Exploring Madison’s Wild Side – 2012
Madison Parks is hosting free monthly tours of Madison Conservation Parks. The tours are led by a Madison Parks staff member and co-sponsored by the Madison Audubon Society. Each tour will focus on a different park and unique natural feature of that park. Madison Parks has 14 conservation parks comprising over 1600 acres. Each conservation park focuses on the restoration of native plant and animal communities while providing educational areas and opportunities for all. For more information on Madison’s Wild Side – visit: http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/parks/conservation/
April 25, 6:30p.m.
Turville Point Park, 1156 Olin-Turville Ct.
Explore this beautiful downtown park and its spring ephemerals. A large oak woodland restoration project is underway.
May 16, 6:30p.m.
Sandburg Woods, 2902 Independence Lane, Sunbrook Rd near the playground (east of the school) where the paved trail comes off the street.
Explore this park with its rich diversity of oak woodland wild flowers.
June 6, 6:30p.m.
Edna Taylor Conservation Park, 802 Femrite Drive
Explore this beautiful southeast side park. A glacial drumlin rising above a broad ribbon of marsh forms the backbone of this Madison Park. In 2012 staff is implementing a large scale oak savanna restoration in partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
July 11, 6:30p.m.
Prairie Ridge Park, 2406 Berkley Drive
Explore this park’s steep topography. This topography allowed for steep prairies, a.k.a. goat prairies - as only goats would be able to traverse this steep slope. We’ll also visit an ongoing oak savanna restoration.
August 4, Saturday, 8:00a.m.
Cherokee Marsh, School Road boat landing, Upper Yahara River Tour
Bring your own canoe or kayak and meet at the School Road boat landing
Partnering with the Friends of Cherokee Marsh, Madison Audubon Society, and Wisconsin Wetlands Association the tour will focus on the restoration work on Cherokee Marsh
September 12, 6:30p.m.
Owen Park, 6021 Old Sauk Road
Explore the late summer wild flowers in the prairies and the ponds and their wildlife.
October 10, 5:30p.m.
Cherokee Marsh, North Unit, 6098 North Sherman Ave.
Cherokee Marsh is the largest wetland in Dane Country and is home to a spectacular variety of plants and wildlife. We’ll see wetland and oak woodland restoration projects.
