• Saturday, October 21

    Ecological Restoration Work Party
    Grady Tract

    9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

    Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training provided. Groups welcome with advance notice. Meet at Grady Tract parking lot, southeast corner of Seminole Hwy. and W. Beltline Frontage Rd. For more information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.

  • Sunday, October 22

    Red Lanterns
    Walk

    1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

    Blackberry leaves turn bright red this month. According to Aldo Leopold, they indicate the best place to look for woodcock and grouse when hunting. We don’t have grouse (or allow hunting), so we will look for fall color, migrating white-throated sparrows, and other fall delights. Bring binoculars or scope if you have them; we have some to share. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Sunday, October 22

    Colors of Nature
    Family Nature Program

    1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

    Hike and explore the colorful forest and prairie, then draw, paint, and write about your discoveries. Naturalist-led hike from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., indoor activities from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Saturday, October 28

    Ecological Restoration Work Party
    Core Area and Curtis Prairie

    9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

    Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training provided. Groups welcome with advance notice. Meet at the Visitor Center. For more information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.

  • Sunday, October 29

    Getting Lost in the City
    Walk

    1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

    One hundred years ago, developers planned a "Venice of the North," to be called Lake Forest. That land now comprises the eastern portion of the Arboretum. We'll hike to the site of the failed subdivision, discovering fragments of pavement and other construction remnants along the way. Portions of this tour require stepping over obstacles. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center. See also related class on Nov. 18.

  • Saturday, November 4

    Ecological Restoration Work Party
    Wingra Oak Savanna

    9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

    Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training provided. Groups welcome with advance notice. Meet at Arbor Dr. parking lot, off Monroe St. For more information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.

  • Sunday, November 5

    Wisconsin Geology
    Exploration Stations

    12:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

    Learn about the Arboretum’s landforms and geological history, shaped by the glaciers and now affected by a changing climate. Explore the links between geological layers and the land we experience through plants, animals, waterways, and air. Ponder how changes in one part of an interconnected system can influence the whole. Drop in for Wisconsin Science Festival Exploration Stations for all ages in the Visitor Center. See also the two afternoon walks, listed separately.

  • Sunday, November 5

    Follow the Glacier
    Walk

    1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

    Learn how the last continental glacier's path sculpted Arboretum land and how climate and weather patterns today continue to alter it. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center. Presented in conjunction with the Wisconsin Science Festival.

  • Sunday, November 5

    Shapes on the Land
    Family Walk

    1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

    Families will explore and discover hills, hidden ponds, and valleys while learning how glaciers shaped the land. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center. Presented in conjunction with the Wisconsin Science Festival.

  • Saturday, November 11

    Ecological Restoration Work Party
    Core Area and Curtis Prairie

    9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

    Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training provided. Groups welcome with advance notice. Meet at the Visitor Center. For more information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.

  • Sunday, November 12

    The CCC and the Arboretum
    Walk

    1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

    In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) set up its only camp on a university campus. More than 200 men served here until the camp closed in 1941. Learn about their extraordinary efforts to restore the ecosystems of Wisconsin and hike through the landscape they helped create. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Saturday, November 18

    Ecological Restoration Work Party
    Grady Tract

    9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

    Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training provided. Groups welcome with advance notice. Meet at Grady Tract parking lot, southeast corner of Seminole Hwy. and W. Beltline Frontage Rd. For more information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.

  • Saturday, November 18

    History of the Lost City
    Class

    1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

    Delve into the fascinating history of the "Lost City," concentrating on the failed Lake Forest development project and the Arboretum’s subsequent acquisition of the lots. Who were the personalities involved, why didn't the original project succeed, and what is the current status of the area? Meet at the Visitor Center. See also Oct. 29 Lost City tour. Instructor: Kathy Miner, Arboretum naturalist. Fee: $20 (FOA $18). Preregister by Nov. 14.

    Register for this event ($20)

  • Saturday, November 18

    Deer Running Moon
    Night Walk

    6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

    Hear night sounds and consider what may have inspired the Ho-Chunk to give the November full moon this name (others call it the Frost Moon). Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Sunday, November 19

    Thinking Like an Arboretum
    Walk

    1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

    Aldo Leopold's essay "Thinking Like a Mountain" is the basis for this tour about the predator-prey relationships and ecosystem diversity. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Saturday, November 25

    Ecological Restoration Work Party
    Core Area and Curtis Prairie

    9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

    Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training provided. Groups welcome with advance notice. Meet at the Visitor Center. For more information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.

  • Sunday, November 26

    Arboretum Sampler
    Walk

    1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

    Visit the Arboretum horticultural and native plant gardens as well as natural areas near the Visitor Center. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.