Otsego Marsh

Visitors from 9 to 99 at Otsego Marsh and Goose Pond

Dorothy Haines, a Madison Audubon member for over 50 years (recently featured in our Meet a Birder series), and eight residents of Oakwood Village East visited Goose Pond today and were greeted by thousands of waterfowl and ring-billed gulls and mid-October weather. Dorothy enjoyed stopping at the Browne Prairie and at the Kiosk.

Columbus Grade School has been frequent visitors to Goose Pond and Otsego Marsh this fall. A class visited Otsego Marsh today and as they hiked up the trail a teacher said, "We are going to see what has changed since we were here last."

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A tale of two paddlers

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A tale of two paddlers

Two months ago, I made my first trip to Madison Audubon's Otsego Marsh property (click here for a map) just northeast of Goose Pond Sanctuary. Never heard of it? You're not alone; it's a hidden gem. And now, I can't stay away!

If you haven't made it out there yet this summer, we invite you to visit. It's free, open to all, and an easy drive. There's a parking lot, a hiking trail through the woods, easy put-in locations for canoes and kayaks, and best of all, it's the site of our latest land purchase.

Madison Audubon photo

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Celebrating and Mourning Earth Day

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Although the timing was fortuitous, Madison Audubon celebrated Earth Day in an especially wonderful way. We agreed to buy land that will dramatically improve one of our smaller sanctuaries.

Otsego Marsh is a mostly wonderful 80 acres that Madison Audubon owns in Columbia County, about 15 minutes north and east of Goose Pond. It contains a nice marsh and upland woods. Madison Audubon has worked to improve the woods, most recently with some tree-planting last year. A path runs through the woods, enabling you to see some nice spring ephemerals right about now.

Photo by Graham Steinhauer