Wren's Pond

12/31/2025

Happy 2026 from Wren’s Pond (Barina Creek).

A new year, a fresh page, and the same quiet magic at the corner of Durham Rd and Church Rd. If you’re out for a walk today, take the long way past the pond. Listen for the small birds, watch the ice edges, and notice how much life can fit into a winter stillness.

Here’s to a kind, steady year of small good habits, cleaner neighborhoods, and more moments outside.

12/30/2025

Heading into January, food gets scarce fast for birds and other wildlife around Wren’s Pond (Barina Creek). If you’re tempted to “tidy up” your yard right now, consider leaving the natural buffet standing a little longer.

These winter keepers matter most:

Winterberry: late berries that help animals push through cold snaps

Coneflower: seed heads that feed finches and other songbirds

Native grasses: seeds plus shelter from wind and predators

Viburnum: persistent berries that fuel winter activity

Sumac: energy-rich clusters when other food is gone

Oak trees: leftover acorns for ground-feeders and small mammals

A simple winter stewardship tip: leave seed heads, grasses, and some leaf litter until spring. It supports wildlife now, and it also helps our pond habitat stay healthier year-round.

Red Smith neighbors, what winter plants do you notice getting “worked” by the birds near the pond?

12/21/2025

Wren’s Pond (Barina Creek) Bench Project – Red Smith Neighborhood

Our proposed project is the purchase and installation of a City of Green Bay standard park trail bench at Wren’s Pond also known as Barina Creek, the stormwater pond at the corner of Durham Road and Church Road in the Red Smith neighborhood.

This trail bench will provide a safe, comfortable resting and nature viewing spot for neighbors, older adults, families with small children, and Red Smith School students who walk past the pond. It will also recognize the ongoing neighborhood stewardship of this special space.

The trail bench will follow the Green Bay Parks Department specifications:

Approximately 70 inches wide

Installed on a 5-foot by 8-foot concrete pad

Includes an inset 3.5-inch by 7.5-inch plaque mounted into the back of the bench

Wren’s Pond has recently been adopted through the City’s Adopt-A-Pond program, but there is currently no seating at this location. This trail bench makes the site more accessible and inviting without creating an ongoing financial burden.

After installation, the park system will maintain the bench and concrete pad, and our pond adopter will continue to check on it regularly, report any maintenance needs, and incorporate it into ongoing volunteer stewardship at the pond.

The addition of this trail bench will continue benefiting our Red Smith neighborhood for years to come.

If you’d like to help make it happen, please consider donating here:
https://givebutter.com/RL74Mi

12/10/2025

12/01/2025

It is December 1st, the beginning of the most magical and beautiful time of the year as we draw toward the close of 2025.

“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

11/20/2025

This is where our stormwater pond meets Durham Road. It is a beautiful view until you look closely and see the litter caught in the leaves and grass.

Let's collect it now, before it washed into Wren's Pond where our aquatic and bird life thrives.

Join us as we Celebrate December: Keep Durham Road Clean.

11/16/2025

Thank you to everyone who volunteered 1.5 hours at the Fall Clean-Up Event at Wren's Pond. It was a beautiful day with perfect weather and love for our community watershed pond.

Together we collected 10 lbs of garbage, amassed dozens of recyclables, identified 3 animal burrows which are harmful for the pond, and a large tire - which will be removed by the City of Green Bay DPW.

Thank you to the Oettinger, Lander, and Zingler families for spending the day at Wren's Pond!

11/13/2025

Meet our feathered neighbors at Wren’s Pond! 🦆🪿

Ducks and Canada geese both call this little pond home, but they’re not the same bird:

Ducks: short necks, colorful heads, dabble for food, quack

Canada geese: long necks, fly in a V, love plants, honk

Share this with your kids, come visit the pond, and see how many ducks and geese you can spot. Learning nature facts is more fun when we do it together.

11/02/2025

At Wren's Pond, watch out for beggar-ticks! The seeds of the water marigold stick to your clothes with little hooks. If they poke through, they can make your skin feel really itchy!

11/02/2025

What a beautiful day for nature conservation in our very own community. Join us Nov 15th for another day of service.