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The most extensive area of
greenspace within the Green Bay city limits lies
within the Baird Creek Greenway. The Baird Creek
Greenway runs approximately five kilometers along Baird
Creek an covers 375 acres on the northeast side of
Green Bay, WI. Along the eastern edge of the greenway,
along I-43, an exposure of the Maquoketa Formation and
the steep valley sides show excellent glacial
features. Recreational activities including biking,
walking, bird-watching, and
cross-country skiing coexist and benefit a multitude
of users of the Baird Creek Greenway. Trails extend
through lowlands, uplands, prairie, pristine forest
tracts, and a number of scenic vistas.
The
Greenway is a component of
Green Bay's green infrastructure that exemplifies the
Community Open Space Partnership principles that call for ecological, diverse,
 connected,
and engaging open spaces. Among the most exemplary
facet of the Greenway is the community-driven nature of
its protection. In 1997, a critical 35-acre parcel was
threatened by pending development within Parkway.
Concerned citizens formed the Baird Creek Parkway
Preservation Foundation and spearheaded the
acquisition of a key link in the Baird Creek Greenway
system containing areas of old growth forest and a
high diversity of plants and animals. A community-wide
fundraising campaign resulted in individuals,
community
photo by Tony Galt
organizations, school
groups, foundations, and government
successfully worked together to purchase the parcel.
The Foundation continues its mission to assist the
city of Green Bay to acquire land in the Baird Creek
Greenway and to help enhance the Greenway's value as an
ecological and educational resource for northeastern
Wisconsin.
Applied Ecological Services (AES)
was retained in the summer of 2002 by the Baird Creek
Parkway Preservation Foundation to conduct an
ecological study of the Greenway in Green Bay. AES conducted field
investigations throughout the entire Greenway to map,
assess, and document the current ecological condition
and potential impacts and threats to the ecological
health of the Greenway. These recommendations will be
submitted to the City of Green Bay for incorporation
into the city's master plan for the Greenway and
surrounding areas.
Baird Creek Greenway provides
wildlife habitat, protects water quality, manages
flood and storm water, and leaves a legacy of our
natural heritage for future generations. The Greenway
also provides a diversity of experiences for the
residents of and visitors to Green Bay. Working
together, the Baird Creek Parkway Preservation
Foundation and the City of Green Bay Parks,
Recreation, and Forestry Department hope to protect
the more than 300 acres of designated Greenway that
still need to be acquired to preserve this special
urban treasure.
For more information contact
Charles Frisk at (920)-489-1956 or
Kim Diaz at
(920)-406-6572, visit the
Baird Creek Parkway Preservation Foundation
website, or contact the City of Green Bay Parks, Recreation, and
Forestry Department at (920)-448-3365.
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