Friends Field Trips Fall 2023 - Winter 2024Sunday, November 26
Fun Fall Birding (FUN) 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Join birders Chuck Henrikson and Paul Noeldner along with other experienced and beginning birders for a free, family-friendly guided bird walk. Enjoy the wonderful variety of migrating birds that visit the lakeshore and large natural areas of the UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve. 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 as well as common loons making their wild calls. The Preserve also hosts year-round residents like black-capped chickadees, nuthatches, barred owls, tree sparrows and juncos, moving 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). Saturday, December 9 Are You There, Insects? It's Me, Winter! 12:15 - 2:15 p.m. Have you ever wondered where in-sects are in the cold winter months or how they survive? Join Gigi Melone, graduate student and member of the Insect Ambassador Group, for a talk and scavenger hunt for overwintering insects. We will learn about the clever mechanisms insects use to survive freezing temperatures and how we can engage in insect conservation beyond planting gardens and avoiding pesticides. Meet in Room 240 at Steenbock Memorial Library, 550 Babcock Drive. Leader: Gigi Melone (gmelone@wisc.edu). Sunday, December 24 A Holiday Walk: The Friends' Favorite Places (FUN) 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Need a nature break from the festivities? Join Master Naturalist Paul Noeldner and Friends board members for a family-friendly guided walk on easy hiking paths through the Preserve. Learn about the places they love and hear about Friends’ citizen science and volunteer projects. Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leader: Paul Noeldner. (paul_noeldner@hot-mail.com). Sunday, January 28 Winter Wonderland (FUN) 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Enjoy a winter walk at the UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve in January. Join Master Naturalist Paul Noeldner and take in some of winter’s magic! 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. Watch for animal tracks! Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leader. Paul Noeldner (paul_no-eldner@hotmail.com). Sunday, February 25 Winter Birds (FUN) 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Join our birding guide Chuck Henrikson for a walk in the Preserve to see winter birds. Even with ice and snow, there are beautiful, bright noisy birds to encounter at the UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve: blue jays, cardinals, tufted titmice, wood-peckers, nuthatches, chickadees, wild turkeys, owls and more! Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leader: Chuck Henrikson. (ckhenrikson@gmail.com). Sunday, March 24 Early Migrants (FUN) 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Join our birding guides Chuck Henrikson and Master Naturalist Paul Noeldner for early spring magic! The equinox says that spring has sprung. The bays, shorelines, woodlands, marshes and prairies of the Preserve offer food and shelter for a variety of bird species. This means the Preserve is a great place to find returning migrants. Meet at the Picnic Point entrance kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive. Leaders: Chuck Henrikson and Paul Noeldner (paul_noeldner@hotmail.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 4th Sunday of the month. Bring your binoculars and camera. 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 (2004 University Bay Drive). Contact Paul Noeldner (608-698‑0104). Fall 2022 - Winter 2023 field trips
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