Aldo Leopold Foundation

06/02/2026

Give now and GET laughs and learnings on Thursday!

Your donation today to the Aldo Leopold Foundation of $25 or more will open the door to Thursday's donor-exclusive live, virtual evening with one of America's most beloved humorists, Charlie Berens! (And ensure at least one more reader is inspired to love land by receiving a copy of Leopold's A Sand County Almanac.)

Following your gift of $25 or more you'll receive a registration door pass to:

An Evening with Charlie Berens: Comedy, Culture and Land Ethics
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 7:00-8-15 p.m., CST

To Donate: https://ow.ly/AWK350Z6M5m

06/01/2026

HUGE news — the 2027 Phenology Calendar is in the house!!! 🦋

What is phenology? Only the most Leopoldian way to engage with the wild things all around you. In A Sand County Almanac, Aldo notes the arrival of geese in March, the blooming of silphium in July. Do you, too, notice the arrival of a favorite migratory bird, or the bloom of a particular wildflower? Phenology is the study of the timing of these seasonal events—and observing these changes throughout the year can grant you a deeper understanding and appreciation of what's happening in your biotic community.

Our annual phenology calendar, produced since 2005, follows in the footsteps of this Leopold tradition and tips you off to hundreds of life cycle events throughout the seasons. (Hundreds! Think of how many cool things there are to discover!) In the 2027 edition, monthly sidebars by Senior Fellow Dr. Stan Temple explore how changing weather and climate conditions impact different species. Oh, and the photography? Gorgeous, of course. 💅🏽 (Huge shoutout to all the photographers who shared their images 💚)

A work of art, an exciting learning tool, a new addictive hobby, and a way to give back to the land?? What could be better?? Get your calendars today at https://ow.ly/NQ3u50Z6cQH, or shop in-person at our visitor center in Baraboo!

Special thanks to McFarlanes' Retail Center - Sauk City and Wisconsin Cranberries for sponsoring the 2027 Phenology Calendar.

Embark on a year of discovery with the 2027 Phenology Calendar as your guide. Complete with stunning wildlife photography, thought provoking quotes, and illuminating sidebars - curated by Senior Fellow Dr. Stan Temple - this year’s calendar will take you on a journey thorough the seasons. Along th...

05/31/2026

The forest is waiting. And your next adventure is closer than you think.

Join our friends at the National Forest Foundation in celebrating from May 31 - June 6! Kick off summer by making memories, forging connections, and discovering all that our nation's backyards have to offer.

Learn more—and find a National Forest near you!—at nationalforestweek.org.

05/30/2026

The volunteers are at it again! 🪚 This past month, the crew helped cut invasive brush in the Shack barrens. Barrens habitats are a relic of both Wisconsin's glacial history and agricultural land use, characterized by sandy soils, xerophilic (low-moisture-adapted) plants, prairie grasses, and few trees. (Really putting the "sand" in sand counties!) By removing invasive species, we're hoping to reduce competition to allow unique native species to thrive.

Want to help out on the land? Join us for our monthly volunteer days, every first Saturday from 9am-12pm. Your next chance is on June 6th!

https://www.aldoleopold.org/join-and-support/volunteer

05/29/2026

We go together like wild lupine and Karner blue. 🩵💜

The season's first flight of Karner blue butterflies are beginning to emerge from their cocoons! These guys hatched from overwintered eggs back in April, and, as caterpillars for the last few weeks, they've been feeding exclusively on lupine leaves. But now, after pupating—and as lupine is in peak bloom—these teeny-tiny butterflies are stretching their wings for the first time. (Their wingspan is only about an inch!)

Their time as adults is fleeting—usually only a few days, though sometimes up to a couple weeks—as they seek a mate. Females lay their eggs on or near lupine plants; and after about a week, the eggs hatch and the cycle begins again. A second round of butterflies will emerge between July and August (depending on weather conditions), laying eggs near the now-dormant lupine plants that will overwinter and hatch the following spring.

Karner blues were listed as endangered in 1992, as their populations had been declining sharply due to habitat loss. Lupines depend on regular fire and other disturbances; when fire is suppressed, or the land is left alone, shrubs and trees eventually encroach, shading out lupine, fragmenting habitat, and isolating populations (the butterflies usually stay within a few hundred feet of where they hatched).

In 1999, Wisconsin was the first state to implement a Habitat Conservation Plan for Karner blues that protected over 260,000 acres of habitat; and our state hosts some of the largest remnant populations in its historic range. Habitat management efforts, species reintroductions, and continued research are underway federally and across several other host states to bring these butterflies back from the brink.

📷: Karner blue butterfly on wild lupine flower, Alan B. Schroeder/Shutterstock

05/28/2026

Support the advancement of the land ethic with a gift of $25 or more to join a donor-exclusive evening with comedian Charlie Berens. 🎤

From deer camp and fishing trips to walks through the woods, spending time outdoors is a quintessential part of Midwestern culture. And no one knows that better than Wisconsin’s own Charlie Berens—a comedian, best-selling author, and journalist known for his wildly popular sketch and stand-up comedy that spotlights the Midwest (Manitowoc Minute).

On Thursday, June 4, we'll talk with Charlie about how he uses comedy to connect people, how he explores —and exploits— Midwestern culture, and how his own land ethic is evolving. Plus, stick around to ask your burning questions during the audience Q&A. Laughs and learning guaranteed—you betcha! 🦌

Support the Leopold Foundation mission and join in the fun with a gift of $25 or more. https://ow.ly/fYzY50Z3NiW

*Special thanks to Charlie for allowing this program to be a fundraiser for the Aldo Leopold Foundation, open exclusively to new and current donors who have made a gift in the past year. Non-donors can gain entry into the program by making a gift of $25 or more. Current donors, check your email inbox for a registration link!

05/22/2026

🔍 PHENOLOGY OR MYTHOLOGY: Is it true that each spiderwort flower only lasts a single day??

Many sources proclaim this fun fact about Tradescantia ohiensis, also known as common spiderwort, Ohio spiderwort, or bluejacket, stating that individual blossoms open up in the morning and wilt by evening, with new flowers taking their place by the next day.

But is that true? Time to put it to the test.

We visited three spiderwort plants on Thursday and again on Friday. While the vibrant indigo blooms were still going strong on Friday morning, by that afternoon they were fading. 😢 The flowers may have lasted longer than the 24-hour window, but not by much.

However, while each bloom is short-lived, the plant has a cluster of buds that open successively throughout the May to July blooming season. As old flowers wilt, new ones take their place, contributing a splash of that stunning deep purple to the prairie landscape for weeks to come.

What's the longest-lasting spiderwort flower you've observed? 🪻

05/20/2026

“Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.” —Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass

05/19/2026

Join us for an in-person Certificate of Interpretive Guiding (CIG) course here at the Leopold Center, happening June 15-19 in partnership with the National Association for Interpretation! Whether you're a tour guide, teacher, park ranger, public speaker, or just want to lead engaging and resonant programs, this course is for you!

Learn more about the course, registration fee, schedule, and program instructor at the link. https://ow.ly/nlBl50Z1Ij5

⚠️ Deadline to apply is June 1! ⚠️

05/15/2026

Bird nerds rejoice—it’s peak migration! 🗺️🐦

During the height of migration more than 50 million birds (yes, MILLION) can pass through the state of Wisconsin in just one night. In fact, these birds are so numerous that they show up on radar imaging, allowing researchers to see and predict migration numbers (check out your local numbers at birdcast.org!).

But the area around the Leopold Shack is more than just a flyover spot, offering a rich complex of prairies, savannas, wetlands, and woods where birds can stop over to eat, rest, and await more favorable flying weather during the day. And stop over they do! This week alone, we’ve spotted 11+ warbler species, baltimore and orchard orioles, solitary sandpipers, greater and lesser yellowlegs, ruby crowned kinglets, rusty blackbirds, great crested flycatchers, and more.

Some migratory species will stay and breed throughout the summer while others will be back on their way north when they've restored their energy or can catch a tailwind.

So come pay us a visit soon and catch these beautiful birds in action! Public trails and self-guided tours are available Monday-Friday from 9-5 and Saturday from 9-4. Guided tours leave at 10 am on Saturdays. Find more information at aldoleopold.org/visit.

📸: Greater Yellowlegs by Robert Hilbert