Summer Camps

Summer camp is a time honored tradition as well as a wonderful opportunity to make friends, have fun, and learn a little something along the way.

We at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center are excited to present our all-new 2013 Summer Camps. With 150 different sessions that include full-week, individual, and extended-day options, your child can revel in that much more adventure and discovery!

Age Groups:
Wonder Bugs (2-3 years)
Sprouts (4 years)
Tadpoles (5-6 years)
Explorers (7-9 years)
Adventurers I (10-12 years)
Adventurers II (13-16 years)

Camp Pricing:
Ages 2-3
Full summer package (12 sessions: T, W, R, or F): $100 Members; $110 Non-members
Individual sessions (T, W, R, or F): $10 each

Ages 4-9
Full week (M-F): $210 for Members and $262 for Non-members
Extended day (8-8:30am and 4-5:30pm): $64/day for Members; $80/day for Non-members

Individual sessions (M, T, W, R):
Half-day (9:00am-12:00pm, or 1:00pm-4:00pm): $72/day for Members; $96/day for Non-members
Lunch bunch (noon-1:00pm): $8/day
Extended day (8-8:30am and 4-5:30pm): $48/day for Members and $64/day for Non-members

Individual sessions (F):
Half-day (9:00am-12:00pm, or 1:00pm-4:00pm): $24 each
Lunch bunch (noon-1:00pm): $8/day
Extended day (8-8:30am and 4-5:30pm): 16/day

Ages 10-16
Full week only: For pricing see Ages 10-12, or Ages 13-16

Extended day (8-8:30am and 4-5:30pm): 16/day

Registration:
Member registration begins March 1.
Non-member registration begins March 15.

Download a Registration Form.

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

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!

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!

Discover Puzzling Critters in the Aldo Leopold Nature Center's Pond!

Can you identify a fingernail clam, water strider or tadpole? Bring your family to get up close and personal with some of the Aldo Leopold Nature Center's pond residents at Puzzling Pond Critters, this Saturday, July 23, from 9:30 - 11:30 AM!

In this exciting exploratory program, you'll:  

• Enjoy a naturalist led trek to the pond!
• Catch and study critters that live, breathe and eat underwater!
• Learn to use nets and bug boxes and much more!

Puzzling Pond Critters will be conducted outdoors, rain or shine, so please dress appropriately.
Space is limited, so pre-registration is recommended.

Click here or call 608-221-0404 ext. 1 to register today!

ALNC Members: $6/person or $20/family; Non-Members: $7/person or $25/family

Your Child Could Throw the First Pitch at a Mallards Game!!!

ALNC’s Night with the Madison Mallards

Activities Begin at 5:30; Game Begins at 7:05 pm

Thursday, August 4 at Warner Park

Let’s play ball for ALNC! Take your family out to the ballgame to watch the Madison Mallards square off against the Green Bay Bullfrogs! Come early to make your own duck mask, learn "how ducks make a living," compete in a duck walk race, meet Maynard the Duck and more!

Tickets are just $10! Plus, $2 from every ticket purchased through ALNC's portal will be donated to ALNC! To purchase your ticket, click here or visit http://www.mallardsgroups.com. Use the code “ALDO” to receive the discount.

Your Child Could Throw the First Pitch of the Game!
Enter Them in ALNC’s “Favorite Place”Art & Poetry Contest Today!

Is your youngster a budding artist or poet? Enter their artwork or poetry to win the chance of a lifetime—to stand on the pitcher’s mound with their fellow Mallards and throw the first pitch!

ALNC is hosting an art and poetry contest for kids, ages 6 to 12, to show off their talents while entering to win the honor of throwing the first pitch at ALNC’s Night with the Madison Mallards on Thursday August 4th! Click here to find out more about ALNC's Night with the Madison Mallards!

In addition to throwing the first pitch, the contest winner will receive an ALNC t-shirt and an ALNC  Complimentary Family Membership!

To Enter:

• Draw, paint, or write a poem/prose about your favorite nature spot—your backyard, a park, ALNC, or anywhere else that is special to you!
• Fill out the Contest Entry Form, available here or at ALNC's front desk.
• Submit the Contest Entry Form and artwork or poetry/prose by email, mail or in person before noon on July 25th.

Email Submissions to: devcomm@naturenet.com

OR Mail / Drop off Submissions to:

    ALNC Mallards Contest
    Aldo Leopold Nature Center
    330 Femrite Dr, Monona, WI 53716

Contest Guidelines:

• The contest begins Wednesday July 6th; all entries are due by noon Monday July 25th.
• Pieces will be judged on creativity and relevance to the contest’s theme.
• All written submissions are limited to 300 words.
• Any material submitted becomes property of ALNC and will not be returned.
• The contest winner will be notified by email on July 26th 2011.

Coffee For a Cause!

 True Coffee to Donate 15% of Sales on July 14^th
to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center

Indulge in delicious coffee and support local environmental education!  True Coffee Roasters is partnering with the Aldo Leopold Nature Center to donate 15% of sales at both their Fitchburg and Stoughton locations on Thursday, July 14^th to ALNC. All proceeds will directly benefit ALNC’s innovative, hands-on programs that "...teach the student to see the land, understand what he sees, and enjoy what he understands," in the spirit of famed Wisconsin conservationist, Aldo Leopold.

True Coffee Roasters offers more than 15 varieties of coffee from the world’s finest coffee-producing regions, roasted in small batches in our Fitchburg roastery and priced from $10 – $15 per pound. The cafes in Fitchburg and Stoughton have freshly roasted beans by the pound, a selection of several brews each day, a full espresso bar, teas, smoothies, blenders as well as a variety of breakfast and lunch items including pastries, soups, salads and sandwiches. 

We hope you can join us for this delicious way to support environmental education!

Where:      Fitchburg Location: 6250 Nesbit Road    
                  Stoughton Location: 2300 US Hwy 151

When:   Thursday, July 14

Wonder Bugs - Bread and Butterflies!

Bread and Butterflies- What a yummy treat!

Check out this great site for photos of Wisconsin butterflies! You can also learn more about each species to figure out what plants to check for eggs, caterpillars, and nectar-drinking adults.

Did you know that butterfly wings are covered with tiny scales that make them look powdery? Our fingers can damage the scales, making the butterflies unable to fly. So as you are on the lookout for butterflies in your neighborhood, please do not touch them! They will say a silent thank you to you as they flutter away.

Would you like to have a caterpillar to go with the butterfly you made? Older wonder bugs will have fun gluing pom-poms to a Popsicle stick or piece of paper. You can add pipe cleaners for the antennae. Or for the youngest wonder bugs, bring out the finger paints and show them how to use their thumb or fingerprints to make a caterpillar. Draw on antennae when they are done.

If you want to prepare for the next Wonder Bugs Session, stay up late and try to catch lightning bugs AKA fireflies!

Flutter-bye for now,

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
July 16th, August 13th, 2011
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!

Happy Summer Solstice!

With our summer camps in full swing, we have been in summer mode at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center for a few weeks, but today is actually the first true day of summer! 

Happy Summer Solstice!!!

Here are some fun facts about the Summer Solstice and an activity to help you and your youngster celebrate the longest day of the year!

Wild, Wild, Sunflower Child!

Put those blooming summer flowers (or weeds!) to good use with this fun craft.  Popular in Russian (called venki, the Russian word for wreath), these flower headdresses can be made with daisies, Queen Anne's lace, dandelions or whatever long-stemmed flowers are in bloom! 

Materials

• Long-stemmed blooming wildflowers

Instructions

1. To start, hold your longest stem in your left hand. With your right hand, bend a second stem around the first as shown.
   
2. Loop the end of the second stem up and around itself, as shown, so it ends up parallel to the first stem.
   
3. Pinching these two stems together with your left hand, repeat the process with a third stem. This will anchor the second stem to the first. Continue adding stems in this manner until the venok is long enough to fit around your child's head, then weave or tie the two ends together.
   

 * If your youngster enjoys this activity, have them check out our camp, Wild, Wild Sunflower Child for ages 7-10. There is still plenty of room available!

All About Summer Solstice:

• Solstice derives from a combination of Latin words meaning "sun" + "to stand still." As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky.
  
• As a major celestial event, the Summer Solstice results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year.
  
• The Northern Hemisphere celebrates in June, but the people on the Southern half of the earth have their longest summer day in December.
  
• Pagans called the Midsummer moon the "Honey Moon" for the mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding ceremonies performed at the Summer Solstice.
  
  
• Ancient Pagans celebrated Midsummer with bonfires, when couples would leap through the flames, believing their crops would grow as high as the couples were able to jump.
  
  
• Midsummer was thought to be a time of magic, when evil spirits were said to appear. To thwart them, Pagans often wore protective garlands of herbs and flowers. One of the most powerful of them was a plant called 'chase-devil', which is known today as St. John's Wort and still used by modern herbalists as a mood stabilizer.

Wonder Bugs - Snakes Alive!!!

Slither me timbers- we had a great time at Wonder Bugs today! The sun was shining so it was a perfect day to warm ourselves like our cold-blooded friends, snakes.  We found a lot of snakes on the trail (well, pictures of them anyway). But the best part was that we got to see real, slithering snakes inside!

We got to observe a Prairie Kingsnake (not found in Wisconsin) who had eaten a chipmunk a couple of days before, and we felt the dry scales on a Milksnake, and listened to the Fox Snake hiss. They kept sticking their forked tongues out at us! I wonder if they liked the way we smelled? :)

Here are some pictures of the types of snakes we saw:

Fox Snake

Milk Snake

Prairie King Snake

If you took any pictures of the Wonder Bugs classes with the snakes and would like to share them, please email me or Alanna. Thank you!

I wish I were a silly slithery snake! Don’t you?

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
June 25th, July 16th, August 13th, 2011
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!

Spend Father's Day Fishing with ALNC!!!

Fishing was one of Aldo Leopold's favorite activities as a youngster.  Join our naturalists to find out why and celebrate Father's Day at Fishing Family Fun this Sunday, June 19, from 9:30 -11:30 AM!

In this introduction to angling, we'll:

•     See examples of different types of rods and reels 
•     Play the "Backyard Bass" fishing game to practice casting 
•     Learn how to tie basic fishing knots 
•     Catch worms to use as bait as you fish in our pond and much more! 

Space is limited, so pre-registration is recommended. Click here or call 608-221-0404 ext. 1 to register today!

The event costs $6/person or $20/family for ALNC Members and $7/person or $25/family for Non-Members.

Totally Turtles!!!

Meet one of ALNC's pond critters -- Snapper!  Found by our naturalists in the ALNC pond, she is one of the biggest snapping turtles ever found at ALNC! In fact, our staff estimates that she weighs a whopping 30 pounds! Snapper was returned to where she was found after her brief jaunt of fame.

Why is she finally coming out of the woodwork? Our naturalists say she’s probably laying her eggs. 

Snapping turtles bury their eggs after digging a bottle-shaped hole with their hind feet (shown above) as deep as she can reach - which can be up to eight inches. Snapping turtles then lay from ten to thirty ping pong ball sized eggs. Depending on rainfall, moisture content of the soil and the temperature, the eggs hatch 55 to125 days after laying.

Click here to find out more about our state's largest and heaviest turtle species! 

 

Think your youngster would like to learn more about turtles? There's still room in many of ALNC's summer camps including  The Pond and Beyond where your child can learn about and explore the many animals that call our pond home. Click here to find out more!