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Our facility is open Monday through Friday, 9am to 4pm, and from 10am to 2pm on weekends.

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Our facility will be closed on Monday, May 26th in observance of Memorial Day.

Our building will reopen to the public at 9am on Tuesday, May 27th.

Everyday, our trails are free and open from dawn until dusk.

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Events for May 2025 › Family Activity

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Holding animals builds connections and memories!

Holding animals builds connections and memories!
Recently, Nature Preschoolers got to hold baby chicks and a bearded dragon. The baby chicks were given to us by a preschool family who will ultimately take them home when they are bigger. As for the bearded dragon, this is Gizmo, the well-known family pet of one of our Environmental Educators.
These visitors, fuzzy or scaly, always make a big impression on the curious children. Interacting with animals offers great learning opportunities, while fostering empathy, compassion, and emotional connectedness.
Do you have a favorite childhood memory interacting with animals?
Photos: Aldo Leopold Nature Center
#ALNP #NaturePreschool #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside #HoldingAnimals #BabyChicks #BeardedDragon #ChildhoodMemories

The bees are buzzing for wild blue indigo in front

The bees are buzzing for wild blue indigo in front of ALNC!
Wild blue indigo, or Baptisia australis, is a long-lived Wisconsin native perennial, found in the prairies, meadows, and open woods of eastern North America. They usually bloom in mid- to late-spring with a blooming period of 3 to 6 weeks, with environmental factors impacting exactly when bloom periods start. Its flowers are pea-like and usually blueish-purple. The alternate leaves are divided into three leaflets that are rounded and widen towards the apex of the leaves.
Also known as blue false indigo, this plant was used to produce blue dye by both colonist settlers and indigenous peoples before the introduction of true indigo (Indigofera tinctoria). Among indigenous nations, the dye was often used for coloring garments and artwork. Colonist settlers more specifically used it to dye blue jeans, which became popular in the late 1800s.
Visit us for a hike or take a walk around your neighborhood, looking for wild indigo blooming along woodland areas.
Photo: Kira Breitlow, Aldo Leopold Nature Center
#PhenologyFriday #WildIndigo #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside

Mayapples are fruiting in the Kindergarten Woods!

Mayapples are fruiting in the Kindergarten Woods!
Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) are unique spring ephemerals with tall stalks and large, broad leaves that look like tropical umbrellas. Underneath their leaves, mayapples produce large, round, white flowers that are fragrant and attractive to pollinators.
In late spring and early summer, green, fleshy, lemon-shaped fruits replace the plant's fragrant flowers and ripen to a nice golden color. The entire plant, apart from the ripe yellow fruit, is toxic, including the seeds. The ripened fruits, however, are enjoyed by wildlife such as squirrels, raccoons, and chipmunks. Some people have tried them after scooping out the seeds and, apparently, they taste sweet and tart with a grape-pear flavor and hints of citrus.
What signs of spring do you see? Visit us for a hike or take a walk around your neighborhood looking for cyclical events influenced by seasonal changes.
Photos: Kira Breitlow, Aldo Leopold Nature Center
#PhenologyFriday #Mayapples #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside

Aldo Leopold Nature Center is at Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

44 minutes ago

Holding animals builds connections and memories!Recently, Nature Preschoolers got to hold baby chicks and a bearded dragon. The baby chicks were given to us by a preschool family who will ultimately take them home when they are bigger. As for the bearded dragon, this is Gizmo, the well-known family pet of one of our Environmental Educators. These visitors, fuzzy or scaly, always make a big impression on the curious children. Interacting with animals offers great learning opportunities, while fostering empathy, compassion, and emotional connectedness. Do you have a favorite childhood memory interacting with animals? Photos: Aldo Leopold Nature Center#ALNP #NaturePreschool #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside #HoldingAnimals #BabyChicks #BeardedDragon #ChildhoodMemories ...

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Aldo Leopold Nature Center

Contact Us

330 Femrite Drive
Monona, WI 53716

Phone: (608) 221-0404
Fax: (608) 709-1611

alnc@aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org

EIN 39-1786897

Building Hours

Monday through Friday: 9am to 4pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10am to 2pm

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Open daily from dawn until dusk!

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