Travel With Friends

The Friends of the Arboretum and the Yunnan-based Linden Centre are offering a unique travel opportunity to the fabled Chinese province of 
Yunnan, May 7-18, 2012.


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:

View Photo Albums Of Previous Trips:

 

school of fish

National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium - February 28, 2012

Join the Friends of the Arboretum for this day trip as we explore the Mississippi River through world-class interpretive displays at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and home of the National Rivers Hall of Fame.

Enjoy a day of independent exploration with dynamic fresh water aquarium and live animal displays, historical and interactive exhibits tracing the human experience along the Mississippi River, and entertainment in immersion theaters and living history demonstrations.

This museum gives us an opportunity to take a historic and natural journey of discovery on the Mighty Mississippi River to celebrate the past, present and future of America's most important waterway -- all in indoor comfort. Each visit is a truly interactive experience where visitors can get "up close and personal" with native river animals and become barge pilots. Even if you've visited this museum in the past, return visitors can be assured of new and interesting exhibits each time!

The cost includes coach transportation, guide fees, shuttle bus between the National River Center and the Mississippi River Center, admission to entire museum campus facility, guided tour of the historic William M. Black Steamboat, interpretive demonstrations in the Boat Shop, and a voucher for lunch or gift shop use.

The trip is limited to 50 people. The cost for the trip is $60 for members of Friends and $95 for non-members (includes a membership in Friends). We will leave from the Arboretum Visitor Center at 9 a.m. and return to the Visitor Center at 4 p.m. Hurry! Registration deadline is February 10.

Download a registration form.


 

Everglades and Nature Preserves of Southwest Florida - March 3-8, 2012 Filled

As we settle into Wisconsin's cold, dark winter, this is a good time to think about joining fellow Friends as we explore the rich natural and cultural history of south Florida. We invite you to 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 few 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.

This naturalist-led excursion is a small group tour with limited space. Tour price is $2195 per person, double occupancy, and includes 5 nights lodging, ground transportation in Florida, nearly all meals, naturalist guide, park permits, tour fees, and plenty of sunshine. Registration deadline is December 31. We are currently offering a $50 discount for all registrations received by November 30.

This tour is planned and organized by Naturalist Paul Regnier, owner and lead naturalist for Door County Nature and Travel LLC. Paul has traveled southwest Florida extensively, exploring natural areas, paddling mangrove swamps and photographing birds and flowers. He has led various Friend's tours for over 10 years to natural areas such as Door County, Apostle Islands, Isle Royale National Park, Arizona and Kenya.

Paul 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 Everglades and Nature Preserves of Southwest Florida Tour contact Paul Regnier at doorcountypaul@gmail.com

Download itinerary and registration form
Questions and Answers about this tour


 

Lost in Shangri-La: A Cultural and Natural History Exploration of Southwest China - May 7-18, 2012

The Friends of the Arboretum, in partnership with The Linden Centre, is very excited to announce a unique travel opportunity to the fabled Chinese province of Yunnan, May 7-18, 2012.

Yunnan, known as the Land of Eternal Spring, is one of the least traveled regions of China. Located in the scenic southwestern corner of China just north of Burma and adjacent to Tibet and Yunnan it is home to some of the most diverse cultures, ecology and terrain in China.

With verdant low-lying valleys, spectacular white-capped mountains, rustic villages and a lively mix of ethnic minority communities, Yunnan has long inspired poets and travelers. On this tour you will enjoy local food, fine climate, friendly people, experienced bilingual guides and great scenery.

Our itinerary showcases many of the province's most celebrated destinations, as well as places off the tourist trail, for unique and personal visits. On this journey, we will meet members of the minority Naxi and Bai tribes, visit ancient cobblestone towns and visit beautiful natural areas.

We will explore the famed UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lijiang, learn about local cultural practices like wok-baked bread, traditional medicinal uses of local plants, fishing with cormorants, bonsai cultivation and indigo fabric dying. Navigate through exotic markets, visit ancient pagodas and a traditional tea plantation, and explore the region's renowned natural wonders at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the Kunming Botanical Garden.

Yunnan is China's most diverse province, biologically as well as culturally, with snow-capped mountains and true tropical environments, thus supporting an extremely high biodiversity of species and vegetation types, probably the richest botanically in the world's temperate regions. The province is said to have "as much flowering plant diversity as the rest of the northern hemisphere put together."

The fauna is nearly as diverse; while Yunnan Province has less than 4 percent of the land of China, it contains about half of China's birds and mammals. Yunnan is also noted for a very high level of ethnic diversity, with the highest number of ethnic groups among all provinces and autonomous regions in China.

Our tour has been organized by Brian and Jeanee Linden, former Madisonians and owner/operators of The Linden Centre, an award-winning Yunnan-based cultural retreat. The purpose of the Centre is to preserve and share Chinese culture, to create and inspire experiential learning, to offer innovative immersion programs in Chinese culture, and to provide an elegant and unprecedented environment for their guests.

This award-winning hotel is a nationally protected heritage site restored to its dynastic elegance located in the foothills of the Himalayas with a year-round spring climate and direct access to rich, undisturbed cultures in this unique region of China.

The Lindens have more than two decades of travel, business and networking experience throughout Asia, including leading tours; serving as consultants to businesses, universities, and governments; teaching English; and operating Asian fine art and antique galleries in the United States. This tour offers visitors the opportunity to experience rich cultural traditions and outstanding natural beauty with exceptional tour guides.

You are invited to join the Friends of the Arboretum and The Linden Centre on a unique journey of exploration to one of the world's most diverse regions. Brian and Jeanee Linden, whose retreat has been honored as one of the leading sustainable travel models in China, will accompany us throughout the journey, escorting us through timeless villages and undisturbed natural treasures.The journey begins May 7, 2012....we hope to see you there!

Download registration form

Download trip itinerary

Download Trip PowerPoint (Part1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

Suggested Reading List for China Tour

 

great blue heron

Explore Horicon Marsh - June 6, 2012

Experience spring migration at Horicon Marsh, the "Little Everglades of the North." Enjoy seeking out some of the more than 260 species of birds Horicon Marsh has to offer. Bring your bird book and binoculars -- let's go birding!

This tour of the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United States includes a trip into the marsh aboard a pontoon boat, lunch and a naturalist-led walking tour.

We will journey into the heart of the marsh on a 2-hour, pontoon boat birding tour, exploring Wisconsin's only "Wetland of International Importance."

Lunch is at the Audubon Inn in Mayville, a National Historic Landmark. After lunch, Liz Herzmann, DNR naturalist and wildlife educator, will lead a walking tour of the southern marsh and talk about its cultural and natural history, highlighting the abundant and diverse wildlife.

Sturdy shoes, clothing for outdoors, snacks, field guides and binoculars are recommended.

The trip is limited to 50 people. The cost for the trip is $90 for members of Friends and $125 for non-members (includes a membership in Friends). We will leave from the Arboretum Visitor Center at 7:30 a.m. and return to the Visitor Center at 5:30 p.m.

Questions? Send an e-mail to Friends Manager Sara Minkoff at sminkoff@wisc.edu or phone the Friends office at 608.263.7760.

Download registration form