Spring Vacation Day Programs

The days are getting longer, the snow is melting, and all manner of migratory birds have re-appeared in Southern Wisconsin to help us welcome the arrival of spring once again. That's right; we said it. Spring!

The co-incidence of a long awaited spring break and the re-emergence of local wildlife becomes the perfect opportunity to get out-doors and discover the natural treasures that make the environment so special and worth protecting.

The Aldo Leopold Nature Center has designed a week (March 25 - 29) of fun and educational Vacation Day Programs for children ages 5 to 12, which are sure to excite and delight! Participants can sign up for an individual session, or save with our weekly packages. Topics of exploration include wetlands, weather and climate, signs of spring, pioneers, stewardship, and outdoor games. Children can also enjoy story-book readings and out-door fun by joining the Lunch Bunch.

All Vacation Day Programs are appropriate for children ages 5 to 12 and are held at Aldo Leopold Nature Center's Monona Campus.

Full-day programs are from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and the fee is $45 per child for members and $50 per child for non-members.

Half-day programs are from 9:00 am to noon, or from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm and the fee is $20 per child for members and $22 per child for non-members.

Lunch Bunch is offered on March 29 for an additional $6 per child for members and $7 per child for non-members.

Registration deadlines:

March 21 for March 25 sessions
March 22 for March 26 sessions
March 25 for March 27 sessions
March 26 for March 28 sessions
March 27 for March 29 sessions

Registration Form

Save on camp enrollment and much more by becoming a Member today!

Snow Day!

For most of our area, today has officially been declared a snow day! For kids, this means an exciting day full of fun and adventure free from the routine of school. For parents however, a snow day can quickly turn into a long, stressful day trying to keep the kids occupied!

While there is plenty of fun to be had outdoors playing in the snow, you can't keep them outside all day (click here for some safety tips to keep your kids safely active outdoors!). But don't worry--the Aldo Leopold Nature Center has you covered! Here are some ideas to keep you and your kids happy, engaged and learning inside and outside all day using simple items you probably already have on hand:

Outdoor Activities

1. Snow Hoop Off
Have hula hoops collecting dust until the return of next summer's sun? Break them out for a hula hoop contest outside in the snow! It's MUCH harder when you are all bundled up in your snow gear!

2. Snow Creatures
Snowmen are so last year! Tap into your creative side and create some one of a kind snow creatures! Some fun options include dinosaurs, snakes, turtles and squirrels!

3. Tracking
Winter provides the perfect time to go animal tracking! Here's a great guide and an online tracking quiz to get you started. 

4. Winter Bird Watching
Grab those binoculars and discover our winter bird friends like the Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay and Northern Cardinal! Consider taking photos or journaling along with your youngster! Here are some good questions to consider when birdwatching:

• Bird Size - Ask yourself, is the bird bigger or smaller than a robin?
• Bird Markings - Look at the coloration of the feathers, what is unique? Does the bird have markings like a cap, a scarf or bib, eye streaks?
• Bird Beak - What shape is the beak? Is it short and wide to crack seeds, is it long and narrow to eat suet, is it sharply curved as if to eat meat?
• Bird Legs - What type of legs does this bird have? Are they short and narrow, long with webbed feet, long with strong talons on its feet?

5. Snow Forts
Building snow forts with the kids can be a great way to have fun while burning up some pent up energy! Click here for some great tips to build a safe and impressive snow fort!

Indoor Activities
1. Freeze Dance
Turn up the tunes and start dancing! Stop the music periodically. When the music stops everyone has to freeze in place. Anyone who moves while frozen is out. The winner is the last person dancing.

2. Let It Snow
Make your own snow globes! Use hot glue or super glue to a plastic toy (try legos, mini dolls, or anything you find around your house) to the inside of a jar lid, then add baby oil and glitter!

3. Edible Snowflakes
Fold flour tortillas in fourths and use scissors to cut shapes out pf the folds, just like when you cut a paper snowflake, Brush with melted butter. sprinkle on cinnamon sugar and bake at 350 degrees until crispy.Yum!

4. Board Games
Time to break out those old favorites like Chutes and Ladders, Candyland, Monopoly, Sorry and card games!

5. Indoor Picnic
Relive those lazy days of summer! Make some simple picnic foods (sandwiches, fruit, lemonade, etc.) and make a picnic on a blanket indoors!


Wishing you a fun and educational snow day!

- The Staff of ALNC

Native American Winter Traditions

Dear Nature Nuts, 

My name is Miss Rachel and yesterday was my last day as an intern at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center. Boy what a great day it was!

I assisted with the Native American Winter Traditions Winter Break Mini-Camp. Our first task was to follow our naturalist outside and look for snow snakes. Snow snakes? We hunted high and low past the old hickory, through the oak savanna, and down to the willow by the frozen pond. Along the way our naturalist pulled dried up Queen Ann's lace out of the ground. She pulled apart the root and asked us to sniff. It smelled like a carrot! We found all kinds of snow snakes- various sizes of dead branches. We used a sharp rock to get the bark off the branch and then colored our snow snakes. Native Americans would have made shallow trenches in the snow to race their snow snakes. We may not have had snow, but our snakes slid really well on the deck (the official no-snow snake raceway).


Dream catchers were used to keep bad dreams away. We used willow branches that we gathered down by the pond. Willow branches bend really well into the shape of a dream catcher. Yarn was used as the webbing to actually "catch" the bad dream. Feathers were used to decorate our dream catchers just like Native Americans used.  I don't think I'll have to worry about bad dreams tonight. Playing outside in the fresh air and sunshine is the making of good dreams.


Keep playing,
Miss Rachel

P.S. There is still room in all of our Winter Break Mini-Camps! Try one, or the whole week (Tuesday-Friday). Here are next week's sessions:

TRACKS IN THE SNOW
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
9:00am - 4:00pm
Registration Deadline: Friday, December 20, 2011
Enjoy the outdoors searching for signs left behind by animals as they make their way through their habitats. As animals hop, run, walk, wiggle or slither around, they leave tell-tale marks in soft snow or soil. Use your new skills all year long to find out the mysteries left behind by our furry and feathered friends. We’ll also spend some time practicing making “human tracks” in the snow on snowshoes! Please bring a sack lunch; we’ll provide snacks, water and lemonade.
ALNC Members: $45/person; Non-Members: $50/person
Package Price for the Full Week (Tuesday, January 3 - Friday, January 6):
ALNC Members: $175/person; Non-Members: $195/person.
Registration Form

WINTER BIRD EXTRAVAGANZA
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
9:00am – 4:00pm
Registration Deadline: Monday, January 2, 2012
While some birds migrate south to sunny skies and warmer winters, some birds stay here in Wisconsin and “tough it out.” We will learn about and see some of these birds as we hike the habitats of ALNC.
Please bring a sack lunch; we’ll provide snacks, water and lemonade.
ALNC Members: $45/person; Non-Members: $50/person
Package Price for the Full Week (Tuesday, January 3 - Friday, January 6):
ALNC Members: $175/person; Non-Members: $195/person.
Registration Form

LITTLE CRITTERS
Thursday, January 5, 2012
9:00am – 4:00pm
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Learning about little critters can be BIG fun! We’ll spend the day learning about mice, voles, moles, shrews, bats and more. Go on a food scavenger hunt, search for signs and scat, find out how they stay warm in winter, dissect an owl pellet to put together a little critter skeleton, and try to observe a little critter up close through live trapping and release.
Please bring a sack lunch; we’ll provide snacks, water and lemonade.
ALNC Members: $45/person; Non-Members: $50/person
Package Price for the Full Week (Tuesday, January 3 - Friday, January 6):
ALNC Members: $175/person; Non-Members: $195/person.
Registration Form

WINTER IN WISCONSIN
Friday, January 6, 2012
9:00am – 4:00pm
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Join us for a day of celebrating winter in Wisconsin at ALNC! We’ll discover all about our winter animals and how they adapt to the cold as well as do many activities Wisconsinites like to do outdoors in winter—animal tracking, build snow structures, predict the winter weather and much, much more! Please bring a sack lunch; we’ll provide snacks, water and lemonade.
ALNC Members: $45/person; Non-Members: $50/person
Package Price for the Full Week (Tuesday, January 3 - Friday, January 6):
ALNC Members: $175/person; Non-Members: $195/person.
Registration Form

For questions or to register over the phone, please call (608) 221-0404 x1.

Say Gobble, Gobble for Electric Pickles!

Your child is off of school this Thursday—now what?  Send them to ALNC for a day of learning and nature discovery with one or both of these Vacation Day Programs for ages 5-12!

Weird Science
Thursday, November 10, 9 am - Noon
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, November 8

Your child will become a junior scientist for the day! They’ll learn basic science principles and conduct a variety of weird and wacky science experiments, including ALNC’s famous “electric pickle” experiment, volcanic eruptions, and many more!  Click here to register!

Gobble, Gobble
Thursday, November 10, 1-4 pm
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, November 8

Your youngster will enjoy a “fowl” afternoon of fun as they learn all about turkeys! They’ll discover how and why turkeys gobble, explore wild turkey habits and habitats and enjoy fun games, crafts and outdoor exploration. Click here to register!

Fee Per Session:
ALNC Members: $18/person; Non-members: $21/person

Add a lunch bunch from Noon-1 pm for just $5 for a full day of natural fun!

The deadline for registration is tomorrow, Tuesday, November 8 and space is limited, so click here or call 608-221-0404 x1 to register today!