program - Aldo Leopold Nature Center

ALNC UPDATES

Welcome! Our facility is open on weekdays from 9am to 4pm and on weekends from 10am to 2pm.

Wearing a face mask indoors is optional. Because we are a childcare facility and follow public health protocols, we have limited access to some public offerings and areas of our facility. We appreciate your patience as we work to find a healthy balance of access and safety for our community.

As always, our grounds and trails featuring self-guided tours are free and open daily from dawn until dusk.

August 2017: Geology Rocks!

Calling all rock hounds! Examine rocks, minerals & fossils, study our landscape, and explore awesome geological features of our planet. Visit during our public hours to engage with hands-on exploration stations, experience interactive theaters, explore our grounds, enjoy drop-in self-guided activities, and discover the world beneath our feet. August’s special features and activities (free or included in admission): Nina Leopold Bradley Family […]

August 2017: Geology Rocks!

Calling all rock hounds! Examine rocks, minerals & fossils, study our landscape, and explore awesome geological features of our planet. Visit during our public hours to engage with hands-on exploration stations, experience interactive theaters, explore our grounds, enjoy drop-in self-guided activities, and discover the world beneath our feet. August’s special features and activities (free or included in admission): Nina Leopold Bradley Family […]

July 2017: World of Water

Water is life! This month, we are highlighting the wonders of water — how it travels through Earth’s systems and how our local and global watersheds are impacted by weather, climate, and our daily usage. Visit during our public hours to play in our wetland nature nook, enjoy drop-in self-guided activities, explore our pond, view water conservation features throughout […]

July 2017: World of Water

Water is life! This month, we are highlighting the wonders of water — how it travels through Earth’s systems and how our local and global watersheds are impacted by weather, climate, and our daily usage. Visit during our public hours to play in our wetland nature nook, enjoy drop-in self-guided activities, explore our pond, view water conservation features throughout […]

Aldo Leopold Nature Center is at Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

6 hours ago

Calico aster, small white flowers with colorful centers.Calico aster, (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum), takes its name from the diverse colors of its disk florets as they mature. Each flower has about 10 white ray florets surrounding numerous disk florets that change colors over time, from yellow to orange, red-orange, and then purple. Its alternate leaves grow up to 4½" long and ½" across towards the base, and are smaller as they ascend the stems. They are lance-shaped with a few teeth toward the tips of the larger leaves. The flowers are about ⅓" across, which is smaller than other, similar white aster species, such as frost aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum), panicled aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum), and white heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides). They all bloom at the same time from late summer to fall but favor different habitats. Calico aster prefers light shade to partial sun and moist conditions, including woodland borders and openings, while heath aster prefers open prairies and frost aster prefers drier habitats. Panicled aster prefers full to partial sun and moist conditions. Calico aster attracts a wide variety of wildlife. Many different winged insects visit the flowerheads for nectar and/or pollen, while beetles, grasshoppers, katydids, and caterpillars feed on the foliage. Some herbivorous mammals, such as deer, rabbits, and livestock, graze on the foliage, while the seeds attract birds including American tree sparrow and ruffed grouse.What signs of fall 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 #CalicoAster #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside ...

View on Facebook