Field Trips
At a fall 2025 Friends field trip led by Jill Feldkamp and Roma Lenehan, attendees search for migrating birds. Credit: Scott Hershberger
Year-round free public field trips are one of the most valuable contributions the Friends make to the Preserve. Field trips are all led by Friends volunteers. Many are professional naturalists and emeritus faculty and staff. The Friends also partner with other environmental organizations for field trips.
Join us to learn about the ecosystems and cultural history of the Preserve and meet fellow community members.
Upcoming Field Trips
FLNP Annual Meeting
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 6:30–9:00 PM
Unitarian Meeting House, 900 University Bay Drive
Join the Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve for our 25th annual meeting. The keynote speaker will be Therese Hanson, the lead architect for the new Frautschi Center that will soon be built near the entrance to Picnic Point. Come learn the latest about the design, timeline, and features of the Center that will help visitors connect with the lands, waters, wildlife, and histories of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. We will also hear updates from Brad Herrick, the director of the Preserve. Free and open to all. Please bring a friend! Refreshments provided.
If you have questions, contact preservefriends@gmail.com or Friends President Tom Zinnen at 571-294-5689.
Biocore Prairie SkyWalk
Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 8:30–10:30 PM
Picnic Point Entrance Kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive
Put your corneas to the oculars and lift your optics-aided eyes to the skies over Biocore Prairie a month before the summer solstice for a looksee at planets, the moon, and constellations. Jim Lattis of the Department of Astronomy will be your celestial navigator. Bad weather date: May 22.
Frog Walk
Sunday, May 24, 2026 at 1:30–3:00 PM
Picnic Point Entrance Kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive
Join Mary Campbell from the UW Hua Lab for a fun, family-friendly walk to learn about frogs and toads along the trails, shoreline, and marsh. Discover how Citizen Science volunteers are collecting valuable data by listening to amphibian calls throughout Madison.
Insects of the Preserve
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at 6:00–7:30 PM
Picnic Point Entrance Kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive
Insects may be small, but they make up for it with their sheer diversity— Wisconsin is home to roughly 20,000 insect species. Join the Wisconsin Bug Guy, PJ Liesch, on this outing to take a closer look at the world of insects and learn about their roles in the ecosystem.
Limnology Boat Tour
Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 9:00–11:59 AM
Hasler Laboratory of Limnology (on the lakeshore just west of the Memorial Union Terrace).
John Magnuson is at the helm as he takes us on a three-hour boat tour of the waters off the 4.1 miles of shoreline in the Preserve. Space is limited. Send an email to johnjosephmagnuson@gmail.com to reserve a space.
Bluebirds & Purple Martins
Sunday, June 28, 2026 at 1:30–3:00 PM
Picnic Point Entrance Kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive
The purple martin house and the Bluebird Trail at the Biocore Prairie were installed by the Friends to entice these birds to nest in the Preserve. Field trip leaders will describe the appearance, habits and nesting behaviors of purple martins and bluebirds. Leaders will also describe the Friends’ efforts to protect birds from their enemies. Hopefully you’ll get a peek at some baby birds, too!
Willow Creek Expedition
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 11:30 AM–1:00 PM
Bridge at Linden Drive over Willow Creek (2023 Observatory Drive)
Phil Gaebler, Water Resources Engineer with the City of Madison, will guide us on a circumambulation of Willow Creek, featuring the only dam on campus, and bedecked with wild flowers this time of year. Expect interactions with fish, fowl and flora, and maybe a few muskrats. Willow Creek is the furthest south point of the Preserve, flowing beneath Campus Drive and the Wisconsin & Southern railroad tracks. The Creek is also one of our closest connections to the research buildings of campus as it forms the western boundary of the constellation of the buildings of the School of Veterinary Medicine and the WI Veterinary Diagnostic Lab.
Tour of the Class of 1918 Marsh
Sunday, July 26, 2026 at 1:30–3:00 PM
Picnic Point Entrance Kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive
John Magnuson will guide us around and through the Marsh and detail the biological diversity and hydrological history of this outstanding gem of environmental restoration.
iNaturalist & Other Apps for Use in BioBlitzes
Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 1:30–3:00 PM
Picnic Point Entrance Kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive
Christopher Warneke will be leading this field trip. Christopher, a postdoc with the Damschen Lab, is a plant ecologist interested in rare species and invasive species.
Effigy Mounds of Picnic Point
Sunday, August 23, 2026 at 1:30–3:00 PM
Picnic Point Entrance Kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive
Join State Archaeologist Amy Rosebrough for a fascinating nature walk to see and learn about effigy mounds at the Lakeshore Nature Preserve and other local Native American history – including the discoveries in the past several years of ancient canoes, including one discovered in 2025 that dates back 5,000 years.
Monarch Migration
Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 1:30–3:00 PM
Picnic Point Entrance Kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive
Join Biocore instructor Seth McGee for a hands-on field trip to explore the world of migrating monarchs! You’ll learn how to safely catch and tag butterflies as part of a research initiative that tracks their incredible journey to Mexico. We’ll also dive into monarch natural history, ecology, and conservation, and share tips for turning your own yard into a monarch-friendly ecosystem. This event is open to all ages and will entail walking on narrow trails through the tallgrass prairie.
Fascinating Fungi
Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 1:30–3:00 PM
Picnic Point Entrance Kiosk, 2000 University Bay Drive
Explore and compare with Marie Trest’s keen eye, mycologist with the Department of Botany, the wide variety of fall fungi growing and fruiting in the woods and prairies of the Preserve.
Do you have an idea for a future field trip? If so, please email Tom Zinnen at preservefriends@gmail.com.