New Auction Items Added!

As you probably know, our Pipers in the Prairie Online Silent Auction is now open for bidding! We have tons of exciting, one of a kind packages to choose from, featuring art, tickets, collectibles, sporting goods, gardening tools, gift certificates and more from over 100 local businesses and artists! 

The auction is open now until noon on Sunday, September 18.  We still have dozens of packages that haven't been bid on and we're adding new packages weekly, so bid today to get great deals on exclusive packages and support our children's educational programs here at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

Bidding is easy too! Just click here and you'll be directed to the auction site.  If you have questions, feel free to contact me at devcomm@naturenet.com or 608-216-9374.

Here are a few of the NEW packages we have just added:

Oh Baby!

Treat a new or expecting mother in your life with this wonderful package! She’ll enjoy an hour long massage from Belly, a massage therapy company based that specializes in pregnancy and postpartum massage to relieve stress and muscle tension, improve blood and lymph circulation, improve sleep and reduce anxiety. Then, she’ll celebrate the joy of the new addition to the family with "Baby's First Journal" by Clare Beaton, a colorful, scrapbook and journal to record all those memorable firsts! Also included in this package is a copy of "Welcome to the World: A Celebration of Birth and Babies From Many Cultures" by Nikki Siegen-Smith, a collection of poems and photographs to cuddle up and read with baby.

Last Light, Cherokee Marsh

This original oil painting by Peter Lundberg, entitled "Last Light, Cherokee Marsh", is a magnificent portrayal of our Wisconsin terrain. The juxtaposition of a cool gray-blue sky, against the fiery yellow sunset contrasts with a simple and somber horizon line. Measuring 13"x15" in a beautiful ebony carved framed, it is a stunning, colorful testament to the beauty of Cherokee Marsh.

P.S. With such great deals, this is a terrific way to get an early start on your holiday shopping AND support ALNC! Bid today!

Hide and Seek Wonder Bugs!

Today I got to hide with some fake fur wrapped around myself while the wonder bugs tried to find me. They did a great job following the clues! I blended into the Hickory tree just like a moth would.
Then we had a lot of fun trying to find worms and other animals that are camouflaged in their homes. The puppet owl up in the tree was the hardest to find. You can do this at home with your own stuffed animals. Take turns hiding them in places where they are camouflaged and see how fast you can find them!

Sing this song at home to keep the topic of camouflage tuned in!
Camouflage (from Growing up WILD)
Tune: Jingle Bells
 
Camouflage, camouflage,
Colors spots or stripes
Helps protect the animals
All different types.
 
Camouflage, camouflage
Helps them night or day
Hide away from predators
so they won’t be prey. Hey!
 
Camouflage, camouflage
Better watch your back
Predators will use it too
Then they can attack!

I hope to see you this school year. Wonder Bugs keeps going all year long with lots of great topics and plenty of fun!

See you later,
Miss Tara

The new Wonder Bugs sessions have been announced and are up on ALNC's website! Hope you can join us for one of them or for one of our Wonder Bugs Family Days!

WONDER BUGS FAMILY DAYS
Saturday September 24, October 22 & November 19
9:30 -10:45 am

Join us for weekend Wonder Bugs family days we will explore, sing, and craft the day away to a different nature topic each month. You won't want to miss out on the opportunity to share the Wonder Bugs experience with your whole family! Appropriate for children 2-5 years accompanied by an adult.

ALNC Members: $6/child; Non-Members: $7/child
Click here to find out more or to register!

Antsy Pantsy Wonder Bugs!

Dear Wonder Buggers,

This week was full of all kinds of antics!  Our imaginations were on overdrive as we explored the underground world of ants. Being the queen and laying eggs was almost as much fun as being the nurse ants who kept the eggs safe!

Ants are amazing! They are insects with three body parts (head, thorax and abdomen), six legs and antennae.  It turns out that ants love sweet things! Our plates with honey had the most ants on it by the end of class.  Ants “talk” to each other using their antennae. They let each other know where the food can be found. 

Remember to talk about the book Hey Little Ant with your Wonder Bug. We know that most kids squish bugs at some point; this book will give you another way to look at the concept and talk about it with your child.  You also might want to check out the books we looked at in class for more astounding ant facts: The Life and Times of the Ant by Charles Micucci and Army Ants by Sandra Markle.

How many different species of ants are found in Wisconsin? Click here to find out the astonishing answer! Can you find these ants in your yard, neighborhood, or on a nature hike?

Come find me next week,

Miss Tara

The new Wonder Bugs sessions have been announced and are up on ALNC's website! Hope you can join us for one of them or for one of our Wonder Bugs Family Days!

WONDER BUGS FAMILY DAYS
Saturday September 24, October 22 & November 19
9:30 -10:45 am

Join us for weekend Wonder Bugs family days we will explore, sing, and craft the day away to a different nature topic each month. You won't want to miss out on the opportunity to share the Wonder Bugs experience with your whole family! Appropriate for children 2-5 years accompanied by an adult.

ALNC Members: $6/child; Non-Members: $7/child
Click here to find out more or to register!

 

Wonder Bugs: Dragonfly By!

Summer sure is flying by! Last week's Wonder Bugs session was Dragon-fly By and dagonflies flew by all day long every day!There were plenty of nymphs (baby dragonflies) to observe and catch in the pond too!  I hope you had fun flying by your friends and family at home with your dragonfly wings. I think the deck might still be glittery and sparkly!

As promised, here is the book title that we read or talked about in class: About Insects by Cathryn Sill. Check it out!

Would you like to brush up on those dragonfly facts we talked about? Check out this site with your wonder bug!

You can also act out part of the life cycle of a dragonfly by singing the Little Nymph song from class!

Little Nymph by Miss Tara Von Dollen (Tune: London Bridge)

Our pond has a little nymph, little nymph, little nymph. Our pond has a little nymph swimming ‘round.
Little nymph eats lots of bugs, lots of bugs, lots of bugs. Little nymph eats lots of bugs in our pond.
Little nymph will molt his skin, molt his skin, molt his skin. Little nymph will molt his skin in our pond.
Out of the pond our nymph will crawl, nymph will crawl, nymph will crawl. Out of our pond the nymph will crawl, to grow wings.
Little nymph will grow some wings, grow some wings, grow some wings. Little nymph will grow some wings by our pond. (Say: Then he’ll be a dragonfly.)
Little nymph is all grown up, all grown, all grown up. Little nymph is all grown up, flying ‘round.

Fly by you soon!
 
Miss Tara

The new Wonder Bugs sessions have been announced and are up on ALNC's website! Hope you can join us for one of them or for one of our Wonder Bugs Family Days!

WONDER BUGS FAMILY DAYS
Saturday August 13th, September 24, October 22 & November 19
9:30 -10:45 am

Join us for weekend Wonder Bugs family days we will explore, sing, and craft the day away to a different nature topic each month. You won't want to miss out on the opportunity to share the Wonder Bugs experience with your whole family! Appropriate for children 2-5 years accompanied by an adult.

ALNC Members: $6/child; Non-Members: $7/child
Click here to find out more or to register!

Summer's Not Over Yet! Booknics & Woodland Championships Await!

It's almost that time of year when the kids start to get antsy about going back to school and parents breath a huge sigh of relief that summer is almost over...but not quite yet!

There are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy the last few weeks of lazy, sunny summer days! Here are some ideas to get the most out of the rest of your summer:

Go on a "Family Booknic"

Turn an afternoon in the nearby park into a virtual adventure! Pack some books and thematic snacks to match. For example, if the book is Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, pack some apples, broccoli "trees," or get creative and have your child make a tree out of pretzels and cucumbers like in the photo below.

 Then, take a walk to your favorite outdoor spot and enjoy the afternoon snacking and reading! This is a great way to get your kids hooked on reading outdoors!

Sign Your Child Up for the Woodland Championships!

On Friday, August 26 from 1-4 pm, ALNC is hosting the Woodland Championships for ages 7-10. Is your child ready to take on nature’s obstacle course? They'll compete in potato sack races, try Native American "spear-throwing," and other physical challenges at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center's Monona Campus.  Click here to find out more!

Check out this photo from last year's Woodland Championship!

Happy Summer!

Pipers in the Prairie Online Auction Opens Monday!!!

Before you know it, autumn will return to paint the landscape brilliant red, yellow and gold. At the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, that means it is time for our annual Pipers in the Prairie Fundraising Gala!

You'll receive more information about the event soon, but we wanted to give you an exclusive sneak-peek at our online silent auction! 

The auction will feature exciting packages offered exclusively through ALNC's auction including green getaways, spectacular art, valuable collectibles and more!

The bidding officially opens next Monday, August 15th at Noon, so mark your calendars! Click here to preview the auction! There are many great items already, and new packages are added daily so check often!

All proceeds will directly help the Aldo Leopold Nature Center provide opportunities for children, their families and teachers to connect with nature, so please bid high and bid often.

Here are a few of the great packages that will be available to bid on when the auction goes live next week:

Night on the Town
Value $297

Treat yourself and a date to a sensational night out with the Madison Symphony Orchestra!  One of America's leading regional orchestras, the Madison Symphony Orchestra will wow you with an exquisite performance of the great masterworks, featuring top-tier guest artists from around the world. Then, retire to a spacious room at the new Hyatt Place Hotel, which features a high-tech and contemporary environment.  The next morning, be sure to take advantage of their freshly prepared continental breakfast, included with your stay.  This package contains Two Tickets to a Madison Symphony Orchestra performance and an Overnight Stay at the Hyatt Place Hotel.

To Your Health
Value $200

Give yourself the pampering you deserve – for a healthier mind and body! Get fit when it is convenient for you with Anytime Fitness, which provides you with 24 hour access to top of the line fitness centers. Reward yourself with your choice of a Swedish & Deep Tissue, Sports or Prenatal Massage at Body In Balance. Want to try something new? Take a yoga class at Human Nature to strengthen your body inside and out while incorporating meditation to clear and focus the mind. This package includes a 6 Month Membership to Anytime Fitness, a 60 Minute Massage at Body in Balance and a yoga class at Human Nature LLC. 

Stay Tuned for More Information Coming Soon!

Flower Power!

Dear Wonderbuggers, 

Flowers are everywhere this time of year. We can see them going to work every day…to make seeds and fruits! We saw many different kinds of flowers out in the prairie and had a blast painting with flowers, too! 

What other things can you do to keep learning about flowers? Here’s one idea -- find a few different kinds of flowering plants in your yard and watch them every day or so. You could even make a notebook to record your observations. Have your wonder bug draw a picture of what it looks like, paying close attention to the flowery part. When the plant goes to seed, plant  a few seeds in a small pot or mark where the seeds land on the ground. Check on the seeds over time and into next spring and see what happens!

Here’s another idea -- draw a simple flower with petals, stem, leaves and roots; trace this three more times but leave out one plant part each time. For example, one drawing will have the whole plant without the roots and another will have the same plant without the leaves. Show the pictures to your wonder bugs and have him/her tell you what part is missing.  Do you have any felt or fabric scraps lying around? If so, cut them into flower parts and have your wonder bug assemble the flower correctly and in silly ways, too. Create extra parts to make flowers with different colored petals and differently shaped leaves.

Need some snuggle time with your flower experts?  Here are some favorite books staring our flowery friends:

What Does Bunny See? by Linda Sue Park (Read in class)

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert 

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

A Fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds by Jean Richards

Take care,

Miss Tara

P.S. All of the summer camp Wonder Bug sessions are full, but there is still plenty of room in our NEW Wonder Bugs Family Days!

WONDER BUGS FAMILY DAYS
Saturday August 13th, September 24, October 22 & November 19
9:30 -10:45 am

Join us for weekend Wonder Bugs family days we will explore, sing, and craft the day away to a different nature topic each month. You won't want to miss out on the opportunity to share the Wonder Bugs experience with your whole family! Appropriate for children 2-5 years accompanied by an adult.

ALNC Members: $6/child; Non-Members: $7/child
Click here to find out more or to register!