Archives

• Jumping Worm Research Enhanced by Student Researchers September 29, 2022

  Non-native invasive species can negatively affect the conservation of native species, restoration goals for natural areas, and general ecosystem health. At the Arboretum, we manage… Read more

• Operation Fresh Start Conservation Academy Crew Assists Restoration Efforts August 30, 2022

  Over eight days in August, the Arboretum land care operation received a people-powered restoration boost from an Operation Fresh Start (OFS) Conservation Academy crew. Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Summer Shift August 1, 2022

  August brings mostly warm days, and perhaps subtle cooler hints of fall. It can be a rainy month, or a time when dry conditions deepen. Read more

• Director's Note: Migratory Monarchs Added to IUCN Red List as Endangered Species August 1, 2022

  I spent much of the last week of July talking to reporters about the recent announcement from the International Union for the Conservation of… Read more

• Monarch Butterflies Have Been Declared Engangered. What Can We Do to Save Them? July 24, 2022

  Ayesha Rascoe speaks with conservation biologist Karen Oberhauser about why the migratory monarch butterfly was just declared endangered, and what can be done in response. Read more

• Monarch Butterflies Are Endangered, Leading Wildlife Monitor Says July 21, 2022

  North America’s monarch butterfly, whose showy looks and extraordinary migration have made it one of the continent’s most beloved insects, has been classified as endangered… 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

• Spring Is Prescribed Fire Season April 11, 2022

  Prescribed fire season is underway at the Arboretum. Prairies, oak savannas, and oak woodlands – ecosystems native to Wisconsin – evolved to rely on fire… 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

• Monarch Butterflies: Spring Migration and Habitat Restoration March 4, 2019

  Monarch butterflies are getting ready for a big journey north to Wisconsin. Karen Oberhauser was a guest on the Larry Meiller Show to talk about… Read more

• The Vanishing Flights of the Monarch Butterfly February 20, 2019

  “Walking around my family’s property in upstate New York last summer, I noticed something I hadn’t seen in years: scores of monarch butterflies flying around the… Read more

• UW Arboretum Joins the Monarch Joint Venture January 17, 2018

  The University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum has joined the nationwide conservation cooperative the Monarch Joint Venture (MJV). The first arboretum to partner with the MJV,… Read more

• On the Trails: Arboretum Boardwalks September 29, 2017

  Arboretum trails invite hours of exploration for thousands of visitors. The nearly 20-mile trail system winds through prairies, savannas, woodlands, and wetlands, offering recreational opportunities… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants:  Space for Thistles September 29, 2017

  October is a transition month in the garden, with median first frost date mid-month, plants dying back, seeds dispersing, birds flocking and feeding on fruits… 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

• 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

• Gardening with Native Plants: Spring Transition March 1, 2017

  During March, the calendar—and sometimes the weather—turn to spring. By the end of the month, as temperatures rise and soils dry, we may see suitable… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: A Gardener’s Winter January 31, 2017

  February in southern Wisconsin brings variation in temperatures and precipitation—wet snows, ice, sleet, dipping temperatures, or thaws—true winter, or a hint of March. Outdoor garden… 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