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February 2016
Home School (Ages 5-8): All About Aldo
Aldo Leopold loved spending time outdoors, where he would observe nature and record what he was seeing. We will participate in many of Aldo Leopold’s favorite activities, such as bird watching, tree identification and writing.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 9-14): All About Aldo
To start out our phenology series (documenting when events in nature occur), we will learn about the Leopold family’s legacy and how Leopold’s land ethic influences conservation efforts even today.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Just Breathe (Tuesday) PM Session
Inhale the wonders of winter. Smell the mysteries of the cold and frozen land. Winter will come alive as we explore nature and breathe in the fresh surprises. I “nose” you’ll get a lungful of exciting discoveries!
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Just Breathe (Wednesday)
Inhale the wonders of winter. Smell the mysteries of the cold and frozen land. Winter will come alive as we explore nature and breathe in the fresh surprises. I “nose” you’ll get a lungful of exciting discoveries!
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Just Breathe (Friday)
Inhale the wonders of winter. Smell the mysteries of the cold and frozen land. Winter will come alive as we explore nature and breathe in the fresh surprises. I “nose” you’ll get a lungful of exciting discoveries!
Find out more »March 2016
March: Spring into Phenology
Claytonia (Spring Beauty), Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Monona, WI Celebrate spring at ALNC! Click here for a listing of drop-in and self-guided highlights this month.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Spring 2016 Package (Tuesday) AM Sessions
Save with our package option! Join us this spring to explore a different seasonal topic each week through hikes, outdoor exploration, music, puppetry, songs, stories and more. This package includes all of the Tuesday sessions March 1st through May 31st (14 sessions).
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Fine Feathered Friends (Tuesday) AM Session
Buddy up to birds and learn about their world. We’ll play games, sing songs, and head out on a bird and nest-finding adventure.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 5-8): The Birds are Back!
It’s the time of year when birds start to come back from their long migrations. We will be here to welcome them back as we look for signs that birds have arrived again for the spring time.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 9-14): The Birds are Back!
It’s the time of year where birds start to come back from their long migrations. In this second part of our “Phenology Series,” we will use binoculars and learn about bird identification.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Spring 2016 Package (Tuesday) PM Sessions
Save with our package option! Join us this spring to explore a different seasonal topic each week through hikes, outdoor exploration, music, puppetry, songs, stories and more. This package includes all of the Tuesday PM sessions March 1st through April 19th (8 sessions).
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Fine Feathered Friends (Tuesday) PM Session
Buddy up to birds and learn about their world. We’ll play games, sing songs, and head out on a bird and nest-finding adventure.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Spring 2016 Package (Wednesday)
Save with our package option! Join us this spring to explore a different seasonal topic each week through hikes, outdoor exploration, music, puppetry, songs, stories and more. This package includes all of the Wednesday sessions March 2nd through June 1st (14 sessions).
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Fine Feathered Friends (Wednesday)
Buddy up to birds and learn about their world. We’ll play games, sing songs, and head out on a bird and nest-finding adventure.
Find out more »Vacation Day Add-On: Extended Day
This extended day session runs before programming from 8:30-9:00am and after programming from 4:00-5:30pm on Friday, March 4th, 2016. You can drop off and pick up at any point within these time periods.
Find out more »Vacation Day: The Birds Are Back!
It’s the time of year when birds start to come back from their long migrations. We will be here to welcome them back as we look for signs that birds have arrived again for the spring time.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Spring 2016 Package (Friday)
Save with our package option! Join us this spring to explore a different seasonal topic each week through hikes, outdoor exploration, music, puppetry, songs, stories and more. This package includes all of the Friday sessions March 4th through June 3rd (14 sessions).
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Striped at Night (Tuesday) AM Session
Warning: this may stink, like a skunk that is. How much fun can you have while holding your nose? Come discover why skunks are more than just odiferous.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 5-8): Hatchlings and Sprouts
Imagine starting life with a pocket of food attached to your body, or having to drill your way through a hard shell on your first full day of life. What if you were surrounded by thousands of other eggs, or had to dig your way to the earth’s surface to start your life? Plants and animals enter the world in all different forms.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 9-14): Phabulous Phenology
Aldo Leopold once said “keeping records enhances the pleasure of the search and the chance of finding order and meaning in these events.” We’ll learn what Aldo meant when he said this, what phenology is and why it’s important to keep long term records of seasonal occurrences in nature.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Striped at Night (Tuesday) PM Session
Warning: this may stink, like a skunk that is. How much fun can you have while holding your nose? Come discover why skunks are more than just odiferous.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Striped at Night (Wednesday)
Warning: this may stink, like a skunk that is. How much fun can you have while holding your nose? Come discover why skunks are more than just odiferous.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Striped at Night (Friday)
Warning: this may stink, like a skunk that is. How much fun can you have while holding your nose? Come discover why skunks are more than just odiferous.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Spring Into Nature (Tuesday) AM Session
As we send winter on its way, welcome spring is what we’ll say! We’ll search for spring low and high and discover the fun of wondering why.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 5-8): Maple Syruping
Learn how to make sweet maple syrup by tapping maple trees in our “sugar bush.” Taste maple sap before and after boiling, and learn how different cultures used this sweet resource.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 9-14): Maple Syruping
Students will learn basic tree identification, try tools used to “tap a tree,” taste sap, learn the science of sap flow and watch it cook down to syrup during the boiling process.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Spring Into Nature (Tuesday) PM Session
As we send winter on its way, welcome spring is what we’ll say! We’ll search for spring low and high and discover the fun of wondering why.
Find out more »Adult Workshop: Basic Wildfire Firefighter & Prescribed Fire Training
This 32‐hour course encompasses S‐130 Fire Fighter (24 hrs. online and 8 hrs. formal workshop), S‐190 Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior (self-study), L‐180 Human Factors on the Fireline, and I-100 Introduction to the Incident Command System (self-study) training.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Spring Into Nature (Wednesday)
As we send winter on its way, welcome spring is what we’ll say! We’ll search for spring low and high and discover the fun of wondering why.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Spring Into Nature (Friday)
As we send winter on its way, welcome spring is what we’ll say! We’ll search for spring low and high and discover the fun of wondering why.
Find out more »Vacation Day Add-On: Extended Day
This extended day session runs before programming from 8:30-9:00am and after programming from 4:00-5:30pm on Monday, March 21st, 2016. You can drop off and pick up at any point within these time periods.
Find out more »Vacation Day: Sweet Home Wisconsin
What makes Wisconsin so sweet? Come join us for a sweet day of learning and adventures as we and learn about maple syruping, bees and honey. Learn the whens, hows and whys of maple syruping.
Find out more »Vacation Day: Spring Break Full Week Package
Sign up for all five Spring Break Vacation Days and save! The package includes Monday, March 21st through Friday, March 25th 9am-4pm each day.
Find out more »Girl Scout Program: Pioneers on the Prairie (Junior Girl Scouts) AM session
Can you imagine what it would be like to be a pioneer? There are many chores that need to be done as a pioneer such as churning butter, grinding grain, washing laundry, and hauling water.
Find out more »Girl Scout Program: Pioneers on the Prairie (Junior Girl Scouts) PM session
Can you imagine what it would be like to be a pioneer? There are many chores that need to be done as a pioneer such as churning butter, grinding grain, washing laundry, and hauling water.
Find out more »Vacation Day Add-On: Extended Day
This extended day session runs before programming from 8:30-9:00am and after programming from 4:00-5:30pm on Tuesday, March 22nd, 2016. You can drop off and pick up at any point within these time periods.
Find out more »Vacation Day: Earth and Beyond
How do you organize a space party? You planet! Space is an exciting place and we’ll spend our day launching into all sorts of astronomical knowledge through games and out-of-this-world experiments.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Our Marvelous Maples (Tuesday) AM Session
What whirls and spins and grows into a tree? A maple “helicopter” seed! Come reel in the facts about maples.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 5-8): Great Eggspectations
Legend has it that every spring a rabbit would visit children’s homes during the night and leave a woven nest with an egg in it as a sign that spring had arrived. Join us to hear this wonderful story and adorn your own spring basket just as the animals do by using materials from the land.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 9-14): Phenology Green Screen
As we finish up with our phenology series, join us to present your findings as a newscaster in front of a green screen!
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Our Marvelous Maples (Tuesday) PM Session
What whirls and spins and grows into a tree? A maple “helicopter” seed! Come reel in the facts about maples.
Find out more »Vacation Day Add-On: Extended Day
This extended day session runs before programming from 8:30-9:00am and after programming from 4:00-5:30pm on Wednesday, March 23rd, 2016. You can drop off and pick up at any point within these time periods.
Find out more »Vacation Day: Spring Fling!
Celebrate the return of spring! We will search for signs of spring while having a spring scavenger hunt to celebrate the re-awakening of the earth after a long winter.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Our Marvelous Maples (Wednesday)
What whirls and spins and grows into a tree? A maple “helicopter” seed! Come reel in the facts about maples.
Find out more »Vacation Day Add-On: Extended Day
This extended day session runs before programming from 8:30-9:00am and after programming from 4:00-5:30pm on Thursday, March 24th, 2016. You can drop off and pick up at any point within these time periods.
Find out more »Vacation Day: Pioneer Days
Turn off the TV and join us for some old-fashioned fun! We’ll spend the day playing pioneer games; have sack races and much, much more.
Find out more »Vacation Day Add-On: Extended Day
This extended day session runs before programming from 8:30-9:00am and after programming from 4:00-5:30pm on Friday, March 25th, 2016. You can drop off and pick up at any point within these time periods.
Find out more »Vacation Day: Wetland Wake-Up
Become a wetland ecologist for the day! We’ll visit the pond and marsh to listen closely for croaks, chirps, trills, and whistles of frogs and toads to learn how to identify them. We’ll also bird watch with binoculars and try to find some spring migrants, peek in the pond to see what creatures have emerged,
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Our Marvelous Maples (Friday)
What whirls and spins and grows into a tree? A maple “helicopter” seed! Come reel in the facts about maples.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Get a Grip (Tuesday) AM Session
We’ll handle spring in exciting ways today because there's so much to discover using our fingers. It’s a stroke of genius!
Find out more »Home School (Ages 5-8): Here Fishy, Fishy
Imagine tasting a chocolate sundae with your whole body…if you were a catfish, you could! In this program we’ll explore the world of fish senses and how these animals have adapted to life underwater.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 9-14): Aquatic Field Studies Part 1
Naturalists will guide students in a preliminary aquatic field study of the pond at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center. During part 1, students will gather data on the living parameters of an aquatic system and will analyze that data in order to begin to determine the health of the pond.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Get a Grip (Tuesday) PM Session
We’ll handle spring in exciting ways today because there's so much to discover using our fingers. It’s a stroke of genius!
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Get a Grip (Wednesday)
We’ll handle spring in exciting ways today because there's so much to discover using our fingers. It’s a stroke of genius!
Find out more »April 2016
April – Earth Month
Celebrate Earth Day and all things green and growing this month at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center! Spring is full of new life and a great time to celebrate our amazing planet and all of the plants, animals, systems, and cycles that make up the world we call home. Drop in during our public hours, 7 days a week all month long to enjoy our grounds, exhibits, displays, theaters, and self-guided activities. Together, you and your family can learn how our planet works, explore…
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Get a Grip (Friday)
We’ll handle spring in exciting ways today because there's so much to discover using our fingers. It’s a stroke of genius!
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: One, Two, Colors for You (Tuesday) AM Session
Three, four, colors galore! We’ll make rainbows and mix paints. We’ll search outside, too, for colors bold and faint.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 5-8): Water, Water Everywhere
April showers bring….chances to see Earth’s water cycle in action! We’ll spend the afternoon learning about water resources, exploring the water cycle, experimenting with fresh and salt water and seeing water conservation in action.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 9-14): Aquatic Field Studies Part 2
Now that we’ve examined the biotic components of the pond at ALNC in part 1, it’s time to take a look at the abiotic components. We’ll head back down to the pond and use scientific tools to measure the pH, temperature and dissolved oxygen.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: One, Two, Colors for You (Tuesday) PM Session
Three, four, colors galore! We’ll make rainbows and mix paints. We’ll search outside, too, for colors bold and faint.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: One, Two, Colors for You (Wednesday)
Three, four, colors galore! We’ll make rainbows and mix paints. We’ll search outside, too, for colors bold and faint.
Find out more »Vacation Day Add-On: Extended Day
This extended day session runs before programming from 8:30-9:00am and after programming from 4:00-5:30pm on Friday, April 8th, 2016. You can drop off and pick up at any point within these time periods.
Find out more »Vacation Day: Exploring Ecosystems
How can so many animals share one tree? Does the forest get crowded with all those birds and squirrels? We will learn about the many different animals that call Wisconsin home.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: One, Two, Colors for You (Friday)
Three, four, colors galore! We’ll make rainbows and mix paints. We’ll search outside, too, for colors bold and faint.
Find out more »Girl Scout Program: Navigating with Stars & Satellites Overnight (Juniors)
Discover all that can be found in nature with this overnight trip to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center in Black Earth. Sit around the campfire, share stories and watch the stars light up the night sky. After breakfast (provided), we will learn how to plan for an outdoor adventure and then head into the forest to test your camping skills from building a campfire to leaving no trace.
Find out more »Girl Scout Program: Welcome Birds, to Our Wisconsin Home! (Daisies) Session 1
Two sessions, two badges! Attend one or the other or both for a full day experience! In Session 1 we'll have fun exploring the trails finding the oldest trees and the newest plants. We'll learn important steps to keep our Wisconsin habitats healthy. In our second session we'll search the skies for birds migrating their way back to Wisconsin.
Find out more »Girl Scout Program: Nature’s Art and Investigations! (Brownies) Session 1
Two sessions, two badges! Attend one or the other or both for a full day experience! In Session 1 we'll earn our Senses badge by exploring the woodland habitats at ALNC's Black Earth campus. We'll discover the spring season working its magic to bring life, color, and warmth back to our Wisconsin home. In Session 2 we will
Find out more »Girl Scout Program: Welcome Birds, to Our Wisconsin Home! (Daisies) Session 2
Two sessions, two badges! Attend one or the other or both for a full day experience! In Session 1 we'll have fun exploring the trails finding the oldest trees and the newest plants. We'll learn important steps to keep our Wisconsin habitats healthy. In our second session we'll search the skies for birds migrating their way back to Wisconsin.
Find out more »Girl Scout Program: Nature’s Art and Investigations! (Brownies) Session 2
Two sessions, two badges! Attend one or the other or both for a full day experience! In Session 1 we'll earn our Senses badge by exploring the woodland habitats at ALNC's Black Earth campus. We'll discover the spring season working its magic to bring life, color, and warmth back to our Wisconsin home. In Session 2 we will
Find out more »Girl Scout Program: “What Tree? Whooo Wants to Know?” Overnight (Cadettes)
When the lights go out, many animals in nature wake up! We will use our ears to guide us on a night hike as we seek out some of Wisconsin's nocturnal adventurers. In the morning,
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Those Egg-cellent Eggs (Tuesday) AM Session
What do chickens, frogs, turtles, and butterflies have in common? Why eggs of course! We'll investigate different kinds of eggs and go on an egg hunt.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 5-8): The Dirt on Dirt
The stuff we call dirt—more formally, soil—is actually made up of two distinct types of material: minerals (the main ingredient) and much smaller amounts of organic matter; that is, living things and their decaying remains.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 9-14): Intro to Soil Science
What is so important about soil? Get your hands a little dirty as we discover what makes up the dirt under our feet.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Those Egg-cellent Eggs (Tuesday) PM Session
What do chickens, frogs, turtles, and butterflies have in common? Why eggs of course! We'll investigate different kinds of eggs and go on an egg hunt.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Those Egg-cellent Eggs (Wednesday)
What do chickens, frogs, turtles, and butterflies have in common? Why eggs of course! We'll investigate different kinds of eggs and go on an egg hunt.
Find out more »Vacation Day Add-On: Extended Day
This extended day session runs before programming from 8:30-9:00am and after programming from 4:00-5:30pm on Friday, April 15th, 2016. You can drop off and pick up at any point within these time periods.
Find out more »Vacation Day: Arti-FACTS!
Have you ever been on a treasure hunt? Imagine finding something that has been buried for over a thousand years! Join us on an archaeology adventure as we learn about what can be found underground.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Those Egg-cellent Eggs (Friday)
What do chickens, frogs, turtles, and butterflies have in common? Why eggs of course! We'll investigate different kinds of eggs and go on an egg hunt.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Earth (Tuesday) AM Session
It’s never too early to celebrate Earth Day! Come enjoy activities and games that will put a twinkle in your eye.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 5-8): Happy Earth Day!
In honor of Earth Day, we’ll learn how we can make a positive difference towards the earth! We will learn about the people, including Aldo Leopold, who were important in conserving our resources in Wisconsin.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 9-14): Earth Day!
In celebration of Earth Day (April 22), we will team up with the younger homeschoolers to learn all about people who were and are like-minded in the role of conservation of natural resources.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Earth (Tuesday) PM Session
It’s never too early to celebrate Earth Day! Come enjoy activities and games that will put a twinkle in your eye.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Earth (Wednesday)
It’s never too early to celebrate Earth Day! Come enjoy activities and games that will put a twinkle in your eye.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Earth (Friday)
It’s never too early to celebrate Earth Day! Come enjoy activities and games that will put a twinkle in your eye.
Find out more »Vacation Day Add-On: Extended Day 11am-12pm
This extended day session runs before programming from 11am-12pm on Friday, April 22nd, 2016 in conjunction with the "Happy Earth Day to You!" Vacation Day. You can drop off at any point within this time period.
Find out more »Vacation Day Add-On: Lunch Bunch
This Lunch Bunch session runs from noon-1pm on Friday, April 22nd, 2016. Attendees spend the first 20-30 minutes eating and listening to a story then get a free choice between a variety of indoor and outdoor options for the remaining time.
Find out more »Vacation Day: Happy Earth Day to You!
It’s Earth Day! Let’s celebrate! In the true spirit of Earth Day, we will partake in our own conservation project and learn how we can conserve our resources in our own homes as well.
Find out more »Vacation Day Add-On: Extended Day 4:00-5:30pm
This extended day session runs after programming from 4:00-5:30pm on Friday, April 22nd, 2016 in conjunction with the "Happy Earth Day to You!" Vacation Day. You can pick up at any point within this time period.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Squirmy, Wormies (Tuesday)
Come shake the sillies out and squirm the wormies away. We’ll dig up worms, read stories and sing songs.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 5-8): Arti-Facts!
Have you ever been on a treasure hunt? Imagine finding something that has been buried for over a thousand years! Join us on an archaeology adventure as we learn about what can be found underground.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 9-14): Archaeology and Anthropology
Wisconsin has been inhabited for close to 11,000 years, but our state is only 168 years old. To learn about the people who once lived here we need to use anthropology to talk with people, and archeology to learn from the land.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Squirmy, Wormies (Wednesday)
Come shake the sillies out and squirm the wormies away. We’ll dig up worms, read stories and sing songs.
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Squirmy, Wormies (Friday)
Come shake the sillies out and squirm the wormies away. We’ll dig up worms, read stories and sing songs.
Find out more »May 2016
Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Me and Toad (Tuesday)
“Wart” are we going to do today? Toad-ally awesome games and adventures! Discover it all today, and you will be telling your friends, I “toad” you this would be terrific!
Find out more »Home School (Ages 5-8): Survival Part 2
The snow has melted, the temperatures are warming, but is there still a risk for hypothermia? Join us on a survival adventure as we learn how to find food, make a shelter, and access clean water in many survival situations.
Find out more »Home School (Ages 9-14): Survival Part 2
In part 2 of our survival series, join us as we learn how to properly prepare for outdoor adventures. We will build shelters, identify edible plants, and learn how to purify water.
Find out more »Public Lecture: Stephen Laubach – Redefining Conservation on the Leopold Memorial Reserve
Join the Aldo Leopold Nature Center for Redefining Conservation on the Leopold Memorial Reserve: A New Era of Cooperative Land Stewardship, a free public lecture by author Stephen Laubach. The land that is now the Leopold Memorial Reserve in Baraboo, Wisconsin, and the site of Leopold’s famous “shack,” provided the families of Aldo Leopold and Thomas Coleman an ideal setting for pioneering experiments in ecological restoration and cooperative conservation. Author Stephen Laubach will examine the evolution of the Reserve idea and how it…
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Me and Toad (Wednesday)
“Wart” are we going to do today? Toad-ally awesome games and adventures! Discover it all today, and you will be telling your friends, I “toad” you this would be terrific!
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Me and Toad (Friday)
“Wart” are we going to do today? Toad-ally awesome games and adventures! Discover it all today, and you will be telling your friends, I “toad” you this would be terrific!
Find out more »Wonder Bugs Preschool Program: Spittle Me This (Tuesday)
What is bubbly, sticky, white, and hiding on a green plant? A spittlebug nymph hide-out of course!
Find out more »
