UW Arboreetum Fun!

Events & Classes: Walks

• Walk: Grady Grasslands: West Knoll Oak Savanna and Greene Prairie

  Sunday, October 7 • 1 pm – 3 pm We will look for the five species of gentian that grow here as well as asters and goldenrods. Meet at the Grady Tract parking lot located at the southeast corner of the West Beltline and Seminole Highway.

• Walk: Red Lanterns

  Sunday, October 14 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm Blackberry leaves turn bright red this month. According to Aldo Leopold, these show the best place to look for woodcock and grouse when hunting. We don’t have grouse here, so we will look for fall color, migrating white-throated sparrows and other fall delights.

• Family Wal

• Why do Leaves Change Color? Sunday, October 14 • 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Families can learn how to appreciate and understand the wonder of fall color in native trees and prairie grasses.

• Walk: Woodlands Sunday, October 21 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm joy what is usually the end of peak for fall color in the restored woodlands of the Arboretum.

• Night Walk: Under the Autumn Moon Saturday, October 27 • 6:30 pm – 8 pm On a night of the waxing moon, join the naturalist to enjoy nature in late fall.

• Walk: Tour of the Lost City ***This one fascinates me as it covers our family's involvment of it. My Husband's grandfather partnered with another company.

• Then the Madison Gays started the Madison Bus Trust to get people out in the "country" from the down town life and workstlyes. My Father in law (now 90) used to play on the busses, which were housed in their family garage on Batzal street as a small child!

• If I could dig up pictures, I would LOVE to share.

• They were best known for the Gay Building on the Square, developing the Dudgeon Park neighborhood, and the Lyons Apartment series.

• Sunday, October 28 • 1 pm – 3:30 pm -  While we always tour this area around Halloween, there is really nothing spooky about this abandoned dream of a Venice of the North. Learn more about this failed 1920s residential area and how understanding the land can be important for proper development. This tour starts indoors with a brief overview of the Lost City project.

• Walk: The CCC and the Arboretum Sunday, November 4 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm In 1935 the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) arrived to set up the only CCC camp on a university campus. More than 200 men served here until the camp closed in 1941. Learn about their extraordinary efforts to restore the landscape of Wisconsin.

• Gobble, Gobble…Wild Turkeys! Sunday, November 11 • 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm Search for wild turkeys as we become wildlife scientists and explore the tracks, signs and behavior of these native birds. Find out why the Arboretum is such a fine habitat. On the naturalist-led hike, from 1:30-2:30 p.m., we will try to find some turkeys.

• Walk: Autumn Sunday, November 11 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm, Woodlands Fallen and falling leaves, mushrooms and other delights are possible this time of year.

• Walk: Thinking Like an Arboretum, Sunday, November 18 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm Aldo Leopold’s essay, Thinking Like a Mountain, is the basis for this tour about the relationship between predators and prey, and the diversity of ecosystems.

• Night Walk: Stars and Night Sounds Saturday, November 24 • 6:30 pm – 8 pm The waxing moon will be about 78 percent full, lighting the way for this night walk. Listen for evening animal activity and look for stars if the sky is clear.

• Walk: Late Fall Sunday, November 25 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm Late Fall in Wingra Woods Since most leaves have dropped from the deciduous trees, it’s easier to see tree forms and the birds and animals that live in the trees year-round. Meet at the Wingra Springs Parking Lot.

• Walk: Effigy Mounds Sunday, December 2 • 1 pm – 3 pm The Arboretum contains rare, intact mound groups remaining out of the hundreds built in our area more than 1,000 years ago. On this tour, which features the mounds in Wingra and Gallistel Woods, you’ll learn about these ancient earthworks and the cultures that built them.