Friends Field Trips Spring-Summer 2022PDF file of Fall – Winter Field Trips 2022-2023
September 10 Fall Migrating Birds. Saturday, 8:00 to10:00 a.m. Join great birders Jill Feldkamp and Roma Lenehan as they search for fall migrants, including confusing fall warblers, flycatchers, and sparrows while hiking through woods, prairies, and gardens. Meet at the Frautschi Point parking lot, 2662 Lake Mendota Drive. Leaders: Jill Feldkamp and Roma Lenehan (rlenehan@charter.net, 608-238-5406). September 24 Eight-Legged Creatures: Spiders and Daddy-Longlegs Tour. Saturday, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Join Guilherme Gainett, UW Integrated Biology graduate student in the Sharma lab, on a tour to find spiders, daddy longlegs, and other arachnids. We will explore the diversity of arachnid species and behaviors in their natural habitat and learn more about their foraging strategies and where to find them. Since most arachnids are nocturnal, we will explore the Preserve at night with flashlights. Come learn more about these fascinating animals! Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk (2000 University Bay Drive). Leader: Guilherme Gainett (ggainett@gmail.com). September 25 Fascinating Fall Fungi. Sunday, 1:30 to 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 live here including common species that you might see along the trails. We will look for mushrooms and examples of fungi that are pathogens, ones that play a role in decomposition and recycling, and ones that form mutually beneficial partnerships with plants and algae. Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leader: Marie Trest (marie.trest@wisc.edu, 608 262-7475). October 9 Forest Bathing. Sunday, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Spending time in nature is known to elicit many beneficial changes in the body and mind. The practice of being mindfully immersed in the forest atmosphere (called Forest Bathing) can be a portal to better health and wellbeing. On this walk we’ll explore the concept of Forest Bathing and discuss the science behind the healing power of nature. Meet at the Frautschi Point parking lot, 2662 Lake Mendota Drive. Leader: Seth McGee (seth.mcgee@wisc.edu) October 23 Poetry in the Preserve: A walk down the “It’s In Our Nature” audio trail. Sunday, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. In the beauty of autumn, a poem hides under every leaf and behind every snowflake. Experience poems collected from our annual “It’s In Our Nature” open mic event as Friends President Will Vuyk and Friends of Urban Nature (FUN) ambassador Paul Noeldner join you on this literary excursion. Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leader: Will Vuyk (wvuyk@wisc.edu) and Paul Noeldner (paul_noeldner@hotmail.com). November 13 Geologic History of the Preserve and Madison Lakes. Sunday, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. In collaboration with the Badger Talks program, Geologist Dave Mickelson will picture for us the glaciers that were here 25,000 years ago and their effects on the landscape. Walk with him from the Lake Mendota shore at Raymer’s Cove up to the vistas in Eagle Heights woods. Carpool to and meet at Raymer’s Cove parking lot, 2900 Lake Mendota Drive. Leader: David Mickelson (davem@geology.wisc.edu, 608-338-7063). November 27 Fun Fall Birding. Sunday, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. Join enthused birder Chuck Henrikson and Master Naturalist Paul Noeldner along with other experienced and beginning birders for a free, family-friendly, guided walk. University Bay is an important rest stop for waterfowl during fall migration. We will look for large white tundra swans, beautiful buffleheads, comical chattering coots, diving grebes and mergansers, and common loons making their wild calls. The large natural areas of the Preserve also host year-round residents like black-capped chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, barred owls, and winter visitors like tree sparrows and juncos that move south to Wisconsin for the season. Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leaders: Chuck Henrikson (ckhenrikson@gmail.com) and Paul Noeldner (paul_noeldner@hotmail.com). December 10 Winter Waterfowl Wonder. Saturday, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m As smaller ponds and lakes start to freeze each winter, migrating waterfowl gather on the larger lakes where the water remains open longer. We'll first set our sights on University Bay to look for gulls and waterfowl, including tundra swans. We will also keep our eyes and ears open for resident winter birds along the shore. Dress warmly! Meet at the Northeast portion of UW-Madison Lot 60 (800 Walnut St.) This field trip is in partnership with the UW-Madison student chapter of the Audubon Society. Leaders: Cole Roecker (cjroecker@wisc.edu) and Anne Pearce (anne.pearce@wisc.edu). December 25 Friends’ Favorite Places. Sunday, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. Need a nature break from the festivities? Join Master Naturalist Paul Noeldner and other Board Members of the Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve for a free, family-friendly, guided walk on easy hiking paths through the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Learn about the places they love in the Preserve and hear about Friends' citizen science and volunteer projects. See the Preserve for yourself and explore the places that you have learned about. Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leader: Paul Noeldner (paul_noeldner@hotmail.com) January 21, 2023 Nature Writing Workshop. Saturday, 1:30-3:30pm, Room 126 Memorial Library, 728 State St, Madison, WI 53706 Explore your creative “wild” side by developing or strengthening your nature writing toolkit! Come join us to practice fun strategies for getting started, adding rich descriptive detail, and integrating ideas or quotes from other nature writers. This event will be inside UW Madison's Memorial Library, at the intersection of State Street and East Campus Mall. If you do not already have a Wiscard or Community Borrowing Card, a valid government-issued ID will be necessary to obtain a day pass and enter the library. Leader: Marjorie Rhine (merhine@wisc.edu) January 22, 2023 Winter Wonderland. Sunday, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. Enjoy a winter walk at the UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve in January. Join Master Naturalist Paul Noeldner and enjoy some of winter's magic! The trees and trails of the Preserve are as beautiful as a picture postcard under a blanket of white snow. Stop to reflect on the small, surprising beauty of green moss peeping from a log or rock. Look for amazing ice sculptures along the shoreline. Listen for cheery winter birds. Watch for animal tracks and try to guess what they are doing. Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leader: Paul Noeldner(paul_noeldner@hotmail.com) February 5, 2023 Predator Insects and Wasps: Their Roles and Benefits. Sunday, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. An enthusiastic student of insect ecology and predator-prey interactions, Ben Iuliano of the UW Entomology Gratton Lab studies how the availability of prey affects predator population dynamics and the benefits of predators as biological controls. He will discuss wasps and other predatory insects in our gardens. By understanding these misunderstood insects, we can take steps to maximize the health of our urban ecosystems. This indoor, February-friendly, event will be held as an extension of the Wednesday Nite @ the Lab series. Location: The Genetics Biotechnology Center Auditorium. At the intersection of University Avenue and Randall Avenue it is served by over a dozen Metro bus lines. Parking is available for a small fee in Lot 20 at 1390 University Avenue. The Lot 20 garage is attached to the ADA-compliant Genetics Biotech Center, so it’s a short, protected stroll or roll from your car to The Auditorium. Speaker: Ben Iuliano (biuliano@wisc.edu) February 26, 2023 Winter Birds. Sunday, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. Join Chuck Henrikson, birder extraordinaire, and enjoy some of winter's birds! Even with ice and snow, there are beautiful, bright, noisy birds to encounter at the UW Landscape Nature Preserve including blue jays, cardinals, tufted titmice, woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, wild turkeys, owls, and more! Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leader: Chuck Henrikson (ckhenrikson@gmail.com). February 25, 2023 “It’s In Our Nature: Insight” Poetry Open Mic. Saturday, 3:00 p.m. Featuring poets of all experience levels, we hope to bring writers together to share their small curiosities, sweeping odes, or any piece of environmental writing in between. By writing we can capture the imagery of our mind’s eye, looking inward to draw emotion, beauty, and truth from the outside world. We look forward to sharing each other’s “insight” at our 4th annual event. Leaders: Will Vuyk (wvuyk@wisc.edu). Location TBD (Zoom or hybrid). March 11, 2023 The Mounds of Observatory Hill and Willow Creek. Saturday, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Join UW Historic & Cultural Resources Manager Emeritus Daniel Einstein on a visit to the effigy mounds of Observatory Hill (the lovely bird and two-tailed water spirit) and Willow Creek and learn about the mound builder culture and possible interpretations for the meaning of the shapes. Einstein will also discuss current land management methods and protocols adopted by the University to care for the mounds and other archaeological sites on campus. Meeting place TBD. Leader: Daniel Einstein (daniel.einstein@wisc.edu). March 26, 2023 Early Bird Migrants. Sunday, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. Spring is just around the corner! Join Dane Gallagher for early spring magic! The bays, shorelines, woodlands, marshes, and prairies of the UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve offer food and shelter for a variety of species of birds. This means the Preserve is a great place to find returning migrants. Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leader: Dane Gallagher (dane.gallagher9@gmail.com) |
Free public field trips are one of the most valuable contributions the Friends make to the Preserve. They have been organized every spring and fall for over 10 years on various topics and are all led by Friends volunteers. Many are professional naturalists and emeritus faculty and staff. The Friends also partner with other environmental organizations for field trips.
Field trip coordinator: Signe Holtz Bird and Nature Outings Free, family-friendly walks on the 4thSunday of the month. Bring your binoculars and camera. Meet at the Picnic Point entrance next to the kiosk (2004 University Bay Drive). Sponsored by the Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve, Friends of Urban Nature, and Madison Audubon Society. Meet at the Picnic Point Kiosk, across from UW Lot 130. Contact Paul Noeldner (608-698‑0104). Spring-Summer 2022 Field Trips
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Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve
P.O. Box 5534 Madison, WI 53705 UW-Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve website Documents |
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