Friends of the Arboretum
Friends of the Arboretum-Sponsored Trips
Whether the destination is near or far, the Friends offer meaningful, well-planned trips geared toward travelers who appreciate the beauty and complexity of nature and are eager to learn more from experts carefully selected to guide the tours.
Upcoming trips include:
- Amazon Rainforest Nature & Culture Expedition - February 3-14, 2010 Filled
- Winter Trip Exploring the Mississippi River - February 26, 2010 Filled
- Everglades and Nature Preserves of Southwestern Florida - March 6-11, 2010 Filled
- Prairies, Wildflowers and Raptors of Southeastern Wisconsin - May 26, 2010 Filled
- Sand Bluff Bird Observatory and Anderson Japanese Gardens - September 14, 2010
- Wetlands and Wildlife of the Mississippi River by Riverboat - September 30, 2010
Amazon Rainforest Nature and Culture Expedition - February 3-14, 2010 Filled
Join Friends on this unique travel opportunity to explore the Amazon River Basin, meet local people, and search for unique and exotic wildlife and plants. This tour is being planned with International Expeditions (IE), specialists in small group nature travel. IE was recognized in 2008 as one of the Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth by National Geographic ADVENTURE magazine.
This journey will delve into the nature, history and culture of the Amazon. We will spend our days exploring the jungle canopy, walking the forest floor, or floating on the river, learning about and experiencing the wildlife, plants, habitats and people that make the Amazon Basin one of the most biologically diverse and culturally unique regions of the world. You will return home with a more complete understanding of this remarkable place, with memories to last a lifetime!
The Amazon rainforest is the largest and most diverse rainforest in the world, home to a spectacular array of wildlife and stunning scenery. We begin our journey at a remote jungle lodge surrounded by primary forest where we will experience the forest from the floor to the canopy before boarding a comfortable expedition ship that offers superb wildlife viewing with fine accommodations.
Aboard this classically styled riverboat, we sail the river against a backdrop of jungle and surging water. By traveling with IE, the world leader in nature travel, we will enjoy access to an incredible mosaic of habitats - pristine flooded forest, extensive wetlands and terra firma - with the greatest chance to spot the diverse wildlife inhabiting the thick rainforest and narrow tributaries of the protected Pacaya-Samiria Reserve.
We will travel in the company of IE's expert naturalist guides, skilled at spotting wildlife and passionate about sharing their vast knowledge of the Amazon.
This tour is limited in size to provide high quality and personal experience for all travelers. The IE Amazon Voyage portion of our tour is recognized as one of the "25 Great Adventures in the World" by National Geographic ADVENTURE magazine and by author Patricia Schultz as one of the 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.
Destination Highlights:
- Privileged access to the deep reaches of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, a vast area deep in the Amazon wilderness where wildlife is abundant. Large macaws are frequently observed here.
- Stay in unique jungle lodge surrounded by primary forest.
- Experience the Canopy Walkway tour; ascend the walkway to a height of over 10 stories, emerging above the rainforest canopy.
- Enjoy close encounters with Amazon wildlife, including capybaras, black caimans, three-toed sloths, and giant blue morpho butterflies.
- Visit medicinal plant gardens and remote villages and meet the friendly inhabitants, the "Riberenos."
- Look for both pink and gray Amazon River dolphins swimming near our ship.
- Tour the Yanamomo Medical Clinic run by Dr. Linnea Smith, Wisconsin native, and learn about her work bringing medical care to this remote area.
- Look for birds, many of which are only found here, including spangled cotinga, hoatzin, russetbacked oropendola and maybe the rare harpy eagle.
- Search for up to fifteen species of primates in the wild, including squirrel, monk saki and red howler monkeys.
- All wildlife excursions are led by skillful and knowledgeable local naturalist guides.
- Travel aboard the finest traditionally crafted river boat more than 445 miles up the Amazon.
If you have further questions, phone the Friends of the Arboretum office at 608.263.7760 or contact us via email, sminkoff@wisc.edu.
Winter Trip Exploring the Mississippi River - February 26, 2010 Filled
Join the Friends of the Arboretum for this exciting day trip as we explore the Mississippi River in winter.
Leaving from the Arboretum Visitor Center, we start the day with a guided-bus tour to search for and observe wintering bald eagles along the Upper Mississippi River near Dubuque, Iowa.
Bald eagles winter in large numbers in this area; this will allow us to see eagles fishing, perching in trees and flying overhead as the tour bus visits several different historic bald eagle wintering areas.
Binoculars and cameras are encouraged! This portion of the day will be led by Terrence Ingram, CEO and founder of the Eagle Nature Foundation. He has been leading tours to see wintering bald eagles for more than 45 years, is editor of Bald Eagle News and is coordinator of the Annual Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Count.
We will have lunch at the Julien Hotel. Built in 1839, this historic building hosted such famous guests as Abraham Lincoln, "Buffalo Bill" Cody and Mark Twain. The hotel, recently renovated, has redefined elegance through a blending of its rich history and delicious, creative cuisine.
Following lunch, we will go to the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and home of the National Rivers Hall of Fame, for an afternoon of independent exploration and discovery.
View dynamic fresh water aquarium and live animal displays, historical and interactive exhibits tracing the human experience along the Mississippi River, and enjoy the entertainment provided in the state-of-the-art immersion theaters.
Children 6th grade or older and accompanied by an adult are welcome to join this tour.
The tour bus leaves from the Arboretum Visitor Center at 8 a.m. and returns at 5:30 p.m.
The trip fee includes coach transportation, all guide fees, museum admission, and lunch.
Space is limited to 50 people on a first-come basis; fee is $80 for Friends members; $85 for adult guests and $60 for children. Registration deadline is February 12. Questions? Call the Friends office at 608.263.7760, send an e-mail to Friends Manager Sara Minkoff at sminkoff@wisc.edu
Everglades and Nature Preserves of Southwestern Florida - March 6-11, 2010 Filled
Escape Wisconsin's cold, dark winter weather on a sunny subtropical tour of Everglades National Park and premier nature preserves in southwest Florida! Highly coveted conservation preserves like Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp and the famous Everglades National Park (Shark Valley and the 10,000 Islands Region) are just a couple of the sites on the tour. Join fellow Friends as we explore the rich natural and cultural history of south Florida in a warm and sunny setting. Remember March in Wisconsin last year...?
This naturalist-led excursion is a small group tour with limited space. Tour price is $2,295 per person, double occupancy. Tour includes five nights lodging, round trip transportation from Madison, land transportation in Florida, nearly all meals, naturalist guide, park permits, tour fees, and plenty of sunshine.
This tour is planned and organized by Naturalist Paul Regnier, owner and lead naturalist for Door County Nature and Travel LLC. He has traveled southwest Florida extensively, exploring natural areas, paddling mangrove swamps and photographing birds and flowers.
Paul has led various Friend's tours for more than 10 years to natural areas such as Door County, Apostle Islands, Isle Royale National Park, Arizona and Kenya. He will be our naturalist guide along with Friend's host, Chuck Pils, former head of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Endangered Resources and past president of the Friends of the Arboretum. Chuck has led numerous tours for many organizations to such diverse locations as Florida, Arizona, Isle Royale National Park, and natural areas around Wisconsin. Chuck's wildlife expertise enriches any outdoor experience - no matter where he is.
For more information about the Everglades and Nature Preserves of Southwest Florida Tour, send an e-mail to Friends Manager Sara Minkoff or phone her at 608.263.7760, or e-mail Paul Regnier.
Prairies, Wildflowers and Raptors of Southeastern Wisconsin - May 26, 2010 Filled
Join us as we explore the natural and cultural history of several natural areas located within the Southern Unit of Kettle Moraine State Forest and expand our knowledge of our native raptors.
A chartered motor coach will depart at 8 a.m. from the Arboretum Visitor Center and take us to Forest Headquarters near Eagle to view the natural history museum and have an orientation presentation from Ron Kurowski, DNR Park Naturalist for the area and 2009 winner of the Friends of the Arboretum John Nolen Award for Excellence in Ecological Restoration Practices.
With more than 22,000 acres of glacial hills, kettles, lakes, prairie restoration sites, pine woods, and hardwood forests, the Southern Unit is a popular area for a wide variety of visitors.
We then travel to the Scuppernong River Habitat Area, currently being restored to become the largest native wet prairie east of the Mississippi River. This area includes glacial features, wetlands, native prairie remnants and oak savannas.
More than 230 species of birds have been seen here and more than 45 plant, animal and insect species found here are designated as state endangered, threatened or of special concern. Numerous cultural remains can be found here, including artifacts from Indian cultures dating back to approximately 6000 BC.
Other stops during the tour could include restored pioneer cabins, Kettle Moraine Low Prairie State Natural Area, and Paradise Springs, where a short nature trail leads to a 5,000 gallon per minute stone springhouse. We've timed this trip to (hopefully) coincide with peak bloom of early spring wildflowers and bird migration, so bring your binoculars.
We will have a hearty ethnic lunch at Clausing Barn in Old World Wisconsin, one of the few surviving octagonal barns built in 1897 by German barn builder Ernst Clausing.
After lunch, we will visit Hoo's Woods Raptor Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental education and the conservation of birds of prey through public education programs. Dianne Moller, founder of Hoo's Woods and a licensed educator, falconer, rehabilitator and eagle handler, will give us a tour of the facility followed by an educational presentation about raptors in the Great Lakes Region.
One of the goals of Hoo's Woods is to provide educational opportunities to understand and appreciate the co-existence between people and wildlife and the importance in preserving our natural world; they achieve this through the presentation of close to 100 programs each year. Enjoy an up-close experience with live raptors and learn more about these fascinating birds.
Our trip will be led by FOA member, Chuck Pils, retired chief of the DNR Bureau of Endangered Resources and Mark Martin, DNR Natural Areas Specialist.
We'll go rain or shine. Sturdy shoes, warm and waterproof clothing, sunscreen, insect repellent, a morning snack, field guides and binoculars are recommended.
The tour bus leaves from the Arboretum Visitor Center at 8 a.m. and returns at 5 p.m.
Space is limited to 50 people on a first-come basis; fee is $70 for Friends members; $75 for nonmembers. Registration deadline is May 14. Questions? Call the Friends office at 608.263.7760, send an e-mail to Friends Manager Sara Minkoff at sminkoff@wisc.edu
Sand Bluff Bird Observatory and Anderson Japanese Gardens - September 14, 2010
Leaving from the Arboretum Visitor Center, this trip begins with a tour of the Sand Bluff Bird Observatory located at Colored Sands Forest Preserve near Rockford, Illinois. It is one of the largest songbird banding stations in the United States -- as many as 4,000 birds, including raptors, are banded each year.
For the past 30 years, master bird banders and volunteers have been conducting studies in cooperation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service as part of ongoing investigations into bird migration.
This visit promises to be a fascinating opportunity to see a wide variety of migrating birds up-close as you observe experienced volunteers check nets, band and release birds.
We will travel to Rockford for a gourmet lunch at Cliffbreakers, a gracious restaurant overlooking the Rock River and filled with antiques from all over the world.
After lunch we will take a guided tour of Anderson Japanese Gardens, ranked the top Japanese garden in North America. The garden covers 12 acres with winding paths, a 12th Century Kamakura-style pond, strolling garden, granite pagoda, four cascading waterfalls and several traditional buildings, including a formal Sukiya-style tea house and Kasatenjo-style bamboo and cypress gazebo.
We recommend comfortable walking shoes. Good mobility is essential to take the tour at Anderson Gardens -- there is irregular terrain without handrails.
Space is limited to 30 people on a first-come basis; fee is $80 for Friends members and $85 for guests. Registration deadline is September 2. Questions? Call the Friends office at 608.263.7760, send an e-mail to Friends Manager Sara Minkoff at sminkoff@wisc.edu
Wetlands and Wildlife of the Mississippi River by Riverboat - September 30, 2010
Join the Friends of the Arboretum for a unique four-hour expertly narrated riverboat tour of the Upper Mississippi River. We'll explore a variety of wetland habitats including open water, narrow backwaters and side channels along riverside cliffs and floodplain forests.
With the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge known as one of the most noteworthy bird corridors in the world, we expect to see a variety of birds, including egrets, ducks, cormorants, geese, great blue herons, bald eagles, white pelicans and hawks.
The 261-mile refuge is the longest river refuge in the continental United States and is well known as a bird watchers' paradise. We hope to have colorful fall foliage on the river to add to the beauty of the area, as well.
We will board our US Coast Guard-inspected eco-boat, especially designed to navigate otherwise inaccessible waters of the Mississippi, at Lansing, Iowa and travel 31 miles south to dock at Prairie du Chien.
Along the way, we will enjoy a narrated tour from USCG-licensed Captain Jack Libby, who has spent a lifetime on the river in towboats, passenger and research vessels as well as exploring endless back waters with the Mississippi Explorer.
He especially enjoys sharing his vast knowledge of river lore, legends, navigation, history, people and ecology with his passengers. Before ending our journey, we will experience the excitement of going through Lock and Dam #9.
This tour offers visitors a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the scenic beauty and natural wonders of the Upper Mississippi River in the comfort of the Mississippi Explorer, a custom designed, enclosed vessel (with on- board restrooms) offering protection from inclement weather while providing exceptional views.
The fee for this trip includes our motor coach transportation from the Arboretum, box lunch and Mississippi River chartered boat.
We'll go rain or shine. Sturdy shoes, warm and waterproof clothing, sunscreen, insect repellent, a morning snack, field guides and binoculars are recommended.
The tour bus leaves from the Arboretum Visitor Center at 7:30 a.m. and returns at 5 p.m.
Space is limited to 50 people on a first-come basis; fee is $100 for Friends members; $105 for nonmembers. Registration deadline is September 20. Questions? Call the Friends office at 608.263.7760, send an e-mail to Friends Manager Sara Minkoff at sminkoff@wisc.edu