Ward/Swartz Decatur Woods

State Natural Area (No. 231)

Location: Green County. T2N-R9E, Section 15. 13 acres.

Access: From the intersection of State Highway 11 and County F (4th Street) in Brodhead, go west on F 1.7 miles, then north on Park Road about 1.5 miles. The natural area lies west of the road.

Description: Ward/Swartz Decatur Woods contains a high quality southern dry-mesic forest remnant situated on a northeast facing slope overlooking the Sugar River. Large red and white oaks dominate, some as large as 2 feet in diameter. Other canopy species are shagbark hickory, basswood, and slippery elm. The understory is rich in both shrub and herbaceous plants including witch-hazel, bloodroot, Dutchman's-breeches, rue anemone, hepatica, trout lily, bellwort, mayapple, and wood anemone. The woods is pictured in John Curtis' book, The Vegetation of Wisconsin and was one of his Plant Ecology Lab sites where baseline ecological data was gathered in the 1940's and 50's. In the past few years, oak wilt has killed a few trees and some have been removed for firewood. The site was donated to Wisconsin by Robert and Dorothy Swartz. Ward/Swartz Decatur Woods is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural area in 1990.