Events & Classes
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VOLUNTEER WORKDAY (WINGRA SAVANNA)
Wingra Oak Savanna
Saturday, December 6 • 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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CLASS
Winter Tree Identification
Saturday, December 6 • 1 pm – 3:30 pm
While plants are still leafless and dormant, examine details of buds, twigs and bark for clues about last season’s and next season’s growth and explore ways to identify and learn about woody plants in winter. The class will be held indoors and outdoors (weather permitting).
Register for this class ($17.50)
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WALK (VISITOR CENTER)
Native Evergreens
Sunday, December 7 • 1 pm – 3 pm
The Arboretum is home to many species of conifers, and on this walk you’ll be introduced to a variety of them.
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VOLUNTEER WORKDAY (CORE AREA)
Core Area and Curtis Prairie
Saturday, December 13 • 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
Winter Birds
Saturday, December 13 • 1 pm – 3 pm
Black-capped chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers and owls live in the winter woods at the Arboretum. We’ll look for winter birds and learn how they survive the long winter.
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WALK (VISITOR CENTER)
Winter Birds
Sunday, December 14 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays and others spend the entire year here. We’ll also find other species that consider our area “south” and come here for the winter.
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WALK (FAMILY)
Finding Winter Birds
Sunday, December 14 • 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
This is a good time for youngsters to learn about birds, because they are easier to spot in bare trees and shrubs. Join the naturalist for a short walk to find our feathered friends.
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VOLUNTEER WORKDAY (GRADY TRACT)
Grady Tract
Saturday, December 20 • 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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WALK (NIGHT)
Solstice
Sunday, December 21 • 4 pm – 5:30 pm
Join us for sunset on the shortest day of the year.
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VOLUNTEER WORKDAY (CORE AREA)
Core Area and Curtis Prairie
Saturday, December 27 • 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 Wonders
Sunday, December 28 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Even when the ground is frozen and the air is cold, there is beauty and activity in the natural world.
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SPECIAL EVENT
Annual New Year’s Eve Walk
Wednesday, December 31 • 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
The Visitor Center will be open from 6-8:30 p.m. The walk begins at 6:30 p.m. After the walk, join us for a cup of hot chocolate as we welcome the new year in a quiet, peaceful way.
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VOLUNTEER WORKDAY (WINGRA SAVANNA)
Wingra Oak Savanna
Saturday, January 3 • 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 (VISITOR CENTER)
What’s Happening?
Sunday, January 4 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Aldo Leopold and his graduate students kept journals recording the timing of natural events (phenology). This practice is a good way to increase observational skills and learn about nature. Look for current natural events and discover what we have learned from records kept here since Leopold’s time.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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VOLUNTEER WORKDAY (CORE AREA)
Core Area and Curtis Prairie
Saturday, February 28 • 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.