Gabby Arnold | Community Programs Educator The Nature Place is beautifully nestled between bluffs, marshland, forests, and prairie. The biodiversity surrounding our center makes exploration a simple task, and our Explorer Backpacks provide tools that will amplify the outdoor experience. Each backpack serves a different purpose and provides a different experience. Try out our free…
Read More about Explorer Backpacks: A Tool for Discovering the Many Habitats of The Nature Place
Mace Tompson | Visitor Services – Gardens and Grounds AmeriCorps Member, September 2023 – August 2024 Growing native plants in your garden can be as simple as sprinkling seeds onto a patch of dirt in fall and seeing what pops up in spring, or it can be more involved like starting seeds indoors at the end…
Read More about Coneflower Power and Other Native Plant Perks
Amber Bydynkowski | Visitor Services Manager There is something to be said about stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something new. That nervous excitement builds up, almost like a euphoric vibration that sends you through a whirlwind of emotions. Not only is experiencing something new a big step into becoming a well-rounded individual,…
Read More about Finding My Way: Outside of My Comfort Zone
Ashlyn Luckey | Visitor Services Assistant AmeriCorps Member, September 2023 – August 2024 Sustainability has become quite the buzzword over the past few years. From news headlines to the grocery store, it seems to be plastered on everything, and it can get overwhelming! Though it may seem like a daunting journey, it’s actually easier than…
Read More about Sustainable Made Attainable
By Stephanie Hanna | Community Program Manager After working as an environmental educator for a while, it turns out that I find reptiles to be absolutely amazing creatures. When I was being interviewed for this job 25 years ago, I told the person doing the interview, who would become my boss, that I was not…
Read More about Behind the Dragon’s Beard
By Mace Thomson | Visitor Services – Gardens & Grounds Americorps Member, September 2023 – August 2024 Every year as the temperature begins to rise, so does the excitement of gardeners who have been patiently waiting to get their hands dirty again. We know that feeling well at The Nature Place. However, before planting begins,…
Read More about Digging In: From Weeds to Seeds, Prepping the Garden for Spring
By Gabrielle Arnold | Community Program EducatorAmeriCorps Member, September 2023 – August 2024 The concept of delving into the scientific community with no prior experience is intimidating. Without a degree and years in a lab, what makes you qualified to make scientific observations? How could you, without any credibility, possibly contribute to a field filled…
Read More about Community Science, a Catalyst to a Connected World
By Emma Lather | Environmental Educator AmeriCorps Member, September 2023 – August 2024 As an undergrad, I got hooked on Pokémon Go. In grad school, I got hooked on birding. The similarities are uncanny; I wander through the tall grass in search of new creatures to capture in my Pokéball (binoculars), record in my Pokédex…
Read More about Watching Out for Warblers…and Windows
In Wisconsin, we’re familiar enough with the unpredictable Midwestern weather to know that the phrase “April showers bring May flowers” might just mean snow showers! But did you know that despite the saying, and the sometimes uncooperative weather, many native flowers actually bloom well before May?
Read More about Spring into Ephemerals
Spring is finally here! There are special memories about springtime from when I was little that cemented it as my favorite season. I remember putting on my jacket and waterproof shoes to look for signs of spring to emerge.
Read More about The Joys of Springtime