Water temperatures continue to drop in the lake. Surface temperatures are now 66 degrees F compared to 72 degrees F three weeks ago. Water transparency remains murky. We had Secchi Disk readings of only 2 feet. Our…
Expect a bit of a chill if you go swimming in Lake Wingra today. Surface water temperatures have dropped from about 79 degrees four weeks ago to about 72 degrees today. Children at the Wingra summer camp spent less time…
This visually stunning movie is especially engaging for children. It follows the story of a young boy interested in butterflies. He pursues his passion, eventually becoming a scientist who solves a major mystery of the natural world. The film explores…
Good news! How far you can see into the water of Lake Wingra has improved this week. Our volunteers use a Secchi Disk (see featured image) to measure water transparency, or turbidity, on a weekly basis. Water Clarity: Based…
A big thank you to the Alliant Energy Foundation volunteers for helping remove invasive species in the Arboretum and Wingra Park Oak Savanna last Thursday, June 15! The 33 volunteers picked enough hedgeparsley, dame’s rocket, and garlic mustard to fill…
In the library, a monarch butterfly rested on a small boy’s hand. Suddenly it fluttered upward—zig-zagging over bookshelves toward a window. Four squealing children ran to where it landed on a windowsill. Catalina approached, coaxing it onto her fingertip. Her…
Friends of Lake Wingra is happy to introduce our new program manager, Casey Hanson. She is a UW-Madison alumna where she obtained her bachelor of civil and environmental engineering. Casey is a long-time Madison resident, aside from the last few…
The zoo has a new exhibit! While it may not be as breathtaking as a polar bear, we are still pretty excited about it! The new attraction is an interactive watershed model that lets children (and children at heart!) explore…
Compost is like chili–everyone has their own recipe. You throw in what you find in the fridge, it takes a while to cook–and it always smells good when it’s done. Compost is much better for your garden than chemical fertilizer.…
Friends of Lake Wingra has begun a new program to help understand and protect the amphibians that call our lake home. We are working with a group of volunteers to listen for frogs and toads near the Vilas Lagoon throughout…
