Vermont Creek, once a clear tributary of the Wisconsin River, now carries tons of soil eroded from croplands on nearby ridges and slopes. Silver maples, willows, and box elders grow on soil deposited along the creek, while the low peaty meadows on both sides act like a sponge by trapping silt and supplying cleaner water steadily enough for some trout to survive. In spring, yellow marsh marigold and blue flags bloom among grass-like tussock sedges to the sound of frogs and toads, and in summer the meadow becomes a favored nesting place for small songbirds such as the marsh wren and song sparrow. Unlike the planted acreage across the road, these diverse lowland plants provide cover and food for deer, pheasants, many butterflies, and other native wildlife, making the preservation of remaining wetland areas important. A notable tall plant found here and farther up Highway J.J. is the teasel, whose thistle-like heads have been used for centuries to comb wool fibers, suggesting that a fuller, a person who cleaned and thickened fabrics, may once have lived nearby.