Putnam Park is a state natural area owned by the

University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire The University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire (UW–Eau Claire, UWEC or simply Eau Claire) is a public university in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers bachelor's and master's degrees. UW–Eau Claire h ...

. The park is located in the middle of the city of Eau Claire and follows the course of both the Chippewa River to the west and Minnie Creek to the east. Much of the park lies on the boundary of the Third Ward neighborhood. The park sits directly south of a steep section of Harding Avenue, once called "Plank Street Hill." The park is administered by Putnam Park Commission, a body composed of representatives from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, the Eau Claire City Council, and the community at large.

History

The land for the park was donated to the city of Eau Claire in 1909 by Henry Cleveland Putnam. The 230-acre parcel was set in a low-lying area, which Putnam hoped would be conserved as a

botanical Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

laboratory due to the many species of trees and plants found there. In 1957, ownership of the land was transferred from the city to Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire, under the administration of W. R. Davies.

Flora and fauna

The park is mostly forested, especially in the areas closest to the Chippewa River. Impressive

red pine ''Pinus resinosa'', known as red pine (also Norway pine in Minnesota), is a pine native to North America. Description Red pine is a coniferous evergreen tree characterized by tall, straight growth. It usually ranges from in height and in trun ...

and

white pine ''Pinus'', the pines, is a genus of approximately 111 extant tree and shrub species. The genus is currently split into two subgenera: subgenus ''Pinus'' (hard pines), and subgenus ''Strobus'' (soft pines). Each of the subgenera have been further ...

trees dominate the mesic forest portions, while in the wet-mesic portions,

river birch ''Betula nigra'', the black birch, river birch or water birch, is a species of birch native to the Eastern United States from New Hampshire west to southern Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and west to Texas. It is one of the few heat-tol ...

silver maple ''Acer saccharinum'', commonly known as silver maple, creek maple, silverleaf maple, soft maple, large maple, water maple, swamp maple, or white maple, is a species of maple native to the eastern and central United States and southeastern Canad ...

, hackberry,

red maple ''Acer rubrum'', the red maple, also known as swamp maple, water maple, or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. The U.S. Forest Service recognizes it as the most abundant nativ ...

and

paper birch ''Betula papyrifera'' (paper birch, also known as (American) white birch and canoe birch) is a short-lived species of birch native to northern North America. Paper birch is named for the tree's thin white bark, which often peels in paper like ...

varieties can be found. Putnam Park is also a common place to see

wildlife Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted ...

. Despite being located in an otherwise urban setting, visitors have often described seeing large mammals like

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...

, woodchucks, and beavers. The park also offers opportunities for birdwatching, with species like

hawks Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfamily ...

wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey, which was originally d ...

woodpeckers Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions. ...

and

eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, jus ...

being sighted regularly.

Recreation

Putnam Park is a haven for walkers, runners, bikers, birdwatchers or nature-enthusiasts. There are many trails found throughout the park for walkers or runners. Sections of the park may also be accessed by car, though cars may traverse the road section (called Putnam Drive) of the trail by starting at the base of the hill on Garfield Avenue at the

. Cars may also access a small parking lot from the eastern side of the Third Ward on Putnam Drive, but are forbidden from driving east to west as the road is one-way. Putnam Drive is a popular spot for runners and is included in a section of the full race in the Eau Claire Marathon.Marathon Route
PDF, Eau Claire Marathon; retrieved 22 July 2009

References

{{coord, 44, 47, 49, N, 91, 28, 58, W, type:landmark_region:US-WI, display=title Eau Claire, Wisconsin Parks in Wisconsin Protected areas of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire Protected areas established in 1909 1909 establishments in Wisconsin