Events & Classes

  • VOLUNTEER WORKDAYS

    Arboretum Ecological Restoration Work Party: Grady Tract

    Saturday, May 18 • 9 am – 12 pm

    Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training are provided, and groups are welcome with advance notice. Meet at the Grady Tract parking lot.
  • SPECIAL EVENT

    Badger Trolley Tours

    Sunday, May 19 • 1 pm – 3 pm

    Free narrated tours aboard the Badger Trolley begin at the Visitor Center. FOA sponsored
  • WALKS

    Grady Tract Oak Openings and Restored Prairies

    Sunday, May 19 • 1 pm – 3 pm

    Free naturalist-led hike to look for wildflowers on the Grady Tract. Meet at the parking lot at the SE corner of the Beltline and Seminole Highway.

  • GARDEN TOURS

    Longenecker Horticultural Gardens Tour: Small Ornamental Trees

    Wednesday, May 22 • 7 pm – 8:30 pm

    Ed Lyon, Director of Allen Centennial Gardens, will highlight some of the Arboretum’s interesting, and unusual, ornamental small trees.

  • SCHOOL OF THE LAND CLASS

    Reading the Landscape: Oak Savannas

    Thursday, May 23 • 6 pm – 8:30 pm

    May 23, Thursday 6:00-8:30 p.m.
    This presentation will explore the oak savannas of Southern Wisconsin – their soils, light, topography, and plant and animal species. We will tour the Arboretum’s oak savannas and identify some of the plants found there.
    Instructors: Amy Jo Dusick, Marian Farrior

    Register for this class ($17)

  • VOLUNTEER WORKDAYS

    Ecological Restoration Work Party: Core Area and Curtis Prairie.

    Saturday, May 25 • 9 am – 12 pm

    Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training are provided, and groups are welcome with advance notice. Meet at the front steps of the Visitor Center.
  • SPECIAL EVENT

    Night Walk: Sunset Serenade

    Saturday, May 25 • 8 pm – 9:30 pm

    8-9:30 p.m. Free naturalist-led hike to take in the sights and sounds of a late spring evening. The sun will set at 8:30, followed by an hour of twilight time in woods or prairie. Meet on Visitor Center steps.
  • EARTH PARTNERSHIP FOR FAMILIES

    Animals of Teal Pond

    Sunday, May 26 • 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm

    Join us to learn about the animals that live in Teal pond. Frogs, turtles, muskrats, ducks, and tiny water critters are a few of the creatures that will be explored. How do they all live together in this fascinating ecosystem? Come and discover some answers to this question and many more. Drop in activities inside the Visitors Center from 12:30-3:30, naturalist-led hike from 1:30-2:30.

  • WALKS

    West Curtis Prairie and Noe Woods

    Sunday, May 26 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm

    West Curtis prairie is the site of the first prairie restoration conducted by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Noe Woods has been observed since the 1930s to study changes in woodlands.
  • GARDEN TOURS

    Longenecker Horticultural Gardens Tour: Conifers

    Wednesday, May 29 • 7 pm – 8:30 pm

    If you are confused about telling a spruce from a fir, join Dr. Hasselkus on a walk through the Garden’s spectacular conifer collection. On this tour you will learn about “garden-sized” conifers of many types.

  • SCHOOL OF THE LAND CLASS

    Reading the Landscape: Wetlands

    Thursday, May 30 • 6 pm – 8:30 pm

    This presentation will cover the wetlands of Southern Wisconsin – their soils, light, topography, and plant and animal species. We will explore the wetlands and ponds of the Arboretum, and discover the large and small flora and fauna that live in these wet places. Instructors: Diane Dempsey, Marian Farrior

    Register for this class ($17)

  • GARDEN TOURS

    Longenecker Horticultural Gardens Tour: Shade Trees

    Wednesday, June 5 • 7 pm – 8:30 pm

    Laura Wyatt, WDNR Urban Forestry, will lead the group through the Gardens’ extensive collection of larger trees while discussing strategies for growing healthy trees in urban/suburban conditions.

  • SCHOOL OF THE LAND CLASS

    What’s That Weed?: Invasive Plants and Management Techniques

    Saturday, June 8 • 9 am – 3:30 pm

    This workshop will cover the basics of invasive plant identification and control. We will learn and practice various management techniques for the most prevalent invasive plant species at the Arboretum. We will also discuss the elements of management plans and prescribed burns. Instructors: Michael Hansen, Marian Farrior
    School of the Land cost: $50 ($45 for FOA members) Saturday 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

  • GARDEN TOURS

    Native Plant Garden Tour: Woodland, Savanna and Prairie Gardens

    Wednesday, June 12 • 7 pm – 8:30 pm

    Celebrate the beginning of summer by visiting our woodland, savanna and prairie gardens. This tour provides an overview of the Wisconsin Native Plant Garden.

  • SCHOOL OF THE LAND CLASS

    Nurturing Nature: Native Plant Seeding and Planting

    Thursday, June 13 • 6 pm – 8:30 pm

    This workshop will cover how to collect, plant, and seed native plants. We will learn basic horticultural techniques for native plant gardens and restoration sites, and practice planting and seeding of native plants. Instructor: Susan Kilmer
    Thursday 6:00-8:30 p.m.

  • GARDEN TOURS

    Native Plant Garden Tour: What’s Blooming?

    Wednesday, June 19 • 7 pm – 8:30 pm

    Find, compare and learn about flowers on native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, and see what’s blooming in our collection of plants native to southern Wisconsin.

  • SCHOOL OF THE LAND CLASS

    Pruning Like a Pro: Tool Selection, Use, & Care

    Thursday, June 20 • 6 pm – 8:30 pm

    This workshop will teach you to prune like a professional, including when and how to prune both shrubs and trees. We will see demonstrations of how to prune and practice renewal pruning techniques. We will also learn the best tools for pruning and how to take care of them. Instructors: Ken Zuba
    June 20, Thursday 6:00-8:30 p.m.

  • EARTH PARTNERSHIP FOR FAMILIES

    Discovering dragonflies and damselflies

    Sunday, June 23 • 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm

    June 23 Join us as we learn about the intricate lives of dragonflies and damselflies. We will learn their lifecycle, habitat preference, and foods. You will be introduced to a citizen science project about these insects and how you can become involved. Drop in activities inside the Visitors Center from 12:30-3:30, naturalist-led hike from 1:30-2:30.

  • SCHOOL OF THE LAND CLASS

    What’s Happening Right Now: Current Research at the Arboretum

    Thursday, June 27 • 6 pm – 8:30 pm

    This presentation will explore the current research projects at the Arboretum – from the latest uses of GIS technology for tree monitoring to saving native bumblebees. We will learn the basics of restoration ecology and what species of fauna and flora are currently being studied at the Arboretum. Instructors, Brad Herrick, Mark Wegener, Susan Carpenter

    Register for this class ($17)

  • GARDEN TOURS

    Native Plant Garden Tour: Native Gardens for Pollinators

    Wednesday, July 17 • 7 pm

    This tour will feature many summer-blooming species in our diverse native plant garden. We will highlight plants and gardening practices that support essential pollinators in urban/suburban landscapes.

  • SCHOOL OF THE LAND CLASS

    Learning from Leopold: Putting the Land Ethic into Action

    Saturday, July 20 • 9 am – 3:30 pm

    This workshop will cover the principles and practice of the land ethic. We will watch GreenFire, a movie about Aldo Leopold’s life and impacts. Through nature observations, individual reflections, and group discussions, we will begin to discern what the land ethic means for ourselves and our communities. We will also engage in hands-on ecological restoration work at the Arboretum. Instructors: Marian Farrior, Amy Jo Dusick July 20, Saturday 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

  • SCHOOL OF THE LAND CLASS

    What’s That? Monitoring Plants & Animals

    Thursday, July 25 • 6 pm – 8:30 pm

    This presentation will cover the types of monitoring that are occurring at the Arboretum, and the various citizen science monitoring programs that are available that people can get involved with (flora, fauna, and insects, as well as water quality). We hope to even do a little monitoring practice! Instructors: Brad Herrick, Marian Farrior

    Register for this class ($17)

  • GARDEN TOURS

    Native Plant Garden Tour: Native Grasses

    Wednesday, August 14 • 7 pm

    In this summer tour, we will take a closer look at color, size and features of native grasses, from tiny mustache grass to big bluestem

  • EARTH PARTNERSHIP FOR FAMILIES

    It’s a Prairie Birthday

    Sunday, August 25 • 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm

    Join us for as we celebrate the 100th birthday of John Curtis this fall. Walk through Curtis Prairie, the oldest restored prairie in the world, and learn about restoring a prairie. Come discover the names of the prairie plants and look for the many insects that live in this habitat. Drop in activities inside the Visitors Center from 12:30-3:30, naturalist-led hike from 1:30-2:30.
  • GARDEN TOURS

    Native Plant Garden Tour: Fall in the Native Plant Garden

    Saturday, September 21 • 1 pm – 3 pm

    Color, fruits, seeds, late blooming plants, late-season insects—we will find these and more in the varied native plant gardens around the Visitor Center.

  • EARTH PARTNERSHIP FOR FAMILIES

    Fungus Foray

    Sunday, September 22 • 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm

    Join us to learn about the many different kinds of fungus among us. We’ll explore their different shapes, colors and sizes as well as their lifecycles and the places they grow. Drop in activities inside the Visitors Center from 12:30-3:30, naturalist-led hike from 1:30-2:30.

  • GARDEN TOURS

    Longenecker Horticultural Gardens Tour: Featuring Fall

    Saturday, October 12 • 1 pm – 3 pm

    Don’t miss the lovely range of fall color in our woody plant collection. Leaves, fruits and form will be highlighted in this tour, led by Laura Wyatt, WDNR Urban Forestry.

  • EARTH PARTNERSHIP FOR FAMILIES

    Who’s flying away?

    Sunday, October 27 • 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm

    Birds, bats, insects, and seeds are all moving about these days looking for a place to spend the winter. Join us as we discover the secrets of these “things with wings”. Come to create maps and migration routes and hike to discover any leftover signs of their presence on the land. Drop in activities inside the Visitors Center from 12:30-3:30, naturalist-led hike from 1:30-2:30.

  • EARTH PARTNERSHIP FOR FAMILIES

    Days of Laura Ingalls Wilder

    Sunday, November 24 • 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm

    Join us as we learn about the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the days she spent living in the woods and on the prairie. Her writings are filled with early naturalist observations of the land at the time of early settlement. We’ll step back in time and be pioneers for a day. Drop in activities inside the Visitors Center from 12:30-3:30, naturalist-led hike from 1:30-2:30.