Prairies in Bloom ~ Join a Naturalist for a free fun family-friendly guided tour or take a healthy nature walk on your own any day in August along easy hiking paths at Owen Park to enjoy beautiful native prairie wildflowers at the peak of summer! Notice how tall and strong Wisconsin’s native prairie plants grow! Aldo Leopold pointed out that non-native plants fall over in harsh Wisconsin winters but native plants remain stout, holding insects and eggs for the next generation in their stems. How many different kinds of yellow flowers can you find? What other colors are blooming? Use a guidebook or the Seek application to help you identify and learn more about some of the plants, their historic and current uses for humans, and value to birds and wildlife.

Explore Owen Conservation Park on gentle trails through historic oak openings on a hillside with an Ice Age kettle and along restored prairies with beautiful vistas on this high point overlooking the west side of Madison. Co-sponsored by Madison Parks, Madison Audubon Society, and the Friends of Owen Conservation Park . Free, family-friendly guided nature walks at Owen Conservation Park are held on the 2nd Saturday of each month, year-round 2:30-4pm. No registration is required. No pets are allowed.

See Bird & Nature Adventures for other free nature events.