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.
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Saturday, January 24
FULL – Class: Winter Woody Tree Identification
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
With the vibrancy of leafy growth gone, the winter quiet invites closer inspection of Wisconsin native trees. Learn how the curious clues found in tree buds, bark, and branches can assist with tree identification. Indoor and outdoor class. Instructor: Micah Kloppenburg, Arboretum ecological restoration outreach coordinator. Fee: $20. Register by January 20. Meet at the Visitor Center. CLASS IS FULL. See February 11 class.
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Sunday, January 25
1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER. 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. Routes are wheelchair accessible when weather allows. Walks canceled for unsafe conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Thursday, January 29
State Natural Areas at 75 Years: Charting a Meaningful Future in Challenging Times
Winter Enrichment Lecture10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Matt Zine, Conservation Biologist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The Wisconsin State Natural Areas program is the oldest and largest such program in the nation. Zine will speak about how this successful program aims to work through unprecedented challenges in pragmatic ways and still meet goals to support natural areas for education, research, and protecting biological diversity. Fee: $10. Register by January 25.
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Friday, January 30
Water and Winter Salt Workshop
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Learn about the importance of freshwater ecosystems, tips for using winter salt wisely, and opportunities to join citizen science projects. Indoor presentation followed by an option for an outdoor walk or indoor activities. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center. Presented in partnership with Friends of Lake Wingra as part of Winter Salt Week.
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Sunday, February 1
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. Walks canceled for unsafe conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Thursday, February 5
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Student, faculty, and other researchers will present findings from projects on Arboretum lands and in the Lake Wingra watershed. The research symposium is a free event, no registration required.
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Sunday, February 8
1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Learn about the land, plants, animals, fungi, phenology, and ecology. Geared for adults, this walk may cover sloping terrain. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather. Walks canceled for unsafe conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Wednesday, February 11
FULL - Class: Winter Woody Tree Identification
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
With the vibrancy of leafy growth gone, the winter quiet invites closer inspection of Wisconsin native trees. Learn how the curious clues found in tree buds, bark, and branches can assist with tree identification. Indoor and outdoor class. Instructor: Micah Kloppenburg, Arboretum ecological restoration outreach coordinator. Fee: $20. Register by February 8. Meet at the Visitor Center. CLASS IS FULL.
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Thursday, February 12
The Invasive Golden Oyster Mushroom Is Affecting Local Fungi – Now What?
Winter Enrichment Lecture10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Aishwarya Veerabahu, PhD Candidate, UW–Madison Department of Botany. Now that the ecological impacts of invasive golden oysters have been published and entered the public conversation, what happens next? Veerabahu, the Arboretum’s Leopold Research Fellow, will weave together the social, evolutionary, and ecological aspects of managing golden oyster mushrooms moving forward. Fee: $10. Register by February 8.
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Sunday, February 15
Family Nature Program: Winter Birds
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. Walks canceled for unsafe conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Thursday, February 19
Re-kindling Old Flames: Fire, Plant Reproduction, and Population Dynamics in Tallgrass Prairies
Winter Enrichment Lecture10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Jared Beck (he/him), Research Ecologist, UW–Madison Arboretum. Why are prairies losing plant diversity? And what can we do about it? In this talk, Beck will explore how habitat fragmentation and fire combine to influence plant reproduction and plant populations in fragmented tallgrass prairies. Fee: $10. Register by February 15.
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Saturday, February 21
Ecological Restoration Work Party
Grady Tract9 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) 265-5214 or mkloppenburg@wisc.edu.
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Sunday, February 22
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. Routes are wheelchair accessible when weather allows. Walks canceled for unsafe conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Thursday, February 26
State Parks: Valuing the Invaluable in a Time of Austerity
Winter Enrichment Lecture10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Steven Davis, Professor of Political Science and Environmental Studies, Edgewood University. Davis’s new book, The Other Public Lands, is the first comprehensive account of the natural resource lands owned and managed by the fifty states. Davis will explore how policymakers underestimate or ignore the spectacular real value found in our state parks in favor of a strategy of neglect and austerity. Fee: $10. Register by February 22.
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Saturday, February 28
Ecological Restoration Work Party
Core Area and Curtis Prairie9 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) 265-5214 or mkloppenburg@wisc.edu.
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Saturday, March 7
Madison Reads Leopold: Voices of a Land Ethic
Community Event1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Join us for a community reading of selections from A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold and writings by other environmental thinkers. Listeners may come and go throughout the event. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Sunday, March 8
Nature Hike: Walking in Leopold's Footsteps
1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Visit key sites and learn about Aldo Leopold’s early phenological research and experiments to restore Wisconsin ecosystems during his time as the Arboretum’s first research director. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather. Walks canceled for unsafe conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.