Archives

• Land Care Report: Skunk Cabbage Wetlands and Winter Restoration Progress May 16, 2023

  Winter and early spring of 2023 were an exciting time for the land care crew and their oak savanna and wetland brush clearing projects. In… Read more

• Spring Volunteer Trainings January 30, 2023

  The Arboretum is delighted to once again offer spring trainings for volunteers in essential roles that care for the land and engage with the public. Read more

• Land Care Report: A Record Year in Seed Collection and Donations December 30, 2022

  When the snow begins to fall, it brings a change in work for the Arboretum land care crew. Chainsaws and forestry mowers rumble to life… Read more

• Restoring Connections, Strengthening Communities November 1, 2022

  It’s been a busy autumn for volunteer engagement, with numerous organizations from campus and the broader community sending groups out to do service projects in… 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

• 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

• Research Update: Lost City Invasive Shrub Management January 28, 2022

  Invasive plant species are prevalent in southern Wisconsin. Two common non-native invasive shrubs are buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.) and honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.). Landowners and managers allocate… Read more

• Land Care Report: Seed Collection Bolsters Restorations January 6, 2022

  Invasive species management, tree and brush removal, and prescribed fire are three major components of our restoration work at the Arboretum, and so I’ve written… Read more

• Operation Fresh Start, Arboretum, and Partners Open Doors to Conservation Careers December 16, 2021

  With today’s daunting environmental challenges, there is an ever-growing need for skilled and dedicated conservation professionals. But how can a more robust and diverse workforce… Read more

• Dedicated Volunteers Return in Key Roles this Fall September 1, 2021

  As UW–Madison prepares to reopen campus and resume in-person classes and activities, Arboretum staff and volunteers are resuming a regular schedule of Saturday restoration work… 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

• Curtis Prairie: A Restoration Gem July 1, 2021

  The science of restoration ecology traces its beginning to the UW–Madison Arboretum with the first attempt to turn an abandoned field into a tallgrass prairie. Read more

• Arboretum 2021 Research Fellowship Recipients Announced March 30, 2021

  The Arboretum is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Research Fellowships. Three graduate students were granted fellowships for projects that investigate unique… Read more

• UW–Madison Arboretum Designated as a National Historic Landmark February 4, 2021

  The University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum has been designated as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. The designation is based on the Arboretum’s… Read more

• Curtis Pond: Engineering and Restoration to Protect the Prairie December 1, 2020

  October marked the completion of the rehabilitation of the Curtis Prairie stormwater detention pond that began in March, the last of the major stormwater… Read more

• Arboretum and Partners Receive Major EPA Grant for Stormwater Outreach November 30, 2020

  With support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Arboretum and neighborhood, city, and county partners are pleased to embark on the WATER (Water… Read more

• Land Care Report: Signs of Restoration Success September 1, 2020

  It has been a year unlike any other for the Arboretum restoration crew, as it has for so many people. It started with the crew… Read more

• Marian Farrior Receives Invader Crusader Award July 1, 2020

  The Wisconsin Invasive Species Council has recognized Marian Farrior as a 2020 Invader Crusader. The awards are presented to individuals and groups for outstanding… Read more

• Prescribed Fire Research at Wingra Overlook Prairie June 1, 2020

  Prior to European settlement, fires were a natural part of the North American landscape. Some habitat types, such as prairies, evolved to depend on fire… Read more

• Land Care Report: Monitoring and Restoring Noe Woods April 30, 2020

  Entering the Arboretum on McCaffrey Drive from Seminole Highway, visitors are greeted by a high canopy of large oaks and other tree species and then… Read more