Crex Meadows Wildlife Area
Important Bird Area
On the western edge of Wisconsin near Grantsburg is 30,000 acres of protected wetlands and sandy pine barrens created when the last glacier retreated around 12,000 years ago. This area’s wetlands contain an abundance of a native marsh plant called Wiregrass Sedge (Carex lasiocarpa). Over a century ago this area was owned and harvested by the Crex Carpet Company out of St. Paul which used the sedge plants to produce grass rugs.
The grass rugs were inexpensive, had a pleasant natural scent and were easy to clean as the dirt sifted right through. They were used as summer rugs, brought out of storage to replace the heavier woven rugs indoors or placed on porches for the season. These American-made natural rugs were in existence about 30 years before the Crex company went out of business due to competition from cheaper Japanese grass mats and the rise of new more durable products such as linoleum floors and synthetic fiber rugs. In 1946 the state of Wisconsin purchased the acres of the company’s tax delinquent marshland to create the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area. Years of restoration has turned this area into important wildlife habitat and a wonderful place for us to visit.
The wildlife area has an impressive 24 miles long tour drive where you can see and photograph wildlife from the convenience of your car. These photographs were taken mid-July when there was plenty of young waterfowl present.
