Events & Classes
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NATURALISTS’ ENRICHMENT LECTURE
Creating a 21st-Century Corps of Discovery
Thursday, January 8 • 9 am – 11:30 am
Presented by Michael Jeffords and Susan Post of the Illinois Natural History Survey
Register for this class ($5.00)
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VOLUNTEER WORKDAY (CORE AREA)
Core Area and Curtis Prairie
Saturday, January 10 • 9 am – 12 pm
Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training are provided, and groups are welcome with advance notice. Meet at the front steps of the Visitor Center.
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EARTH PARTNERSHIP FOR FAMILIES
Wonderful Winter Wildlife
Saturday, January 10 • 1 pm – 3 pm
Winter is an excellent time to search for signs of woodland wildlife. Animal and bird activities are often clearly visible against a white backdrop of snow. We’ll find out where animals go, what they eat, and where they sleep in the winter. Dress for the weather; outdoor and indoor activities are planned.
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WALK (NIGHT)
Night Sounds
Saturday, January 10 • 6:30 pm – 8 pm
Possibilities include calls from owls and coyotes responding to sirens. We’ll see stars if the weather cooperates.
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WALK (VISITOR CENTER)
Searching for Animal Signs
Sunday, January 11 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Many animals share our world, and some are more obvious in winter than summer. Look for signs of their presence.
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WALK (FAMILY)
All About Snow
Sunday, January 11 • 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Snow comes in many forms, and it is said that no two snowflakes are alike. Even if there is no snow on the ground, the naturalist will help families explore the nature of snow.
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NATURALISTS’ ENRICHMENT LECTURE
Realizing a Community Vision for ‘Badger’ Through Environmental Stewardship and Education
Thursday, January 15 • 9 am – 11:30 am
Presented by Alison Duff and Gary Williams of the Sauk Prairie Conservation Alliance
Register for this class ($5.00)
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VOLUNTEER WORKDAY (GRADY TRACT)
Grady Tract
Saturday, January 17 • 9 am – 12 pm
Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training are provided, and groups are welcome with advance notice. Meet at the Grady Tract parking lot.
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CLASS
Native Seed Collection—Storage and Propagation Basics
Saturday, January 17 • 1 pm – 3:30 pm
From collecting to storing and propagating, learn about current research and techniques regarding native seeds. If you are planning a prairie or woodland, find out how to grow your favorite grass or forb species. Some hands-on experience may be included.
Register for this class ($17.50)
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WALK (VISITOR CENTER)
Winter Water
Sunday, January 18 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm
In the winter, springs provide water for wildlife, while inhabitants of frozen ponds have made special adaptations to stay alive. Learn what happens in and around ponds, wetlands and springs this time of year.
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NATURALISTS’ ENRICHMENT LECTURE
How to Lie With Statistics
Thursday, January 22 • 9 am – 11:30 am
Presented by Rick Chappell, Professor of Statistics and Medical Informatics, UW-Madison
Register for this class ($5.00)
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VOLUNTEER WORKDAY (CORE AREA)
Core Area and Curtis Prairie
Saturday, January 24 • 9 am – 12 pm
Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training are provided, and groups are welcome with advance notice. Meet at the front steps of the Visitor Center.
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WALK (VISITOR CENTER)
Winter Reflections
Sunday, January 25 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Winter can be a lovely, quiet time to walk in the Arboretum, unless the snow is too noisy. Whether it is bitter cold or a January thaw, there is always something to see.
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NATURALISTS’ ENRICHMENT LECTURE
Moths and Butterflies of Wisconsin and Minnesota: Current Research
Thursday, January 29 • 9 am – 11:30 am
Presented by Kyle Johnson, Master’s Candidate in Entomology, UW-Madison
Register for this class ($5.00)
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WALK (VISITOR CENTER)
Halfway to Spring
Sunday, February 1 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm
We are between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. but it won’t seem much like spring even with the increasing light. We will visit the prairies, woodlands or marshland boardwalks near the Visitor Center.
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NATURALISTS’ ENRICHMENT LECTURE
Weather or Not: Conversations with WPR’s Weather Guys
Thursday, February 5 • 9 am – 11:30 am
Presented by professors Steve Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, UW-Madison
Register for this class ($5.00)
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VOLUNTEER WORKDAY (WINGRA SAVANNA)
Wingra Oak Savanna
Saturday, February 7 • 9 am – 12 pm
Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training are provided, and groups are welcome with advance notice. Meet at the gravel parking lot along Arbor Drive just off Monroe Street.
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WALK (NIGHT)
Sounds and Stillness
Saturday, February 7 • 6:30 pm – 8 pm
Though the great-horned owls are quiet on their nests in February, barred owls may be calling. If all the owls are silent, we can stargaze and listen for other creatures out and about on a late winter night.
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WALK (VISITOR CENTER)
Winter Birds
Sunday, February 8 • 1 am – 2:30 pm
Cardinals may be singing, chickadees and nuthatches changing their tunes and woodpeckers drumming. Discover how our feathered friends have been doing this winter.
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NATURALISTS’ ENRICHMENT LECTURE
Wisconsin Milkweeds and Their Specialized Fauna
Thursday, February 12 • 9 am – 11:30 am
Presented by Andrew Williams, Honorary Fellow in Entomology, UW-Madison
Register for this class ($5.00)
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VOLUNTEER WORKDAY (CORE AREA)
Core Area and Curtis Prairie
Saturday, February 14 • 9 am – 12 pm
Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training are provided, and groups are welcome with advance notice. Meet at the front steps of the Visitor Center.
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EARTH PARTNERSHIP FOR FAMILIES
Sky Stories
Saturday, February 14 • 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
People around the world tell tales about the night sky. Take a multi-cultural look at star lore and celestial navigation with your family. To make a full day of it, go to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Place in the morning to learn about constellations, and then come to the Arboretum in the evening for stories and snacks combined with telescopic viewing. Dress for inside and outside activities, cloudy or clear.
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WALK (VISITOR CENTER)
About Mammals
Sunday, February 15 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Without coats, boots, hats and gloves to keep them warm, how do Wisconsin mammals get through winter? Our naturalist will explain this and other discoveries on this walk.
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WALK (FAMILY)
Animal Tracks
Sunday, February 15 • 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Animal tracks are easy to spot in the snow and mud. If neither are present, look for trails/traces animals make through the vegetation.
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NATURALISTS’ ENRICHMENT LECTURE
Wild Turkeys in Wisconsin
Thursday, February 19 • 9 am – 11:30 am
Presented by Sharon Fandel, Wildlife Ecologist, Wisconsin DNR
Register for this class ($5.00)
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VOLUNTEER WORKDAY (GRADY TRACT)
Grady Tract
Saturday, February 21 • 9 am – 12 pm
Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training are provided, and groups are welcome with advance notice. Meet at the Grady Tract parking lot.
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CLASS
Designing Native Gardens
Saturday, February 21 • 12:30 pm – 4 pm
Held on two consecutive Saturdays, this class helps homeowners which native wildflowers to use in their home landscape. The first session discusses how to to determine the best plants and design for your property. The second session focuses on site preparation, planting and maintenance.
Register for this class ($48.50)
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WALK (VISITOR CENTER)
Trees in Winter
Sunday, February 22 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Trees have distinctive shapes, bark and buds that offer clues about what type they are when the leaves are gone. Learn how to identify trees of Wisconsin that are common in the Arboretum.
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NATURALISTS’ ENRICHMENT LECTURE
Clean Air for Wisconsin
Thursday, February 26 • 9 am – 11:30 am
Presented by Tracey Holloway, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, UW-Madison
Register for this class ($5.00)
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VOLUNTEER WORKDAY (CORE AREA)
Core Area and Curtis Prairie
Saturday, February 28 • 9 am – 12 pm
Canceled for December 27
Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training are provided, and groups are welcome with advance notice. Meet at the front steps of the Visitor Center. -
NATURALISTS’ ENRICHMENT LECTURE
Children, Youth, and the Environment: Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatment of ‘Nature-Deficit Disorder’
Thursday, March 5 • 9 am – 11:30 am
Samuel F. Dennis Jr., Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, UW-Madison
Register for this class ($5.00)
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NATURALISTS’ ENRICHMENT LECTURE
Citizen-Based Bat Monitoring in Wisconsin
Thursday, March 12 • 9 am – 11:30 am
Presented by David Redell, Bat Ecologist, Wisconsin DNR
Register for this class ($5.00)