• Saturday, August 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. More information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.

  • Saturday, August 25

    Full Sturgeon Moon
    Night Walk

    8 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

    The fishing tribes named this moon (full August 26) for the large Great Lakes fish readily caught in late summer. A few tribes call it the Full Red Moon for its reddish hue as it rises through a sultry haze. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Sunday, August 26

    Late Summer on the Grady Tract
    Walk

    1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

    Gentians and orchids are just two plant families you are likely to find in bloom as you walk with a naturalist through knolls, savanna, and prairie. No facilities, some sloping terrain. Free, no registration required. Meet at Grady Tract parking lot, southeast corner of Seminole Hwy. and W. Beltline Frontage Road.

  • Sunday, August 26

    Citizen Science
    Family Nature Program

    1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

    People of all ages can be citizen scientists. Learn about projects happening in your community and how to get involved. Naturalist-led hike, 1:30–2:30 p.m., indoor activities, 2:30–3:30 p.m. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Saturday, September 1

    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. More information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.

  • Sunday, September 2

    Curtis Prairie Colors
    Walk

    1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

    The tallgrass prairie is at peak height and color in early September. Big bluestem can grow more than seven feet tall with stems and seedheads in reds and tans. Join a naturalist to enjoy and learn more about this complex ecosystem. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Saturday, September 8

    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. More information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.

  • Sunday, September 9

    Fall Flowers in Grady Oak Savanna and Greene Prairie
    Walk

    1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

    Enjoy goldenrods, asters, sunflowers, gentians, and the many insects living among them. Join a naturalist to learn about plant and insect relationships. No facilities, some sloping terrain. Free, no registration required. Meet at Grady Tract parking lot, southeast corner of Seminole Hwy. and W. Beltline Frontage Rd.

  • Sunday, September 9

    Fungus Among Us
    Family Walk

    1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

    The season is right to observe a variety of species from the kingdom Fungi. Learn about these important decomposers on a naturalist-led walk. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Saturday, September 15

    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. More information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.

  • Saturday, September 15

    Edible Landscaping
    Longenecker Horticultural Gardens Tour

    1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

    Join Judy Kingsbury and Marian Farrior, Arboretum outreach specialists, as they explore the collection’s edible richness and highlight some of their favorite trees and shrubs. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Sunday, September 16

    Native by Design: Gardening for a Sustainable Future
    Native Gardening Conference

    8:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

    The annual Native Gardening Conference teaches and promotes the use of native plants in home landscapes for biodiversity, habitat, beauty, and sustainability. Expert-led workshops inspire and inform gardeners and landowners to create and maintain native gardens or small-scale restorations. Keynote: “Native Plants in Urban Settings,” Lynn Steiner, garden writer. Fee: $65. Register by September 6.

  • Sunday, September 16

    Grassland Hues
    Walk

    1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

    On this naturalist-led walk through Curtis Prairie we will look for the blues of asters and gentians and yellows of goldenrods. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Thursday, September 20

    Arboretum Summer Third Thursday Book Group
    September title: Braiding Sweetgrass

    2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

    Read engrossing environmental books and discuss them with fellow nature lovers at the Arboretum’s summer book group. September title: Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Discussion led by Troy Hess, volunteer team leader. BYO book. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Saturday, September 22

    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. More information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.

  • Saturday, September 22

    Fall in the Native Plant Garden
    Native Plant Garden Tour

    1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

    Color, fruits, seeds, late blooming plants, late-season insects—we will find these and more in the diverse native plant gardens around the Visitor Center. Susan Carpenter, Arboretum native plant gardener, will lead this tour. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Saturday, September 22

    Autumn Equinox
    Night Walk

    7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.

    Celebrate the change of seasons on a naturalist-led walk under a waxing moon (full September 24). Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Sunday, September 23

    Autumn Woodlands
    Walk

    1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

    Join a naturalist to look for fallen and falling leaves, mushrooms, and other delights that are possible this time of year. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Sunday, September 23

    Seasonal Changes
    Family Nature Program

    1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

    Take note of changes in plants and animal behavior, learn about the autumnal equinox, and enjoy time outdoors. Naturalist-led hike, 1:30–2:30 p.m., indoor activities, 2:30–3:30 p.m. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Sunday, September 30

    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 at Camp Madison before it closed in 1941. Learn how they contributed to the restoration of native Wisconsin ecosystems and walk through the landscape they helped create. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Tuesday, October 2

    Aldo Leopold Was for the Birds
    Human-Nature Connection Lecture Series

    7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

    Stanley Temple, Beers-Bascom Professor Emeritus in Conservation, UW–Madison, and senior fellow, Aldo Leopold Foundation. Leopold loved birds and birding, and his observations provide historical records that offer insight into how birds respond to environmental change. Fee: $10. Register by September 27. See additional lectures October 9, 23, and 30.

  • Saturday, October 6

    Water Quality Monitoring
    Citizen Science Workshop

    9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

    Become a citizen stream monitor for the Arboretum and Rock River Coalition. You will learn to measure stream flow, temperature, water clarity, and dissolved oxygen, and to assess stream health by examining aquatic insects. Equipment provided; bring a towel, waders or water shoes with toe protection, and your lunch. Instructor: Nancy Sheehan, stream monitoring coordinator, Rock River Coalition. Fee: $60. Registration required by September 28.

    Register for this event ($60)

  • Tuesday, October 9

    Citizen-based Monitoring in Wisconsin—Working Together for Conservation
    Human-Nature Connection Lecture Series

    7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

    Eva Lewandowski, citizen-based monitoring coordinator, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Wisconsin has a long tradition of public contribution to science and conservation. Learn how volunteers, professional scientists, and ecosystems benefit from citizen-based monitoring and find out about opportunities to join a project. Fee: $10. Register by October 4. See additional lectures October 2, 23, and 30.

  • Tuesday, October 23

    Ants and Antibiotics—Potential Lessons from Nature on Ancient Antibiotic Use.
    Human-Nature Connection Lecture Series

    7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

    Heidi Horn, research assistant, UW–Madison Department of Bacteriology. Fungus-farming ants have grown fungi—and eaten them—for around 60 million years. These same ants have also used antibiotics for nearly 40 million years. Are there lessons to be learned from these tiny creatures about antibiotic resistance and disease in humans? Fee: $10. Register by October 18. See additional lectures October 2, 9, and 30.

  • Tuesday, October 30

    Tiny Earth in Wisconsin
    Human-Nature Connection Lecture Series

    7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

    Sam Rikkers, executive director, Tiny Earth. In 2017, UW–Madison implemented Tiny Earth and joined the global network of instructors and students crowdsourcing antibiotic discovery from the soil. Tiny Earth inspires students in the sciences while addressing the pressing global health challenge of superbugs and antibiotic resistance. Fee: $10. Register by October 25. See additional lectures October 2, 9, and 23.

  • Saturday, November 3

    All About Owls
    Class

    2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

    Learn about Wisconsin’s twelve owl species, focusing on the three that nest in Madison, and how to identify these elusive birds of prey. Habitat, calls, courtship, and adaptations to acquire food will be discussed. Instructor: Sylvia Marek, Arboretum naturalist. Fee: $20. Register by October 29. Meet at the Visitor Center.

    Register for this event ($20)

  • Saturday, November 17

    History of the Arboretum’s Lost City
    Class

    1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

    An in-depth look at the fascinating history of the failed Lake Forest development project. Who were the personalities involved? Why didn't the original project succeed? What is the current status of the area? Instructor: Kathy Miner, Arboretum naturalist. Fee: $20. Register by November 9. Meet at the Visitor Center. See also October 28 tour.

    Register for this event ($20)

  • Saturday, December 8

    Effigy Mound Culture
    Class

    1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

    Earthen mounds with conical, linear, and animal shapes were built by native people in southern Wisconsin. The effigy mound groups at the Arboretum are among the few remaining of hundreds built in our area more than 1,000 years ago. Learn about the mounds, the people who created them, and their environment. Indoors, with an outdoor walk if weather permits. Instructor: Paul Borowsky, Arboretum naturalist. Fee: $25. Register by December 4. Meet at the Visitor Center.

    Register for this event ($25)