Friends of Lake Wingra

Friends of Lake Wingra http://lakewingra.org

There are SO many dragonflies around Lake Wingra right now! Especially around areas with lots of lily pads. If you loo...
08/21/2026

There are SO many dragonflies around Lake Wingra right now! Especially around areas with lots of lily pads. If you look closely, you may even spot tiny insects on the surface of the pads—perfect snacks for hungry dragonflies!

Check out this Black Saddlebags Dragonfly! It gets its name from the dark patches on its wings that look like little saddlebags. Black Saddlebags are common migratory dragonflies found throughout North America.

Dragonflies are fierce predators and excellent mosquito and gnat hunters, helping keep insect populations in check around the lake. They’re also incredible flyers—and some species even mate while flying!

Their aerial acrobatics are one of the best forms of entertainment on a lazy summer day on Lake Wingra.

Have you noticed all the dragonflies around the lake lately?

What do all of these images have in common? They all have a connection to Lake Wingra—but you’ll have to join us at Scie...
08/17/2026

What do all of these images have in common?

They all have a connection to Lake Wingra—but you’ll have to join us at Science Thursday to find out what they are and why they matter!

At the Friends of Lake Wingra's "Lake Wingra Life", you’ll discover:

- What pollutants make their way into Lake Wingra—and what you can do about them
- How native plants and rain gardens can help protect the lake
- Which birds are common around Lake Wingra—and how their bill shapes help them find and eat food
- What tiny aquatic organisms call Lake Wingra home

Come explore the fascinating life of Lake Wingra with us!

📅 Thursday, August 20
⏰ 5–6 PM
📍 Wingra Boats

Free and family-friendly! Bring your curiosity—we’ll see you there!

As part of our rain garden expansion at Thoreau Elementary, we planted dotted mint (Monarda punctata) in the upper, drie...
08/13/2026

As part of our rain garden expansion at Thoreau Elementary, we planted dotted mint (Monarda punctata) in the upper, drier part of the garden. It was a plant we didn’t know much about, but it checked a lot of boxes: it’s native, pollinator-friendly, relatively short for planting next to sidewalks, and can spread to cover an area of lawn that notoriously refused to grow grass year after year.

Then, in June, a major storm toppled four large trees and left the rain garden in shambles. The garden suddenly became hotter and drier than it had been before, and many of the plants (chosen for partial shade conditions) have struggled through the long, hot, dry periods this summer—even with regular watering.

But the dotted mint? It’s thriving! It’s growing and flowering beautifully and providing nectar for lots of bees and other pollinators.

Our lesson learned: Plant a diversity of species! Conditions change from year to year, and some plants will struggle while others thrive.

We’re glad we took a chance on dotted mint. It’s beautiful—and the pollinators seem to agree!

08/11/2026

Did you know an endangered species is buzzing around the Lake Wingra watershed?

Meet the rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis)! This once-common native bee was added to the federal endangered species list in 2017 after its populations dramatically declined.

The good news? You may be able to spot one right here in the Lake Wingra watershed.

Rusty patched bumble bees can be found in areas with abundant native flowers, including the UW Arboretum and gardens planted with native pollinator plants.

Now is a great time to go bee watching! Find a patch of flowers in bloom and take a close look at the bees buzzing from flower to flower. See if you can identify the rusty patched bumble bee—or one of the 11 other bumble bee species found around Lake Wingra.

They aren't aggressive, so you can safely get close enough for some great photos. (Just give them space and avoid disturbing them.)

Need help identifying your bee? Check out the Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade's identification guide: wisconsinbumblebees.entomology.wisc.edu

And don't forget to report what you find! You can submit your bee observations and explore maps showing where bumble bees have been spotted: Bumble Bee Watch - www.bumblebeewatch.org

How many different bumble bees can you find around Lake Wingra?

What do all of these items have to do with Lake Wingra? Come find out at our rescheduled Science Thursday: Lake Wingra L...
08/06/2026

What do all of these items have to do with Lake Wingra?

Come find out at our rescheduled Science Thursday: Lake Wingra Life!

Join the Friends of Lake Wingra on Thursday, August 20, from 5–6 PM at Wingra Boats for a FREE, family-friendly evening of hands-on science and outdoor fun.

Explore the amazing Lake Wingra ecosystem through interactive activities:
- Connect all the pieces of our ecosystem using string
- Discover aquatic insects and other lake creatures
- Learn about native rain garden plants
- Test different bird beaks to see how birds find food
- Find out what happens when everyday pollutants wash into Lake Wingra—and what you can do to help protect our watershed.

Perfect for curious kids, families, and anyone who loves nature!

Wingra Boats
Thursday, August 20
5:00–6:00 PM

We hope to see you there!

08/04/2026

The two Sandhill Crane chicks that frequent Wingra Park are growing up fast! They’re now almost as tall as their parents.

You can easily tell the youngsters from the adults by their plumage. The chicks are mottled gray and rusty tan and don't yet have the bright red patch on their heads. The adults have gray necks and bodies with distinctive red crowns and white cheeks.

These young cranes will stay with their parents through the fall, migrating south together in late fall or early winter. They'll return to Wisconsin as a family in late winter or early spring. As the next breeding season approaches, their parents will encourage them to become independent. The young cranes will then join "bachelor flocks" of other nonbreeding cranes until they're about 4 or 5 years old and ready to find mates of their own.

A friendly reminder: These cranes are wild animals. Please don't feed them, and give them at least 10 feet of space so they can remain healthy and behave naturally. Thanks for helping keep Wingra Park's wildlife wild!

First Friday on Monroe Street is next Friday, August 7! There are two great ways to support Friends of Lake Wingra while...
07/30/2026

First Friday on Monroe Street is next Friday, August 7! There are two great ways to support Friends of Lake Wingra while enjoying a fun evening in the neighborhood.

Shop for a cause at Orange Tree Imports (5:00–7:00 PM)
Twenty percent of all sales during this time will be donated to Friends of Lake Wingra. A huge thank you to Orange Tree Imports for supporting our work!

Visit us at Music by the Water at Wingra Park (5:00–8:00 PM)
Stop by our table to:
• Pick up a Lake Wingra t-shirt
• Learn about our upcoming Lake Wingra Community Bike Ride and rain garden events
• Try a hands-on activity about stormwater pollution and how we can all help keep Lake Wingra clean

We hope to see you at First Friday on Monroe Street for an evening of shopping, music, and community!

Learn more about First Friday events here: https://www.monroestreetmadison.com/first-friday
https://www.madisonboats.com/events/first-friday-music-by-the-water-at-wingra-boats-3/

The shoreline at Wingra Park is putting on quite a show!Right now, the lakeshore is alive with colorful blooms, buzzing ...
07/28/2026

The shoreline at Wingra Park is putting on quite a show!

Right now, the lakeshore is alive with colorful blooms, buzzing native bees, and busy dragonflies. Look for swamp milkweed, obedient plant, blue vervain, blazing star, and black-eyed Susan flowering along the water's edge.

These native plants do much more than look beautiful. They help prevent shoreline erosion, discourage geese from coming ashore, and provide valuable habitat for bees, dragonflies, butterflies, and birds.

Did you know that before 2018, the shoreline at Wingra Park was mostly grass and rocks right to the water's edge? Heavy foot traffic and wave action caused significant erosion, so the City of Madison restored 350 feet of shoreline with native vegetation. The last photo, from the City of Madison, shows the shoreline restoration work.

Today, that restoration is thriving. The native plantings, together with a few designated lake access points and docks, help protect the shoreline while still providing places for people to enjoy the lake. The result is a healthier shoreline that supports abundant wildlife, improves water quality, and creates one of the most beautiful spots to experience Lake Wingra.

Take a walk through Wingra Park this week—you'll be rewarded with vibrant flowers, humming pollinators, and dragonflies darting through the summer air!

The Lake Wingra Loop is a 6.5-mile route that winds around Lake Wingra and is loved by bicyclists, runners, and walkers ...
07/23/2026

The Lake Wingra Loop is a 6.5-mile route that winds around Lake Wingra and is loved by bicyclists, runners, and walkers alike. It is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to experience both the natural beauty of the lake and the vibrant neighborhoods that surround it.

But the loop is more than just a scenic path.

Along the way, you travel through several Madison neighborhoods, each with its own unique character; pass near Native American mounds of great cultural significance; move through restored natural areas that reflect decades of conservation work; encounter springs that have shaped the lake’s ecology and history; and see innovative stormwater projects designed to help keep Lake Wingra healthy.

To celebrate this special community treasure, Friends of Lake Wingra is hosting the Lake Wingra Community Bike Ride on Saturday, September 26, from 2–4 PM, beginning and ending at Vilas Park Shelter.

- Free ice cream
- Educational booths along the route
- Ride at your own pace
- Free and family-friendly

Whether you are a regular loop user or have never explored the full route, this is a great opportunity to enjoy the scenery, learn more about Lake Wingra, and connect with your community.

Learn more at https://lakewingra.org/2026-lake-wingra-community-bike-ride

Last Thursday we had to cancel Science Thursday because of the smoky air, but there was one silver lining.Before the can...
07/20/2026

Last Thursday we had to cancel Science Thursday because of the smoky air, but there was one silver lining.

Before the cancellation, Friends of Lake Wingra Board Member David Ortiz had already collected some amazing aquatic plants from Lake Wingra for the program—including this incredible bladderwort. Since we had it in hand, we couldn't resist taking a closer look!

Bladderwort is one of the most fascinating plants found in Lake Wingra. It's a carnivorous aquatic plant that captures and digests tiny aquatic organisms using miniature underwater traps called bladders. These bladders hold negative pressure, and when a tiny creature brushes the trigger hairs, the trap snaps open and sucks in its prey in a fraction of a second. In fact, bladderwort is considered the fastest plant in the world!

Looking through the microscope, we could actually see tiny aquatic organisms wiggling inside the bladders. After just a few hours, prey such as water fleas and copepods are digested, the bladder pumps the water back out, and the trap is ready to catch its next meal.

Nature never ceases to amaze us! Have you ever seen a bladderwort in the wild?

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PO Box 45071
Madison, WI
53744

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