Enter stage right, the muskrat, a resident of Cherokee Marsh. The muskrat, the not-often-thought-about rodent. O muskrat! O you, the poor man’s beaver! Ondatra zibethicus is its scientific name, and it is found almost everywhere in Canada and the United States. Yet, how often do we think about it? How often are muskrats championed?

Results of the Spring 2025 Snake Survey at the North Unit of Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park

American White Pelicans in the "Cherokee Lake" area of the Yahara River

On a frigid winter’s day, it did happen. I saw a coyote on the trail.