Division of Extension Natural Resources Institute

10/18/2026

10/15/2026

Part 3 of our Master Naturalist video diary series features reptiles and amphibians, millions of years of history, and a plethora of community science projects. Follow along as Sky Hershberger, a communications specialist with Extension's Forestry & Wildlife Program, participates in an Extension Master Naturalist program cohosted by the UW–Madison Arboretum and the UW–Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve.

The Master Naturalist program promotes awareness, understanding, and stewardship of the natural environment by developing a network of well-informed volunteers dedicated to conservation service within their communities.

To become a Master Naturalist, individuals complete 40 hours of expert-led training on a variety of natural history topics. Trainings are hosted by organizations around Wisconsin, who cover the same core concepts while customizing the content for their local communities and ecosystems.

This fall's Master Naturalist training at the Arboretum and Lakeshore Nature Preserve focuses on ecological restoration. The 1,200-acre Arboretum sits a few miles south of the UW–Madison campus and is the site of historic research in ecological restoration. The Lakeshore Nature Preserve is a 300-acre living laboratory on the UW–Madison campus, along the shores of Lake Mendota. Both landscapes feature prairies, oak savannas, forests, and wetlands in an urban context.

The Forestry & Wildlife Program and Master Naturalist Program are both part of Extension's Natural Resources Institute, which puts the Wisconsin Idea into action by providing the information and leadership needed to grow healthy, thriving communities and support resilient and productive natural resources, food systems, and economies.

10/14/2026

Are we have a second summer? Usually October in Wisconsin means fall is in full swing, but this year many are experiencing a string of warm and pleasant autumn days occurs after the first fall freeze.

Want more information on this weather phenomena and its occurrence? Check out this blog by the Wisconsin State Climatology Office:

Fall weather typically has a firm grasp on Wisconsin by October, but once in a while, bursts of unseasonable heat can strike.

10/06/2026

Attention all zoning committee members and local officials! The Center for Land Use Education is hosting a Zoning Board of Appeals and Adjustment Workshop next Tuesday in Pittsville.

The workshop will discuss how zoning board members act like judges and how their decisions impact communities. Instructors will take a deep dive into variance decisions, covering the legal standards for granting a variance, incorporating town recommendations, and how to create legally defensible decisions.

Register at https://bit.ly/4689UXO

10/01/2026

Do you know someone who is passionate about protecting and restoring our streams and rivers? Nominate a River Steward award today and honor the nature lovers in your life!

Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Partnership Water Action Volunteers

💧Do you know an outstanding person or group who dedicates substantial time and energy to protecting Wisconsin’s streams and rivers? 💧

Nominate them for a prestigious River Stewardship Award!

Presented by the Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Partnership, the River Stewardship Awards recognize individuals and groups who protect and restore our streams and rivers through their exemplary professional or volunteer efforts.

The awards are divided into two nomination categories:

🏆Outstanding River Steward Award
🏆Outstanding River Professional Award

🗓️ Nominations are due Dec. 1. Recipients will be honored at the 2027 Wisconsin Lakes & Rivers Convention.

Nominate a River Steward today! https://wisconsinwaterweek.org/nominate-a-river-steward/

09/24/2026

The Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program Tiny Art auction is now open! Bid today and support this important program.

https://go.wisc.edu/NaturesCanvas

09/23/2026

What is your favorite way to spend a beautiful autumn morning? Join us out in nature at the Backyard Nature Expo at Mirror Lake State Park from 10:30-12:00 for mini drop-in interactive, educational sessions on a variety of nature topics! This is a great way to learn from recently trained Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program volunteers as a part of their capstone project!

Will you be joining us this Saturday Sept 26 for the Backyard Nature Expo at Mirror Lake State Park? We have an exciting lineup of tables planned by our newly trained Wisconsin Master Naturalists. Activities include crafts, meeting live reptiles and more!

We hope to see you there from 10:30-12!

09/22/2026

It's September and that means it is wild rice season! Community members in the Superior area had the chance to gather manoomin at the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve's third annual rice camp this past weekend.

Mark McConnell, an elder from Fond du Lac, shared his thoughts on the event with WDIO, “We talked about the disappearance of our food, manoomin. Different people have gotten together and they bought freshly harvested manoomin seed from different places. They came through here and seeded up near Walleye Alley on the St. Louis and in the Bay. This is the third year of this and it has come back so thick that you cannot hardly push. With the reseeding and taking care of the environment and the water, the manoomin is coming back. It feels good to see this and for people coming out like this to learn about it.”

Members of Fond du Lac Band, UW-Superior extension and Lake Superior Reserve held the 3rd annual Wild rice program at Pokegama Bay.

09/18/2026

Congratulations to Casey Garhart - one of our talented Instructional Designers - on her successful career and for all her contributions to Extension! Casey is retiring or taking a "gap year" as she calls it! Best of luck with your future endeavors from everyone at The Natural Resources Institute, Casey!

09/10/2026

When it comes to farmer-led conservation efforts and watershed management - it can be hard for conservation professionals to know what to expect. Will this farmer-focused program generate interest among producers? Will I see a water quality impact from conservation practice adoption?

To help conservation professionals better answer these questions, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension and partners recently published a series of reports outlining what to expect when it comes to farmer outreach, watershed monitoring, digital advertising to producers and more. Check it out today:
https://naturalresources.extension.wisc.edu/new-reports-help-conservation-professionals-understand-what-to-expect-for-watershed-monitoring-and-farmer-outreach-efforts/