Archives

• 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

• Land Care Report: Grady Tract Restoration May 1, 2017

  Over the last two years we have transformed the Grady Tract landscape during a major restoration project—one of the largest, if not the largest, in … Read more

• How to Protect Our Disappearing Bumble Bees March 24, 2017

  “On March 21, the rusty-patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis, officially became the first bumble bee listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act. This designation recognizes … Read more

• Endangered Bumble Bee Gets Help from Citizen Scientists March 23, 2017

  The rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) was officially listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act on Tuesday, March 21. Citizen science projects contributed high … Read more

• Arboretum Prairies Offer Rare Refuge for Vanishing Bumblebee October 4, 2016

  “A proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to seek endangered status for the rusty-patched bumblebee has focused renewed attention on bumblebees living at … Read more

• Photographer's Crusade to Save a Bumble Bee Leads to Wisconsin April 21, 2016

  In 2011, we learned that a rare bumble bee species, Bombus affinis, or the rusty-patched bumble bee, was foraging at the Arboretum. Since that discovery, … Read more