By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published Mar 03, 2002 at 6:34 AM

Milwaukee is a bustling city by anyone's standards (save folks from New York or Chicago), with rush-hour traffic, the night sky afire with the glow from street lighting and fairly heavy population density.

But to escape it all, you need not travel far, and that's part of what makes the city so livable. One nearby refuge is the Wehr Nature Center, in Whitnall Park, which is a beautiful little getaway in any season.

The center -- the stated mission of which is to foster environmental awareness and a conservation ethic in citizens of all ages -- has an assortment of trails that navigate through forest thicket and flower-filled prairie. Although not far from any number of relatively major thoroughfares, the trails are peaceful and suffer from little residual traffic noise.

All sort of birds, chipmunks, rabbits and other small animals can be spied from the trails and deer are no strangers, either. Just don't expect to see the black bears and bison that were reported in the area 200 years ago!

A recent weekend visit found the prairies alive with bees feasting on the nectar of thousands of flowers in bloom and few people on the trails, making for a relaxing, centemplative woodland stroll, less than 20 minutes from downtown.

The center's pavilion is home to a gift shop and a series of wildlife and nature displays. The building also hosts events and outings for schoolchildren and a host of groups meet there, including the Wehr Astronomical Society -- which makes use of the rare dark skies over the park -- and the Wehr Nature Center Camera Club, which offers speakers, slide shows, workshops, competitions, field trips and an annual picnic and awards banquet.

In addition to peaceful walks and the communing with nature, the Wehr also sponsors events likes the annual Prairie Days in July, which comprises music, dancing, animal demonstrations and presentations. There's also an Earth Day celebration and art shows.

The Wehr Nature Center is located in Whitnall Park at 9701 W. College Ave. To reach the center by phone, call (414) 425-8550. Admission is free, but there is a $2.50 charge to park in the lot.

Much of the success of the Wehr Nature Center is the result of work by Friends of Wehr, a group of families, individuals, corporations and foundations that donate the time, energy and funds needed to keep the center functioning. If you'd like to help the Wehr, join the friends group for $15 a year or $25 for a family. Call the center for more information.

Also located in Whitnall Park is the Boerner Botanical Gardens, which, if you haven't visited, is also a treat, with gardens full of beautiful blooms, herbs and more.

Here is some information on the trails at Wehr Nature Center:

Woodland Trail (.5 mi., approximately 30 min.) Winds along a glacial moraine covered by an upland deciduous forest. The forest consists of three layers: a ground layer mostly of wildflowers, a middle layer of shrubs, and the dominant canopy layer consisting of trees. The most abundant species of tree in this woodland is the sugar maple, but there are also many old oaks and hickories. Look for wildflowers such as Trillium and Jack-in-the-pulpit along the trail in spring. The colorful leaves and berries make the woodland trail especially beautiful in fall. {INSERT_RELATED}

Oak Savanna Loops (.5 mi., approximately 30 min.) A savanna is a community in which the trees are so scattered that grasses and herbaceous plants thrive as a ground cover. The Bur Oak is a common savanna species whose thick corky bark provides protection from wild fires. Wehr Nature Center uses fire as a means of keeping the savanna open, burning the area every few years. Without these controlled burns, the savanna would become an oak forest in 25 years. Look for wildflowers such as Black-eyed Susan and Gray-headed Coneflower in the Oak Savanna in summer. Ring-necked pheasant may be heard or seen here and Indigo Buntings and Goldfinches like to perch on the trees.

Prairie Loops (.8 mi. approximately 40 min.) The prairie is adapted to a climate of temperature extremes, constant wind, and occasional drought. This community is dominated by grasses and flowering herbs that can withstand these harsh conditions. The prairie you see today is the result of restoration of farmland initiated in 1965. The prairie is a patchwork of color during the summer months as wildflowers such as Blazing Star, Compass Plant, and Goldenrods bloom. Look for butterflies nectaring at the beautiful Purple Cone Flower in July. Prairie grasses such as Big Bluestem and Indian Grass grow up to six feet tall.

Wetland Loop (.6 mi., approximately 30 min.) The wetland trail will lead you through a variety of wet habitats including a lowland forest, a shrub carr, and a sedge meadow. Trees such as Black Walnut and Black Willow survive in areas that are moist but never flooded, while wetland shrubs such as Red-twig and Gray Dogwood grow in areas with wetter but not saturated soil. Sedges and wildflowers such as Joe-Pye-Weed and Swamp Milkweed dominate soils that are saturated most of the year. Wetlands are extremely valuable habitats, acting as sponges that slow and filter run-off from upland areas, as well as being a home for resident and migrating wildlife.

Glacial Loop (1 mi., approximately 40 min.) The Glacial Trail Loop begins at Wehr Nature Center and continues into Whitnall Park. Along the trail you will see evidence of the Wisconsin Glacier that covered this area 10 to 20 thousand years ago. Look for glacial features such as large rocks, known as erratics, and ridges called moraines.

Natural History Trail (1.7 mi., approximately 1 hr. 30 min.) The natural history trail circles much of the Nature Center, connecting parts of the woodland, prairie, and wetland trails. This trail is designed to display the different communities withtheir varied plants and animals, geologic features and beautiful vistas.

Mallard Lake Loop (1.5 mi., approximately 1 hr. 15 min.) There is no specific lake trail loop, but you can travel around Mallard Lake by following a series of marked trails as seen on the map. Mallard Lake is a 20 acre man-made lake. It was constructed during the 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps by building a dam at the outlet of a marsh.

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.

He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.

With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.

He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.

In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.

He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.