The Nels P. Evjue Memorial Forest, better known as the Merrill School Forest, is a place where education meets nature not only for students but for an entire community.
The forest is comprised of 764 acres of mixed hardwoods and conifers on the rolling hills north of Merrill. A trail system winds through the forest, allowing hikers to experience the abundant wildlife nestled among the trees and waterways.
The forest was created in 1944 thanks to a donation of 598 acres by William T. Evjue, an 1898 Merrill High School graduate. Evjue donated the land in memory of his father, Nels, a pioneer Merrill woodsman.
More than 60 years later, the forest provides lessons on Mother Nature for thousands of students each year.
"In all the practices we do here, we want to show (people) sound resource management practices they can carry on (in life)," said school forest director Mary Wendorf.
Wendorf described the forest as a working classroom with students of all ages visiting nearly every day. From the study of insects by first graders to the improvement of trout stream habitats by middle-schoolers, students are learning how to preserve the environment for future generations.
One of the achievements of the forest has been the ability to cut energy costs for the lodge and kitchen facility. Instead of using electricity, tree tops left over from logging in the forest are used in an outdoor woodstove. Wendorf said using the renewable resource saves roughly $2,000 in energy costs each year.
Selective logging also is important in the forest. Not only does it provide cash flow for the forest projects, but it creates open spaces for wildlife in the otherwise heavily forested area.
Bordered by the Wisconsin River, the forest also has Ripley Creek, which is known for trout, and a pond created by a manmade dam.
The forest is not just for students. Community service organizations, local residents and nursing home residents frequently make use of the observation deck and lodge.
Ten miles of hiking trails throughout the forest also offer cross country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. The forest is even supported by local residents through the Friends of the School Forest.
"It truly is a treasure, and I can't tell you how beautiful it is out here," Wendorf said.Wausau Daily Herald via Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
