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, October 12
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 marian.farrior@wisc.edu.
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Saturday, October 12
Conifers
Garden Tour1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Join David Stevens, garden curator, for a ramble through the Longenecker Horticultural Gardens’ pinetum – the largest and most diverse conifer collection in the state. Designated an American Conifer Society reference garden since 2015, the collection presents a stunning array of conifers from around the country and the world. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Sunday, October 13
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 sloping terrain. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather and insects. Walks canceled for unsafe weather or trail conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Saturday, October 19
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. Event capacity is limited, please arrive by 9 a.m. More information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.
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Saturday, October 19
Fall Color
Garden Tour1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Join David Stevens, garden curator, for a vibrant stroll through Longenecker Horticultural Gardens, where he will highlight sensational seasonal colors and share the science behind this natural phenomenon. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Sunday, October 20
All day
There is no Sunday nature hike on October 20.
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Sunday, October 20
Family Nature Program: Falling into Fall
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 weather or trail conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Saturday, October 26
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 marian.farrior@wisc.edu.
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Saturday, October 26
Class: Small Mammals of Wisconsin
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Learn about small mammals like mice, voles, shrews, and squirrels. The class will discuss how to identify them, and their habitat needs and natural history. There will be a short field portion to search for animal signs. Instructor: Rebecca Christoffel, Christoffel Conservation. Fee: $30. Register by October 22. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Sunday, October 27
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
In the 1920s, developers planned a "Venice of the North," to be called Lake Forest. That land is now part of the Arboretum. Hike to the site of the failed subdivision, discovering construction remnants along the way. Tour entails stepping over obstacles. Free, space is limited. Advance registration is required and opens October 1: uw-madison-arboretum.eventbrite.com. Registration closes October 23 or when full. Meet at the Visitor Center. See also November 3 tour.
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Saturday, November 2
Ecological Restoration Work Party
Wingra Oak Savanna9 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. Event capacity is limited, please arrive by 9 a.m. More information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.
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Saturday, November 2
1 p.m. – 3 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, hunting, and eating will be discussed. Instructor: Sylvia Marek, Arboretum naturalist. Indoor class. Fee: $20. Register by October 29. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Sunday, November 3
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
In the 1920s, developers planned a "Venice of the North," to be called Lake Forest. That land is now part of the Arboretum. Hike to the site of the failed subdivision, discovering construction remnants along the way. Tour entails stepping over obstacles. Free, space is limited. Advance registration is required and opens October 1: uw-madison-arboretum.eventbrite.com. Registration closes October 30 or when full. Meet at the Visitor Center. See also October 27 tour.
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Sunday, November 3
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 weather or trail conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Saturday, November 9
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 marian.farrior@wisc.edu.
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Sunday, November 10
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 sloping terrain. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather and insects. Walks canceled for unsafe weather or trail conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Saturday, November 16
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. Event capacity is limited, please arrive by 9 a.m. More information: (608) 265-5214 or marian.farrior@wisc.edu.
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Saturday, November 16
Class: History of the Arboretum’s Lost City
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Explore the history and mysteries of the failed Lake Forest development project and the land that became part of the Arboretum. More than a century has elapsed! This indoor class will cover the personalities involved, why the project didn’t succeed, and the current status of the area. Instructor: Kathy Miner, Arboretum naturalist. Fee: $20. Register by November 12. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Saturday, November 16
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Let your eyes adjust to the moonlight, listen to the night sounds, and experience the darkness on this naturalist-led walk (full moon November 15). Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather. Walks canceled for unsafe weather or trail conditions. Free, register through Eventbrite by November 12: uw-madison-arboretum.eventbrite.com. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Sunday, November 17
Nature Walk: The CCC and the Arboretum
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.
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Sunday, November 17
Family Nature Program: Preparing for Winter
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 weather or trail conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Saturday, November 23
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 marian.farrior@wisc.edu.
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Saturday, November 23
Class: Exploring Nature Poetry and Art
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
This introductory art and nature poetry class will consider an art exhibit and poetry by Mary Oliver to explore aesthetic links between the visual and written arts. The class coincides with the exhibit Among the Trees, featuring fiber art inspired by Mary Oliver’s poetry that will be in the Arboretum’s Steinhauer Trust Gallery. Instructor: Troy Hess, On the Yahara Writing Center. Indoor class. Fee: $20. Register by November 19. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Sunday, November 24
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 weather or route conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Thursday, November 28
All day
The Visitor Center will be closed Thanksgiving Day. Arboretum grounds remain open.