Hi there! My name is Ranger Andie and welcome back to the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway Visitor Center
tour.
Today we're going to be discussing wildlife you can see in and around the river.
Now let's take a peek at some of our exhibits that show off some of that wildlife.
Something you'll notice when you're on the river paddling or hiking along the river,
is that the shoreline of the river is almost completely lined with different aquatic plants.
As you can see, the exhibit behind me shows a couple of those different plants and a couple of the functions and
uses of them including, Wild Rice, Flue Flag, and wild celery.
All of these aquatic plants serve many different purposes for the river and for the greater ecosystem at
hand. For instance, a lot of the plants serve as habitat for many different animals, bugs, insects, you name it!
They also are a food source for us and for the other animals. And, one of the coolest things about them is, as
you can see in this column behind me, the plants have roots that can extend sixteen feet or more into the
ground and they all get tangled and crazy and they actually hold all of the soil together, so it provides a
bigger structure for the land it is on.
Our riverway isn't just home to a bunch of plants. It's also home to countless species of animals. For instance,
as you can see my furry friend behind me, it's home to a bunch of different mammal species including beavers,
otters, and muskrats.
There are also many creepy crawl-y critters including my little friend up here, the crayfish, dragon- and damselflies,
and many different species of mussels.
Whoa! And of course our river is home to a couple of different types of fish like, smallmouth bass,
northern pike, walleye, and unfortunately for us, a couple of different species of invasive carp, like this
big-headed carp right here.
Our riverway is also home to many different types of bird species including, trumpeter swans, lots of different
types of waterfowl, bald eagles, turkey vultures, and belted kingfishers,
All of these many plants and animals have complex interactions that, paired with us people, help make our
river as great as it is today. From things like keeping the water pure, providing lots of abundant fish and wildlife
opportunities, and having great forests and lands to hike in, we owe everything that we do recreationally on the
river to the things living in the air, the water, and the land.
Well, that's it for this episode. Join us next time to learn more about our visitor center. Thanks for coming!