A Walk Into Tabor Woods

The Caledonia Conservancy's Picnic on the Prairie started auspiciously as a day of family fun with music, games, kite flying and food. But, for those of us who ventured into Tabor Woods earlier in the day it was that and so much more.

Part of the Conservancy's land trust, Tabor Woods is 27 acres of land that has never been altered by man. The trees were never cut, and the land was never farmed. When visitors walk through the woods they are possibly crossing paths with the spirits of the Potawatomie, who used these woods to travel from Green Bay to the Chicago area during the 1700s and 1800s. The facts are verified by the presence of their methods of tree marking and the discovery of spearheads the tribes used. The woods are also home to a variety of plant life and animals, including some plant life on the endangered species list.

The history of Tabor Woods is a rich and documented story of the Czechoslovakian community that settled in northern Racine County. “Tabor” was the name of this community in remembrance of a fortress in Bohemia that protected the Czechs from an Austrian Catholic Empire evasion. The Bohemian schoolhouse on the corners of 5 mile and highway 31 is another example of this community that was conserved for future generations.

The history of the Conservancy is just as interesting. While they were established to help preserve the rural character of the village, they readily admit that their love for horses and the loss of riding trails had its greatest impact on their establishment in 1994. Now with over 300 members they have purchased over 170 acres. They were one of the first land trusts in Wisconsin and join a distinguished group of over 1600 across the United States including the National Conservancy and one that helped save Volcanoes of Hawaii.

For those who would like to either walk or ride the trails, you take 31 north, past 4 mile until you reach Tabor Road take that west to Melody (yes, your traveling through a subdivision) until you see Pine Street where you'll turn left. Before you reach the cul-de-sac you will see a very small sign and a drive that goes into the woods on the right. Follow that to the parking area. Walking trails are marked with blue ribbons on the trees. Riding trails are marked in red. The trails are open from sun up to sun down.