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 PerksAmber 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 ZoneBy 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 WorldBy 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 WindowsSpring 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 SpringtimeHave you been to the annual Earth Fair here in La Crosse? Since 2009, it has helped foster an appreciation for and understanding of the natural world in our small community.
Read More about Earth Fair: 16 Years of Environmental Awareness in the Coulee RegionCindy Blobaum | Environmental Education Program Manager I have Thursday, March 21 circled on my calendar. That evening, I have a ticket to attend Robin Wall Kimmerer’s talk at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse’s Prairie Springs program. Kimmerer is perhaps best known for one of her books, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and…
Read More about Nature’s Recommended ReadingsWhen I was a small child, I considered the earth to be my friend. I grew up in a valley between West Salem and Mindoro where native Wisconsin wildlife was and still is abundant. I remember looking for amphibians late at night all summer long. A whole row of frogs would line up on my parent’s gravel driveway waiting for the bugs that would fly under the outdoor light.
Read More about Savor the Natural World