Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum Educational Programs

Transcription

1 Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum Educational Programs April 2011 to March 2012 PROGRAM SCHEDULE Twenty of My Favorite Native Trees and Shrubs Michael Yanny Thursday, April 14, 2011, 7 pm Room S240 Science Building Learn about plants that have outstanding fall color, fabulous flowers or vital food for wildlife. You will also hear a few stories and poems about Michael s life with plants. Propagation and growing techniques will be touched upon. Michael is the plant propagator at Johnson s Nursery in Menomonee Falls. He has been instrumental in developing an extensive line of local ecotype plants for the nursery. Creating a Native Woodland Garden Molly Fifield Murray Thursday, May 19, 2011, 7 pm Using nature's example you can create beautiful, diverse gardens in shade, drawing upon species adapted to our area. We will cover plant choices, planting methods, soil characteristics and design. Molly Fifield Murray has been the Outreach and Education Manager at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum for 20 years. Trained in landscape restoration and native garden design, she has taught about and designed native wildflower gardens as both an educator and design consultant. Wildflower Identification Thursday, June 23, 2011, noon or 6:30 pm About one hour each session

2 We will be using Newcomb s Wildflower Guide, which uses a simple key system to take the guesswork out of wildflower identification for the nature lover with no formal botanical training. Connie is the Education Coordinator for the Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum. She has owned her own native plant nursery since 1983 and has been part of the prairie and arboretum since its inception. Digital Nature Photography Workshop Dave Edwards Thursday, July 21, 2011, 6 pm until dark The indoor presentation will focus on composition and an overview of how a digital camera functions. On the prairie and arboretum grounds, Dave will demonstrate how to capture quality digital images. Bring your camera gear, tripods, and owner s manual. Dave owns his own photography business and has enjoyed photography since childhood. He spent a career investigating and photo-documenting pollution cases for Wisconsin DNR. Prairie Remnant and Native Plant Nursery Tour Saturday, August 20, 2011, 9 am until noon We will car pool to observe a prairie remnant near Greenbush in the Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest. From there, we will travel to Connie s native plant nursery to identify many plants and learn about planting techniques. Connie owns and operates Kettle Moraine Natural Landscaping which specializes in local ecotype prairie and savanna seed and potted plants. Grasshoppers of Wisconsin Kathryn Kirk Saturday, September 17, 2011, 10 until noon Kathy will discuss research leading to the publication of Guide to the Grasshoppers of Wisconsin and show us how to begin identifying grasshopper species with photographs of these diminutive, but beautiful members of Wisconsin s fauna. We will practice

3 capturing grasshoppers so bring nets and magnifying glasses if you have them. This class is for adults and older children. Kathryn Kirk is a conservation biologist from Madison. She is retired from the Wisconsin DNR where she worked as an invertebrate specialist for the Bureau of Endangered Resources. Her work focused on the endangered and threatened butterflies, dragonflies and other terrestrial insects in Wisconsin. Seed Collection Workshop Saturday, October 22, 2011, 9:30 noon Participants will learn how to identify wildflowers and grasses in the seed stage while hiking through the prairie. We will collect and clean several species in the shelter and learn how to store and propagate the seed for starting plants. Create a Winter Wreath and Swag Jackie Scharfenberg Thursday, November 17, 2011, 6 8:30 pm Lakeside Park Pavilion in Fond du Lac Back by popular demand, we will create a beautiful wreath and swag that will enhance your home s winter décor. We will be using a variety of natural materials. Jackie is a Forest Naturalist/Natural Resources Educator with the Wisconsin DNR in the Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest. She enjoys teaching all aspects of environmental education. There will be a $15.00 supplies fee. Wisconsin Winter Birds Bill Volkert December 15, 2011, 7 pm Room UC 114 University Center Winter is the most demanding season for our wildlife, with short days and cold temperatures. This is a good time of year to get to know Wisconsin s birds. This presentation will introduce participants to a variety of winter birds, discuss some of their adaptations and provide hints on how to attract them to your backyard. Bill Volkert is the wildlife educator and naturalist for Wisconsin DNR at Horicon Marsh where he has worked since His efforts led to the development of the new Horicon Marsh International Education Center. As a result of his travels, Bill has observed ¼ of the world s birds.

4 History and Ecology of Prairie in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest Rich Henderson Thursday, January 19, 2012, 7 pm Rich will introduce us to the origins of Midwest prairie and the plants and animals that constitute the prairie ecosystem and how those species interact. The rise and fall of prairie and what the future holds for its recovery and conservation will also be covered. Rich is an ecologist for WDNR Bureau of Science Services. He has thirty-five years of experience in natural area inventory, assessment, and management of prairie, sedge meadow, oak savanna, and oak woodland. He is very active with the WI Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and The Prairie Enthusiasts. A Prairie Meditation Terrill Knaack Thursday, February 16, 2012, 7 pm A Prairie Meditation is a photo essay featuring images from several remnant prairies and state natural areas, including Goose Pond Sanctuary, Faville Grove Sanctuary, Black Earth Prairie and Rocky Run State Natural Area. This presentation is both a meditation, asking the viewer to join in an attempt at enhanced perception of the prairie, and a defining of our spiritual relationship with the land. Terrill is a well respected wildlife and landscape artist who was Owen Gromme s only student. His paintings have been shown at many of the nation s natural history museums. Terrill is currently an Artist-in-Residence at Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, where he teaches painting, photography, and a course he developed that explores the unity of art and science. Learn to Burn Mike Marek Thursday, March 15, 2012, 7 pm The talk will focus on basic burn planning, implementation, and its many benefits. Safety equipment will be on display and a short video of a small prescribed burn will be shown. Plenty of time for questions and discussion will be allowed, including help on written burn plans.

5 Mike Marek of Marek Landscaping, LLC. of Milwaukee has been practicing native landscaping in Southeast Wisconsin for 20 years. The firm specializes in using native plants, and natural materials for habitat restoration and reconstruction, streambank stabilization, trail construction, rainwater harvesting systems, and stormwater design. Marek offers prescribed fire services to residential, commercial, and governmental clients and is a member of the Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Council. Most programs run about one hour unless otherwise noted.