News Feed

Support the new Preserve visitor and education center!

Donate directly to the center fundraising campaign here:
https://secure.supportuw.org/give/?id=a1JVQ000000TmcM2AS

More information about the center can be found here:
https://news.wisc.edu/new-sustainable-visitor-and-education-center-to-transform-picnic-point-lakeshore-nature-preserve/

https://www.channel3000.com/news/new-visitor-and-education-center-coming-to-picnic-point-lakeshore-nature-preserve/article_0e0d9c10-c924-11ee-9463-5f8ece0d9c79.html

Board meetings are now hybrid!
We meet the first Tuesday of every month except January, April (replaced by our Annual Meeting), and August, from 7:00-9:00pm. Contact [email protected] for meeting information.
Friends Field Trips


Sunday, September 15
Wildflower Finale
1:30-3:00 p.m.
Leaves aren't the only fall colors at the Preserve this month, there are still plenty of wildflowers in bloom. Join nature writer Andrea Debbink for a free guided hike to see some stunning end-of-season wildflowers at Biocore Prairie and beyond. She’ll also share activities and mindfulness prompts from her newest book, Flower Finding. Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leader: Andrea Debbink.

Sunday, September 22
Fascinating Fungi
1:30-3:00 p.m.
 Join Marie Trest, mycologist with the UW Department of Botany, for a free guided outing to look for and learn about some of the amazing variety of colorful and fascinating fungi that exist and common species that you might see along the trails. Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leader: Marie Trest ([email protected]).

Saturday, October 19
What is a BioBlitz?
1:30-3:00 p.m.
Learn why scientists do BioBlitzes to get a holistic picture of an area's biodiversity and ecosystem health.  We'll scan for plants, critters & microbes, looking in the air, on the ground, in the soil, and in the water to get a feel for the variety of life living across the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. This Saturday event is part of the 2024 Wisconsin Science Festival.  https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/bioblitz/. Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leader: Tom Zinnen ([email protected]).

Sunday, October 27
Poetry in the Preserve
1:30-3:00 p.m.
In the beauty of autumn a poem hides under every leaf and twig. Enjoy hearing poems collected from our annual It’s In Our Nature open mic event on this literary excursion. Bring your favorite nature poem or nature reading to share!  We will try writing short Haikus about the beauty around us. A Haiku does not have to rhyme so anyone can do it, just put 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line, and 5 syllables in the last line. Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leader: Paul Noeldner.

Picture
SPRING NEWSLETTER 2024
​flnp-spring-2024-newsletter_web.pdf

No field trips in the Preserve this weekend? Check out the Friends of Urban Nature list for other great adventures around Madison:

• eBird Hotspot Picnic Point - ​quick link to latest bird sightings in the Preserve.
The Preserve OPEN HOURS are from 4 am to 10 pm
Fire Circles Open 
Second Oak: An ode to autumn.
Movie by Arlene Koziol

The Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve inspires people
​to connect to and care for the​ UW-Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve.

The Friends is a non-profit membership organization that supports the UW-Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve in myriad ways: through volunteering, fundraising, stewardship projects, and interpretive programs. 

Please see our Mission and Goals and join us in caring for the Preserve. We invite you to explore the Preserve on this web site and in person, and attend Volunteer Days and free Field Trips.  

Stretching from the Eagle Heights Natural Area to Picnic Point and the Lakeshore Path, the Preserve is a jewel of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, distinguishing it as one of the most beautiful in the country. 

The Preserve is an outdoor laboratory supporting research and education, and open to the public.​ 
To pay online
• Click the Join/Renew/Donate button above

To pay by check
• Print out a Membership Form, complete the form and mail it with your check to:
​
Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve
P.O. Box 5534
Madison, WI 53705