Aldo Leopold Nature Center

06/08/2026

06/06/2026

Join us tomorrow at Aldo Leopold Nature Center to celebrate the history of the land!

📅 Sunday, June 7 | 2:00–4:00 p.m.

This FREE event is part of Make History Madison, a participatory story-sharing project about land, place, and local history.

Our Executive Director, Betsy Parker, will lead a tour of the grounds with an emphasis on the history of the land, followed by a land and tradition workshop led by Ho-Chunk artist and educator Lightning The Earth New Rider.

Learn, reflect, and connect with the stories that shape our community.

Plan your visit: https://aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org/event/make-history-madison/

Whose Land? Madison Public Library Ho-Chunk Nation San Damiano Monona Madison Parks Wisconsin Humanities Wisconsin Arts Board Dane Arts Alliant Energy Madison Gas and Electric W***y Street Co-op

06/06/2026

Have you ever wondered what spittlebugs look like?

In late spring, it's common to spot globs of white, bubbly, spit-like foam on plants. These foamy masses are home to spittlebug nymphs, which use them for protection from predators and temperature fluctuations while they feed on plant sap and continue developing. When they're ready, they emerge as adult spittlebugs.

Have you ever spotted spittlebug foam in your yard or garden? 👀

Video: Jamie Kollman, Aldo Leopold Nature Center

06/05/2026

This bumblebee is buzzing for wild blue indigo blooms!

Also known as blue false indigo (Baptisia australis), this native plant was used by Indigenous peoples and later by European settlers in North America to produce a blue dye. Indigenous communities used the dye to color garments and artwork, while settlers used it as a substitute for imported indigo dyes when true indigo (Indigofera tinctoria) was scarce or expensive.

Today, wild blue indigo is valued for its striking blooms and importance to pollinators.

Video: Jamie Kollman, Aldo Leopold Nature Center

06/04/2026

Tag a friend and get your Sunday plans on the calendar. ☀️

Camp Aldo Evenings is bringing summer-camp energy to Aldo Leopold Nature Center on Sunday, June 21, from 5–8 pm.

Expect food trucks, live music, tie dye, s’mores, sunset trail walks, and a relaxed summer night outdoors.

Free admission. Pre-registration requested for optional on-site childcare and tie dye activity.

Learn more about this summer event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1469937074587334

06/04/2026

Big thanks to Simone and the Eagle Scout team for installing purple martin houses at ALNC!

The group did a fantastic job installing the pole, the houses, and the educational sign. Purple martin houses provide important nesting habitat for these aerial insect-eating birds, which often rely on human-made housing due to a shortage of natural nesting cavities.

We’ve already spotted purple martins, and they are moving in!

Photos: Brian Schneider, Aldo Leopold Nature Center

06/04/2026

Little kids with little chicks… could it be any cuter?!

A preschool family brought six chicks to the Nature Center so children across our program could hold them before they return home once they’re a little bigger. Thank you for this adorable opportunity!

Video: Jamie Kollman, Aldo Leopold Nature Center

06/03/2026

Join us this week at ALNC to discover the Trash Lab and explore our pond!

📅 Friday, June 5 | 10 AM–2 PM
Explore the Trash Lab, a traveling interactive exhibit that helps you rethink waste and discover simple ways to reduce it. From 10–11 AM, we’ll also offer stories, songs, and creative crafts inspired by recycling, reducing waste, and caring for the Earth.

📅 Saturday & Sunday, June 6–7 | 10 AM–2 PM
Get outside and explore the pond! Families can meet pond critters up close and discover what lives beneath the surface. Please follow the signs to the Nature Center's side entrance and meet in outdoor LL1.

These programs are part of Nature Everywhere Weekend, featuring free, family-friendly events across the Madison area—including hikes, bike rides, canoe trips, yoga, scavenger hunts, and more.

👉 Learn more: https://www.natureeverywheremadison.org/natureeverywhereday

Nature Net

06/02/2026

Tag a friend and join us for a night out in nature at Camp Aldo Evenings.🌅

Join us Sunday, June 21 from 5–8 pm for an easygoing evening with live music, local food and drink, golden-hour trail hikes, campfire and s’mores, and summer camp-inspired tie-dye fun.

It’s a free event for adults, families, and anyone ready to unwind at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center. No RSVP is necessary unless you would like to reserve your spot for the tie-dye activity, as space is limited and pre-registration is requested. You may also sign up for optional on-site childcare.

Learn more about this summer event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1469937074587334

06/02/2026

Brown-headed Cowbirds are frequent visitors to bird feeders!

Their unusual name comes from their habit of foraging alongside cattle. Large grazing animals stir up insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, providing cowbirds with an easy meal. Insects make up about a quarter of a cowbird’s diet, while the rest consists of seeds and grains.

Although Brown-headed Cowbirds are native to North America, they are often considered a nuisance because they are brood parasites. Instead of building their own nests, female cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species and leave the host parents to raise their young. This often comes at the expense of some of the host birds’ own chicks.

Video: Bird Buddy, Aldo Leopold Nature Center