Most events are free, with no registration required, unless otherwise noted.

Outdoor public walks are subject to cancellation due to the following weather conditions: 10 degrees Fahrenheit or less with a wind chill factor; excessively snowy, icy, or muddy conditions; thunderstorms; a heat index above 100 degrees Fahrenheit; air quality index above 200.

  • Wednesday, July 16

    Dragonfly Walk

    3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

    Join the Arboretum and the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society for guided walks to learn more about dragonflies and damselflies. Participants can practice identifying species and collecting data for the Arboretum’s dragonfly and damselfly (Odonata) monitoring project. No experience required. Please bring binoculars if you have them. Recommended for ages 12 and up. Walks take place monthly, June through September, but may be canceled for rainy or cool weather. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Saturday, July 19

    CANCELED – 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. (No restroom facilities at Grady Tract.) Event capacity is limited, please arrive by 9 a.m. More information: (608) 263-3774 or anne.pearce@wisc.edu. This work party has been canceled.

  • Sunday, July 20

    Family Nature Program: Flowers and Friends

    1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

    This program is a fun, fascinating way for families with children elementary age and younger to explore the natural world. Nature walk: 1:30–2:30 p.m., activities: 2:30–3:30 p.m. Adults must attend. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather and insects. Walks canceled for unsafe conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Saturday, July 26

    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. Event capacity is limited, please arrive by 9 a.m. More information: (608) 263-3774 or anne.pearce@wisc.edu.

  • Saturday, July 26

    Class: Mindfulness in Nature – Grounding in the Moment

    1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

    Mindfulness helps reduce stress and improve physical and mental health using a moment-to-moment awareness of one’s experience without judgment. Mindfulness in Nature uses nature for all practices (sitting, standing, and moving). Monthly series runs through October. No experience needed. Instructor: Roger Reynolds, certified natural mindfulness guide. Outdoor class. Fee: $10. Register by July 22. Meet at the Visitor Center.

    Register for this event ($10)

  • Sunday, July 27

    Scenic Stroll

    1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

    This gently paced walk explores ecological communities near the Visitor Center. Themes may include the land, plants, animals, other organisms, phenology, and ecology. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather and insects. Routes are wheelchair accessible when weather allows. Walks canceled for unsafe conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Saturday, August 2

    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. (No restroom facilities at Wingra Oak Savanna.) Event capacity is limited, please arrive by 9 a.m. More information: (608) 263-3774 or anne.pearce@wisc.edu.

  • Sunday, August 3

    Family Nature Walk

    1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

    This walk is a fun, fascinating way for families with children elementary age and younger to explore the natural world. Adults must attend. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather and insects. Walks canceled for unsafe conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Tuesday, August 5

    Learning Together Family Class: Prairie Pals

    10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

    We will share stories, go on a discovery walk, and create nature crafts. This class is for preschool-age children and their adult caregivers. Adults must attend. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come seasonally prepared for weather and insects. Fee: $20 per family/group of up to four people. Register by August 3. Meet at the Visitor Center.

    Register for this event ($20)

  • Wednesday, August 6

    Native Grasses
    Garden Tour

    7 p.m.

    Susan Carpenter, garden curator, will focus on color, size, and features of native Wisconsin grasses, from purple love grass to big bluestem, growing in the Wisconsin Native Plant Garden. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Sunday, August 10

    Nature Hike

    1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

    Learn about the land, plants, animals, fungi, phenology, and ecology. Geared for adults, these longer walks may cover some sloping terrain. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather and insects. Walks canceled for unsafe conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Saturday, August 16

    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. (No restroom facilities at Grady Tract.) Event capacity is limited, please arrive by 9 a.m. More information: (608) 263-3774 or anne.pearce@wisc.edu.

  • Sunday, August 17

    Family Nature Program: Summer Explorations

    1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

    This program is a fun, fascinating way for families with children elementary age and younger to explore the natural world. Nature walk: 1:30–2:30 p.m., activities: 2:30–3:30 p.m. Adults must attend. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather and insects. Walks canceled for unsafe conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Wednesday, August 20

    Dragonfly Walk

    3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

    Join the Arboretum and the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society for guided walks to learn more about dragonflies and damselflies. Participants can practice identifying species and collecting data for the Arboretum’s dragonfly and damselfly (Odonata) monitoring project. No experience required. Please bring binoculars if you have them. Recommended for ages 12 and up. Walks take place monthly, June through September, but may be canceled for rainy or cool weather. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Saturday, August 23

    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. Event capacity is limited, please arrive by 9 a.m. More information: (608) 263-3774 or anne.pearce@wisc.edu.

  • Saturday, August 23

    Class: Mindfulness in Nature – Long-Term Stress Reduction

    1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

    Mindfulness helps reduce stress and improve physical and mental health using a moment-to-moment awareness of one’s experience without judgment. Mindfulness in Nature uses nature for all practices (sitting, standing, and moving). Monthly series runs through October. No experience needed. Instructor: Roger Reynolds, certified natural mindfulness guide. Outdoor class. Fee: $10. Register by August 19. Meet at the Visitor Center.

    Register for this event ($10)

  • Sunday, August 24

    Scenic Stroll

    1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

    This gently paced walk explores ecological communities near the Visitor Center. Themes may include the land, plants, animals, other organisms, phenology, and ecology. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather and insects. Routes are wheelchair accessible when weather allows. Walks canceled for unsafe conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

  • Sunday, August 31

    Nature Hike in the Grady Tract

    1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

    Learn about the land, plants, animals, fungi, phenology, and ecology. Geared for adults, these longer walks may cover some sloping terrain. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather and insects. Walks canceled for unsafe conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at Grady Tract parking lot, southeast corner of Seminole Hwy. and W. Beltline Frontage Rd. (No restroom facilities at Grady Tract.)

  • Sunday, September 14

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

    8:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

    The annual native gardening conference 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: “Habitat as Home: Native Plant Gardens and Insect Life,” Micah Kloppenburg, restoration outreach coordinator, UW Arboretum. Fee: $65 through July 21; $70 after. Students: $35 with ID. Register by September 4.