and monitor the flowers' growth. Some of the wildflowers growing in the planters are Columbine, Butterflyweed, Purple Coneflower, Spiderwort, Yellow Coneflower, Rattlesnake Master and many other species.

The next time you make a stop at the Ladysmith DNR Service Center, take a moment to admire the 4-H Club Wildflower Project. Or make a special trip to check it out.

Open house welcomes over 600 guests
September 2005

More than 600 area residents came to the reclaimed Flambeau Mine site on a beautiful September day for an open house and grand opening of the equestrian trails.

Thanks to a partnership among the City of Ladysmith, the Flambeau Riders, Inc., and Flambeau Mining Company, five miles of equestrian trails have been built on land adjacent to the reclaimed site. During the open house, Flater's Trail Rides provided rides on the new trail system. About 80 riders of all ages and abilities had the opportunity to be among the first to enjoy the trails.

Guided tours of the site showcased the successful reclamation which has recreated or restored grassland prairies, woodlands and wetlands throughout the site. Four miles of hiking trails have been built and are open to the public year round. The tours also highlighted the many environmental protection features that have been a key part of the project including groundwater monitoring and protection and full protection of the Flambeau River.

The mine's long-term economic impact was on display at the first-ever Community Fair, which featured informational displays about a number of local civic and community organizations. Organizations represented included the Rusk County Historical Society; Ladysmith Industrial Development Corporation; Safe Hunters of Tomorrow; Bluebird Restoration; Northwest Regional Planning; Healthy Lifestyles for Rusk County; Rusk County Community Library; Flambeau Riders, Inc..; and the Ladysmith Area Trails Association.

download Press Release (23 kb pdf)

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