This natural history of Wisconsin is one of water. From the glaciers that shaped the landscape, to the rivers, lakes, and marshes that support the local and migratory animals. The water also supported the generations of people who have lived in Wisconsin, feeding them with fish, wild rice, and other plants and animals.
The water also brought the European explorers, looking for the inland passage across the North American continent. The trappers and traders followed, using the rivers to navigate from the Great Lakes of Michigan and Superior through the state to the Mississippi River. At the birth of our country, the fur trade was waning, but the importance of rivers for travel was not.
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