Loading Events

« All Events

  • This event has passed.

Self-Guided Bird & Nature Walks through June

June 30, 2020

On May 18, 2020, Public Health Madison & Dane County announced the Forward Dane Plan, a plan for the phased reopening of Dane County during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the current Emergency Order #2 PDF , parks remain open and several amenities reopened with precautions and adjustments. Group gatherings are not permitted. We encourage you to get out in nature and do your own self-guided walking tour.

Take a self-guided walk in nature any day in June with these suggestions.

Tenney Park, 1330 Sherman Avenue
Learn About Good Native Plants! 
Take a walk on easy paths along Lake Mendora and the Yahara Canal. Explore Tenney Island! Try to Identify 3 Native Wisconsin Plants such as an oak tree, milkweed, and native thistle! What are they good for? Absolutely Everything!  What species did you see? Use a guidebook or the Seek app for help.  What relationships do they have with native Wisconsin Birds and Animals?  Post what you find and pictures on the Madison FUN Facebook Page!  Help plant a Native Tree or Plant at your own home or neighborhood!

Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park, North Unit, 6098 N Sherman Avenue
Wildflower Wander!
Explore beautiful hiking trails at Cherokee Marsh and look for Wisconsin’s Woodland Wildflowers. Spring flowers have fascinating life cycles and a history of traditional uses. Can you identify 3 Wildflower species?  Can you guess a traditional use of each?  Use a guidebook or the Seek app to look up flowers and plants you see!  Post your pictures and sightings on the Friends of Cherokee Marsh Facebook Page! Learn more about native Wisconsin Wildflowers on the web. Please stay on trails. Plants and wildflowers may not be picked.

Owen Conservation Park, 6021 Old Sauk Road
Amazing Prairie Plants
Take a healthy nature hike on trails through the extensive restored prairies at Owen Conservation Park. Try to find 3 different kinds of prairie plants starting to grow that have different kinds of stems and leaves.  Can you find dried stems and leaves from last year?  How tall did they get? Prairie plant roots may go twice as deep as they are tall!  Use a guidebook or the Seek app to try and identify your plants.

Turville Point Conservation Park, 1156 Olin-Turville Court
Explore Turville Trails 
Follow easy hiking trails with a few up and down sections. Check out the surprisingly large restored prairie tucked away at the top of the hill. Continue on the far side to the furthest tip of Turville Point for great views of Lake Monona!  Come back on beautiful nature paths along Turville Bay.

Starkweather Creek Area, Begin anywhere along the Starkweather Creek area – Goodman Community Center, Olbrich Park
Summer Solstice Walk 
Enjoy the beginning of summer with a refreshing hike or bike ride along Starkweather Creek!  Look for signs of spring turning to summer.  Can you spot some baby birds? Basking turtles? Buzzing bees? Blooming flowers?

Warner Park, 2930 N. Sherman Ave
Weed Watch! 
We all help create the world we live in.  You can do your part to make Warner Park a special place you for nature!  Take a walk anywhere in the park to enjoy the birds and nature. Along the way, you can help the Wild Warner friends group by looking for signs of invasive species (weeds)!  You may want to use a guidebook or the Seek app to help identify plants. Take a picture of the location and the plants and jot down a description.  Post what you find on the Wild Warner Facebook page!  If you are interested in helping remove invasives please indicate that and someone from Wild Warner will get back to you.

Edna Taylor Conservation Park, 802 Femrite Road or 330 Femrite Drive, Aldo Leopold Nature Center
Baby Bird Bonanza
June is a great time to look for baby birds!  Take a walk along the beautiful wetlands, prairies and woodlands and look and listen to what’s going on around you!  Are there any birds sitting on a nest?  Young birds often flutter their wings and chirp to get attention!  Do you see birds bringing bugs to feed their young? Do you see any ducklings or other ‘precocial’ chicks with feathers already learning to find food? Bring binoculars or a camera if you have one.

More information: cityofmadison.com/parks/coronavirus

Event Cost: Free
Handicapped Accessible: No
Pre-Registration?: No
American Sign Language (ASL) Provided?: No
Event Website: Bird & Nature Outings