Wonderfull Earth

It's that time of year again! Every year around Earth Day (April 22), environmental organizations, nature centers, zoos, and just about everyone else are offering events and programs to celebrate the Earth. It's almost as if there are too many to choose! But what a wonderful problem to have - especially when you can visit Nature Net's Earth Day Bouquet and find them listed all in one place! Sorted by date, each listing provides information you'll need to decide which local events are best for your family. You can find activities and programs going on every day between April 14-29. In celebration of Earth Day , National Environmental Education Week , and the spring season, Earth Day Bouquet offers your family a variety of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, get involved in your local and natural community, and become motivated to make a difference in the health and sustainability of the environment. Here are a few examples: Troy Gardens/Community GroundWorks Get to Kn...

No matter what holidays you celebrate, this is the season to enjoy your family, keep the kids busy on those days off, and spend time outdoors before winter  reeeally  hits. Looking for ideas? There is a lot going on around town these days! Or, if you'd rather cozy up around your own house or yard, there are plenty of fun activities you can do with your friends and family. Read on for ideas... Out and About Beyond the Edge of the Sea and Seaworthy @ the UW Ebling Library and Story Time at the UW Geology Museum .   Check out this traveling exhibit featuring the magnificent watercolors of deep-sea expeditionary illustrator Karen Jacobsen (Art and Science Exhibitions on display until January 31, 2012), and stop by the Geology Museum on Thursday, 12/15 at 10:30am for their family Story Time! Winter Solstice Celebration @ the Aldo Leopold Nature Center. Celebrate the longest night of the year with a nighttime winter hike under the stars, feed winter bird neighb...

Hi Family Nature Clubbers! We hope you had a lovely summer and were able to spend lots of time outdoors with your family. We’d like to help you keep it up this fall! Read on for some updates and ideas… UW-Arboretum Earth Partnership for Families – Nature Play Day! Sunday, September 25 • 12:30 pm – 4 pm September family day at the Arboretum is all about playing in the woods. Children and adults will work together in the nature free-play area to build, discover, and explore. Let your imagination be the guide. Check in with the receptionist in the Visitor Center for directions to the free-play area. Look for other families from our first nature club, Madison Family Nature Club between 12:30-2:00. Visit Madison Family Nature Club on Facebook or email club leader Sandra for more information. More Upcoming Family Events September 22-25: Wisconsin Science Festival @ various locations September 24: Cranes of the World Festival @ International Crane Foundation September 25: Fall for Donal...

When Howard Gardner first outlined his theory of Multiple Intelligences ( Frames of Mind , 1983) – a model of thought that differentiates "intelligence" into various sensory modalities, rather than seeing it as a single general ability – it did not include the Naturalist Intelligence. It wasn’t introduced to his list of intelligences until the late 90s ( Intelligence Reframed , 1999), after Gardner realized that the understanding of nature and living things was not sufficiently covered by the original seven intelligences ( verbal/linguistic; mathematical/logical; spatial; kinesthetic; musical; interpersonal; and intrapersonal intelligence) . He introduced and defined the Naturalist Intelligence with: The very term naturalist combines a description of the core ability with a characterization of a role that many cultures value. A naturalist demonstrates expertise in the recognition and classification of the numerous species -- the flora and fauna -- of his or her environmen...

 Romp with Ringo this summer!  Summer 2011 Nature Passports are here! One of Nature Net 's most popular programs, Nature Passport is a free educational nature "scavenger hunt" for children and parents, taking families to a variety of nature centers, parks and museums in the Dane County area . Nature Passport is a free, fun program designed for busy families. The Passport activities can be completed at your liesure, in any order, at any time between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It is also available in Spanish ! (¡ Pasaporte a la Naturaleza está disponible en español !) Hereare some other perks of Nature Passport: For Kids... Each child receives a special Nature Passport full of activity ideas and fun facts, and containing pages to draw and write about their amazing journeys at various Nature Passport sites! This year's theme, Romp with Ringo, also includes a "Movin' Mission" to encourage healthy, physically-active kids. For Parents... Look at the online...

Nature Net News Your source for tips & tricks for exploring nature with kids     Dear Reader, "The crane is wildness incarnate." Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac Have you ever seen a crane flying overhead? Even with its long legs trailing behind, the crane manages to look graceful and make flying look utterly effortless. These beautiful creatures are seen as symbols of wisdom in China, good fortune and happy marriage in Japan and longevity in both. The Greek god Apollo was said to use the form of a crane when he visited the mortal world, and in Europe, cranes were associated with vigilance and loyalty. These classic beauties make their home and travel through our region. So what are you waiting for? Come, learn, and marvel at Wisconsin's cranes in this issue of Nature Net News! Enjoy! Kathe, Sarah & Brenna The Folks at Nature Net Did you know..... Sandhill crane chicks usually hatch in early May. In order to stop the extinction of whooping cranes, people dre...

Sign up to receive Nature Net News  in your inbox! See original newsletter at www.naturenet.com/NatureNetNews/Nature_Net_News_Flash_0411.htm   Happy Earth Day from Nature Net! Dear Parents, Swing into spring with some fun outdoor activities for the whole family! Earth Day Bouquet is going on now! In celebration of Earth Day , National Environmental Education Week , and the spring season, Nature Net's "Earth Day Bouquet of Events" offers your family a variety of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, get involved in your local and natural community, and become motivated to make a difference in the health and sustainability of the environment. From self-guided hikes to vacation mini-camps to fun family festivals, there is something for everyone. Check the schedule of free and low-cost family events going on now! Looking for more? Take a scientific look at Earth Day 2011 with the Forest Products Laboratory on April 22 (9am-2pm) and check out the bonus Earth Day event at B...

Nature Net's Earth Day Bouquet is in full swing this weekend! Bring your friends and families to these great events: Saturday, April 16 International Crane Foundation Annual Midwest Crane Count 5:30-7:30am Help ICF monitor the Eastern population of Greater Sandhill Cranes as they return to their breeding grounds in the Midwest. You might even be lucky enough to spot a member of the reintroduced flock of endangered Whooping Cranes! Aldo Leopold Nature Center Isthmus Green Day 9am-5pm Get geared up for a full day of family fun with ALNC at the 4th Annual Isthmus Green Day eco-celebration at the Monona Terrace! Includes eco-expert presentations, entertainment and sustainable children’s activities. Olbrich Botanical Gardens Garden Silks: Making Silk Scarves with Botanical Dyes 9-11am Create beautifully dyed silk scarves using common garden plants and grocery store finds such as blueberries and tea leaves with Shelley Ryan, host of Public Television’s Wisconsin Gardener. Grades 6+. % $...

Earth Day Bouquet starts this weekend! Check out these great events - you are sure to find the perfect way to celebrate Earth Day with your family over the coming weeks. Don't forget to tell us how it went on the Nature Net Facebook page - photos welcome! Earth Day Bouquet Schedule of Events Events take place at Nature Net sites between April 10-23 - with a bonus event on April 30! Registration, fees and details vary. Click each link for details. % indicates registration is required. $ indicates a fee. Sunday, April 10 Dane County Parks Visit! Come out and enjoy the trails in the parks and grounds. Visit the Lussier Family Heritage Center from dawn to dusk and see your local ecosystems in action. UW Arboretum All About Frogs 12:30-3:30pm Learn why frogs sing in the spring and other fascinating facts about their lifestyle. Participate in an outdoor family frog walk in addition to indoor family activities. Monday, April 11 Madison Children's Museum Rooftop Scientists 11-11:30a...

Did you know April 8 is National Visit a Park Day ? We are lucky to have many great parks in the area of which you can take advantage. The City of Madison Parks Division Conservation Section has 14 different and unique conservation parks, which are excellent for hiking, observing native plants and animals, and searching for signs of spring! Dane County Parks Division  includes a range of recreational urban and rural areas and facilities for you to use. Because they strive to go above and beyond the requirements mandated by the American Disabilities Act, each of these beautiful parks are accessible to all. Find something for everyone! For example, the Lussier Family Heritage Center  includes a beautiful facility surrounded by numerous recreational opportunities including a boat launch, picnic facilities, campgrounds, hiking trails, and playground equipment. So, this week and weekend, gather your family and friends and be sure to visit our great local parks!

Nature Net News Your source for tips and tricks for exploring nature with your kids View original newsletter here . "The sunshine that strikes American roads each year contains more energy than all the fossil fuels used by the entire world." Denis Hayes, Earth Day Co-Founder Dear Reader, As Nature Net members focus on all things green in April, this issue of Nature Net News will highlight clean, green, renewable energy. Learn about energy's past, present and future, and the overlap between energy and nature. Enjoy! Kathe, Brenna & Sarah The Folks at Nature Net Did You Know..... Green energy sources, such as solar power, hydropower and wind power are not only renewable, but they are also low- or non-polluting. Their supplies are essentially infinite (at least during the lifespan of Earth and its Sun), and they emit very little carbon or pollution as they harness and produce energy. Along with these benefits, the positive or negative environmental consequences related t...

Nature Net has just posted this year's Earth Day Bouquet - a listing of family events at Nature Net sites in celebration of Earth Day 2011. If you are looking for something to do with your family during the weeks around Earth Day, Nature Net's " Earth Day Bouquet of Events " offers a variety of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, get involved in your local and natural community, and become motivated to make a difference in the health and sustainability of the environment. From park clean-ups and hikes, to Earth Day festivals and vacation day camps and programs, there is sure to be an event suited for your family. Check the schedule  for the free and low-cost events that interest you, and mark your calendar for a Bouquet of things to do, explore and learn about this Earth Day season. Events take place at Nature Net sites  during the weeks of April 10-23 - with a bonus event on April 30! Registration, fees and details vary. Click each l...

Nature Net members are hosting several events this week in celebration of Wisconsin's premier conservationist, Aldo Leopold.  Green Fire Those of you anxiously awaiting the release of the Aldo Leopold Foundation 's Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time will be excited to learn about screenings at two Madison locations this week. The film, which has been premiering around the country and the world for the past month, is making its way to the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery on Friday, March 4 and the Barrymore Theater on Sunday, March 6! First Madison Show DATE: Friday, March 4, 2011 TIME: 7pm, with a reception following the film LOCATION: Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Town Center ADDRESS: 1300 University Ave., Madison, Wisconsin TICKETS: Available through Brown Paper Tickets , $8 advance/$10 at the door MORE INFORMATION: http://www.greenfiremovie.com/ Second Madison Show DATE: Sunday, March 6, 2011 TIME: 7pm, with a reception f...