The Life & Times of the Dragonfly
Dragonflies are more than just an insect that can fly backwards. They are an important factor in habitats and ecosystems. Worldwide, there are approximately 6,500 different species of dragonflies! Out of the 6,500 species, 164 of them are native to Wisconsin. Some of these species include the ZigZag Darner, Swamp Darner, Painted Skimmer, and more! […]
Types of Nests and The Birds Who Live in Them: Part Two
In part one, we looked into urban nests, mud nests, and scrape nests. If you have not checked out last week’s blog yet, we recommend that you take a peek at it before you read any further! In the second part of our nest series, we’re going to learn about three more nests: pendant nests, […]
Types of Nests and the Birds Who Live in Them: Part One
Now that summer is ramping up, there are new things beginning everywhere. Specifically, birds are working hard on building their habitats, nests, to raise their young. We see nests everywhere, but how can you tell what types of nests there are and what types of birds are living in them? In this two-part series, we’re […]
No Mow May: Why Letting Your Lawn Grow This Month is Beneficial to Pollinators
Warm weather signals when gardeners and homeowners are able to turn their attentions back to their lawns, with regular mowing transforming a scrappy patch into an orderly sea of green. To promote and educate the community about the critical period of pollinator emergence, the month of May has been designated as No Mow May in a growing […]
5 Ways to Make Your Visit a Breeze This Summer
The season of life is at the Garden once again! With spring blooms in almost full blossom and warm temps making their appearance this week, our minds are already looking to sun-filled days this summer. While we recommend reviewing our Plan Your Visit web page for tips on your next trek to the Garden, we […]
Humble Habitats: New Exhibit at the Garden
The central theme of Habitat is “Protecting Habitats Protects Life,” but how? Why should we care about these habitats around us? Simply put, a habitat is the natural environment of an organism – it’s where living things live. But habitats are anything but simple. Habitats provide the most basic needs for the beings that live […]
Keep It Clean or Not: How to Tidy Up Your Outdoor Spaces & Still Protect Wildlife Habitats
Now that spring is on our doorstep, it’s easy to get anxious for greener days. We see all the dead ornamental grass stalks, the spent perennial stems, and the autumn leaves collected in our gardens and they give us spring fever! We want to bolt outside and clean up the yard, garden, or patio as […]
Where Animals Go During Winter: Reptiles & Amphibians
A few weeks ago we dove deeper into how birds, bees and other bugs survive winter’s cold temperatures by migrating, burrowing or colonies dying off except for the queen who would start a new generation in spring. This week, it’s our final installment and we’re going to be covering a segment of the Animal Kingdom […]
Where Animals Go During Winter: Birds, Bees & Other Bugs
Last time, we specifically talked about how mammals like squirrels, chipmunks and bears survive throughout the winter season in Wisconsin. This week, we’ll highlight the strategies that beneficial pollinators and other species of birds, bees and insects use that are different from mammals. Birds Birds have a big advantage over mammals – flight. Being able […]
Where Animals Go During Winter: Mammals
Anyone has who a garden may have seen bumble bees and honeybees buzzing about at the start of October. While bugs were beginning to slow down, they were still out and about, gearing up for winter. Now their activity has ceased, and we don’t see any bees or butterflies flitting about anymore. Why is this? […]
