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Our building will reopen to the public at 10am on Saturday, Mar 22nd.

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

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Events for April 2024 › Wonder Bugs

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May »

Calendar of Events

Calendar of Events
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
	1	2 Spring Wonder Bugs – Tues AM Spring Wonder Bugs – Tues PM	3	4	5	6
7	8	9 Spring Wonder Bugs – Tues AM Spring Wonder Bugs – Tues PM	10	11	12	13
14	15	16 Spring Wonder Bugs – Tues AM Spring Wonder Bugs – Tues PM	17	18	19	20
21	22	23 Spring Wonder Bugs – Tues AM Spring Wonder Bugs – Tues PM	24	25	26	27
28	29	30 Spring Wonder Bugs – Tues AM Spring Wonder Bugs – Tues PM

May »

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What’s that flash of black, white, and red? The

What’s that flash of black, white, and red?
The rose-breasted grosbeak is a unique looking bird with a beautiful song. Their song is often compared to the robin’s but described as softer and more complex. You can hear their song in the spring when these birds migrate back from their non-breeding habitats in Central and South America.
Male rose-breasted grosbeaks have a very distinct look with black and white feathers and a bright red patch on their chest. Females are brown with white streaks above their eyes, and can easily be mistaken for other birds like sparrows with their large beak being the trait that most sets them apart. Rose-breasted grosbeaks have large, triangular beaks that help them crack open seeds. Sunflower seeds are their favorite.
Black-headed grosbeaks are able to hybridize with rose-breasted grosbeaks in areas where their populations overlap. The range of the rose-breasted grosbeak is primarily through the east coast and midwest, while the black-headed grosbeak sticks to the west coast and great plains regions. This leaves a small area where these birds meet and mating between species is more likely where populations of both species are scarce. Hybrids can have the feather patterns of either species or a combination of both.
Video: Bird Buddy, Aldo Leopold Nature Center
#PhenologyUpdate #RoseBreastedGrosbeak #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside

Celebrating Mom today? Show your appreciation for

Celebrating Mom today?
Show your appreciation for Mom (and Mother Earth) with a leaf! Help us fill our canopy and 'leave' a legacy of children’s environmental education for generations to come.
Available for donations of $25, $50, and $100, leaves are customizable with a brief message.
Honor a Mom in your life with a personalized leaf in support of children's environmental education this Mother's Day.
Use the linktr.ee in our bio to reserve a leaf for 'Mom' today!
#MapleLeaves #BuildingOurLegacyCampaign #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside

Our state flower is blooming in the Kindergarten W

Our state flower is blooming in the Kindergarten Woods!
Common blue violet (Viola sororia) can be found in woodlands, grasslands, and forests. These wonderful perennial flowers bloom from mid to late spring and into summer. Their heart-shaped leaves have slightly-serrated edges and each leaf rises from the base of the plant on its own stalk. The irregular flowers have 5 petals, 2 at the top, 2 on the sides, and one narrow one at the bottom, which is often striped. Flowers range in color from vibrant blues to deep purples with a white center.
Violets serve as food for birds, rodents, and other herbivores, and humans can eat them too! The leaves, which are high in vitamins A and C, can be used in salads and as cooked greens. The flowers can be picked to make a great addition to salads, drinks, or desserts. Other parts of the plant, however, such as the roots and seeds, are toxic and not edible.
Common blue violet is also known for its medicinal properties. Violet syrup has been used for centuries as a remedy for dry cough because of its ability to soothe inflamed tissue. It can also treat swollen lymph nodes when taken internally or applied externally. Poultice, compress, infused oil, and salve have cooling, soothing, and anti-inflammatory properties, perfect to calm all kinds of inflammations from dry skin to arthritis and eczema.
Violets can bring so much joy and it's important to practice sustainable harvesting so that future generations can enjoy its benefits. When foraging, harvest small quantities of a species that is common and abundant, and make sure you don’t remove the entire plant from the ground.
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.
Photo: Stephanie Briand, Aldo Leopold Nature Center
#PhenologyUpdate #CommonBlueViolet #NatureAsMedicine #Foraging #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside

Aldo Leopold Nature Center is at Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

6 hours ago

What’s that flash of black, white, and red?The rose-breasted grosbeak is a unique looking bird with a beautiful song. Their song is often compared to the robin’s but described as softer and more complex. You can hear their song in the spring when these birds migrate back from their non-breeding habitats in Central and South America. Male rose-breasted grosbeaks have a very distinct look with black and white feathers and a bright red patch on their chest. Females are brown with white streaks above their eyes, and can easily be mistaken for other birds like sparrows with their large beak being the trait that most sets them apart. Rose-breasted grosbeaks have large, triangular beaks that help them crack open seeds. Sunflower seeds are their favorite.Black-headed grosbeaks are able to hybridize with rose-breasted grosbeaks in areas where their populations overlap. The range of the rose-breasted grosbeak is primarily through the east coast and midwest, while the black-headed grosbeak sticks to the west coast and great plains regions. This leaves a small area where these birds meet and mating between species is more likely where populations of both species are scarce. Hybrids can have the feather patterns of either species or a combination of both. Video: Bird Buddy, Aldo Leopold Nature Center#PhenologyUpdate #RoseBreastedGrosbeak #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside ...

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Aldo Leopold Nature Center

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330 Femrite Drive
Monona, WI 53716

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

alnc@aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org

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