Spring is a time to use all our senses! See beautiful spring wildflowers, smell much from the pond and sniff garlic mustard as we pull, hear migrating birds and frog choruses, feel the different textures of nature and explore all things spring with our senses! […]
Adjacent to the Nature Center is the City of Madison’s Edna Taylor Conservation Park. Rich with wetland habitats, Edna Taylor is a wonderful place to observe the spring migrations of birds, including Mallard ducks, Blue-winged teals, and Sandhill cranes! We’ll also visit an oak savanna and an Effigy Mound during this afternoon of discovery. […]
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. Learn to dye eggs naturally with leaves, grasses, and other gifts of nature to mimic the variety of colorful eggs made by our wild critters! Eggs and other materials will be provided. […]
Fire is a great management tool for prairies and other habitats. In addition to helping prevent the spread of invasive species, controlled burns also help to improve habitat for wildlife and stimulate the growth of new plants. We’ll get to see how prairies are burned and have a chance to see the tools that professionals use when they conduct controlled burns. […]
Beavers are fascinating creatures! Join us to learn the history of beavers from the fur trade to today. We’ll learn all about beavers and their behavior—from kits to castor, it’ll be an afternoon you “wood”n’t want to miss! […]
Learn how to make sweet maple syrup by tapping maple trees in the “sugar bush!” Taste maple sap before and after boiling, and learn how different cultures used this sweet resource. Students will tap trees, collect sap, and learn which trees make the best syrup. […]
Magnets are in use all around us, from your refrigerator door to doctor’s offices! Did you know the earth is one giant magnet, and that for centuries people and animals have used the north and south poles for navigation? We’ll learn how magnets work, which stones are naturally magnetic, and how to construct a simple magnet in this “attractive” investigation!
[…]
How do our eyes work? See a model eye up close and experience how animals see the world with specialized glasses. Discover how eye placement influences hunting for predators and hiding for prey. We’ll even explore some optical illusions! Find out if “seeing is believing” in this eye-opening program!
[…]
In the middle of winter, it must be hard to be a tree. Covered in snow, blown by strong winter winds and withstanding cold temperatures. We’ll learn how trees survive in winter, what dangers trees face in winter and how to identify leafless trees.
[…]
The frozen fun continues for another week! After learning about glaciers of the past, we’ll spend this week learning about glaciers today and how they are changing! We’ll even meet a glaciologist who will share her experiences researching in the Antarctic!
[…]
