Archives

• Land Care Report: Continued Improvements at Faville Prairie May 2, 2022

  In September 2018 I wrote about the Arboretum’s historical connection to the preservation of Faville Prairie near Lake Mills, Wisconsin. I also… Read more

• Longenecker Lawns: More than Grass May 2, 2022

  While the trees and shrubs draw people’s attention in the Longenecker Horticultural Gardens living collections, the green expanse of lawn sets them off. These lawns… Read more

• How to Help Wisconsin's Disappearing Native Bees in Your Yard April 15, 2022

  “The homeland of the federally endangered rusty patched bumble bee has shrunk by 90% in the past 20 years, yet the beneficial, fuzzy native… Read more

• Director’s Note, February 2022 January 28, 2022

  Winter is not generally an ideal time to observe insects in Wisconsin, although I’m seeing a few invasive brown marmorated stink bugs in our house… Read more

• From Minnesota to Mexico: How do monarchs know where and when to go? October 19, 2021

  Monarch butterflies, Minnesota’s official state butterfly, spend their summer throughout the Midwest and migrate to Mexico in the fall to avoid the freezing winters. By… Read more

• Wisconsin's prairies shine in late summer, from Lapham Peak to UW Arboretum August 25, 2021

  Prairies aren’t just pretty to look it and nice to walk through. They’re vital to species like American kestrels, bobolinks, sandhill cranes, eastern meadowlark, federally endangered Karner blue butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Read more

• Monarch Winter 2020–21 Population Numbers Released February 26, 2021

  According to newly released data, the population of monarch butterflies in Mexico wintering sites decreased by 26 percent over last winter. On February 25, 2021,… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: New Tools and Inspiration July 30, 2020

  August marks a turning point in the growing season. Summer warmth and ample rains usually continue this month, along with a few days of refreshing… Read more

• Update on Monarch Numbers March 18, 2020

  The forest area occupied by monarch butterflies in Mexico during the winter of 2019–20 was 2.83 hectares (a hectare is 2.47 acres, almost the size… Read more

• Climate change is playing havoc with Mexico’s monarch butterfly migration January 21, 2020

  No one knows when millions of monarch butterflies began crisscrossing North America, spending their winters clustered on the same… Read more

• The Impact of Urban Land Use on Aquatic Diversity November 4, 2019

  Equipped with waders and nets, members of professor Dan Preston’s UW–Madison aquatic ecology lab set out this summer to learn what is living in and… Read more

• Land Care Crew Visits Buena Vista Wildlife Area October 2, 2019

  Every summer, the Arboretum field crew visits another property and meets with their land managers to learn about the site’s history, management, challenges, and more. Read more

• Grassland Restoration Practitioners Gather at Arboretum for Annual Workshop September 30, 2019

  On August 20 and 21, the Arboretum hosted the Grassland Restoration Network (GRN) annual workshop. Begun in 2003 by The Nature Conservancy and other partners,… Read more

• Arboretum Hosts Native Gardening Conference September 15 August 5, 2019

  Learn Sustainable Gardening Practices and How to Use Native Plants in Home Landscapes The UW–Madison Arboretum will host its 2019 Native Gardening Conference, “Native… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Summer Begins May 30, 2019

  As June 2019 begins, cool wet spring conditions continue. June is Madison’s rainiest month; the long-term average monthly precipitation is 4.5 inches. The State Climatology Office… Read more

• To Spray or Not to Spray: Controlling Mosquitos Comes with a Cost March 25, 2019

  “When I moved to Madison from St. Paul, Minnesota, in the late summer of 2017, I was thrilled to see fireflies in my neighborhood, lots… Read more

• Research Update: Bluebird Restoration May 31, 2018

  In the early 1900s, Eastern bluebird populations in North America were dwindling. Several factors contributed to their decline: ice storms in their wintering grounds, a… Read more

• Land Care Report: Skunk Cabbage Wetlands and Wingra Woods Clearing January 3, 2018

  In the eastern part of Wingra Woods, along the western edge of Arboretum Drive, a brush-clearing project is underway in a little-known management unit called… Read more

• Bee Alert: Bumble Bees Are Struggling, but Still Alive in the UW Arboretum July 6, 2017

  “We’ve heard a lot about how habitat loss and pesticide use is affecting honey bee and monarch butterfly populations, but wild bee populations are feeling… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Supporting Monarch Populations May 31, 2017

  This month’s long days bring the transition from spring into summer. Our native plant garden activities include planting, weeding, edging, mulching, and mowing. We are… Read more