July 7, 2023 11:05 AM

While the current anticipated outbreak of spongy moth is alarming to witness and does cause stress to many trees, long-term management of this species and our urban forest requires a broad focus. Unfortunately, the spongy moth is well-established throughout most of Wisconsin. From a statewide and … [read more]

September 22, 2021 11:36 AM

As autumn begins, park visitors will begin to see pops of beautiful reds, oranges, and golds. One notable location is Forest Hill Cemetery, with its majestic oaks, maples, and other species forming shaded tunnels throughout the winding roads. While fall is especially beautiful and peaceful at … [read more]

November 10, 2020 3:32 PM

Take a walk in nature this fall! As we continue to follow safety guidelines from Public Health Madison & Dane County, and are unable to promote guided Bird & Nature Outings, our volunteer nature experts created these suggestions for self-guided walks. Explore beyond these tips, check out … [read more]

October 3, 2020 9:14 PM

Take a self-guided walk in nature any day this fall. As we continue to follow safety guidelines from Public Health Madison & Dane County, and are unable to promote guided Bird & Nature Outings, our volunteer nature experts have created these suggested walks. Follow and tag us on … [read more]

July 1, 2020 3:56 PM

Celebrate National Park & Recreation Month by exploring Madison Parks with a self-guided nature walk on any day in July. Tenney Park, 1330 Sherman Avenue Butterflies and Their Host Plants Take a beautiful nature walk at Tenney Park to enjoy looking at the native Wisconsin flowers, … [read more]

May 8, 2020 10:15 AM

Beginning Birding with Nancy Frozen What's so fun about birding? Nancy Frozen, Master Naturalist and Bird & Nature Outing guide shared her thoughts. Nancy says, "Birding is fun and challenging to look for those flighty, skittish birds and remember shape, size, color, beak, songs, and … [read more]

April 14, 2020 4:18 PM

As Parks staff continue to do essential work during the COVID-19 outbreak, they have had to re-think how many of these tasks may be safely accomplished. Through creative thinking, Parks field staff developed a tree planting process accomplished by three staff members. Each role completed … [read more]

April 2, 2020 11:20 AM

In a perfect world, Madison Parks volunteer nature experts would provide guided walks each weekend as part of the on-going, year-round Bird & Nature Outing series. Today, we must learn to adapt to these unique times, in order to stay safe and still enjoy nature. We encourage you to … [read more]

August 27, 2019 11:02 AM

The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) has been planning for and working on their Northeast Interceptor - Truax Extension Relief project for a number of years. The project will increase capacity and boost the resiliency of the district's wastewater collection system. MMSD involved … [read more]

July 2, 2018 7:17 AM

Have you heard about EAB? The Emerald Ash Borer or EAB is an exotic beetle first discovered in the United States in the summer of 2002 in southeastern Michigan near Detroit. As of May 2018, EAB has been confirmed in 33 states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba. The adult … [read more]

February 15, 2018 11:41 AM

What is gypsy moth? In the summer months, residents may notice trees with leaf-loss due to an invasive caterpillar. This defoliation is due to the gypsy moth caterpillar, which eats leaves on oak trees and other species. As you can imagine, this causes stress to these trees, makes them more … [read more]

May 12, 2017 3:07 PM

In the summer months, residents may notice trees with leaf-loss due to an invasive caterpillar. This defoliation is due to the gypsy moth caterpillar, which eats leaves on oak trees and other species. As you can imagine, this causes stress to these trees, makes them more susceptible to disease, … [read more]

April 4, 2017 3:33 PM

As previously detailed, Parks staff inspected the area around the lagoon at Warner Park and confirmed more than 12 trees had irreparable damage or had recently fallen to beaver destruction. Staff also determined that a number of the damaged trees would need to be removed due to their now … [read more]

February 4, 2016 2:26 PM

In 2008, years before the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was discovered in Madison, the City of Madison established an EAB Taskforce. The taskforce was created to coordinate and plan various response strategies to the looming EAB threat. After numerous meetings and recommendations, the final EAB Plan … [read more]