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No caption needed. 📸Photo Credit: Michael Willkommen
10/26/2026

No caption needed.

📸Photo Credit: Michael Willkommen

Owl Prowl season is almost here! 🦉🌙Owls are masters of camouflage, and their bark-like feathers help them disappear into...
10/26/2026

Owl Prowl season is almost here! 🦉🌙
Owls are masters of camouflage, and their bark-like feathers help them disappear into the trees. Because of this, you're often more likely to hear an owl than see one!
Join the naturalists at Wehr Nature Center for an Owl Prowl and discover the amazing adaptations of our nocturnal neighbors, including the Great Horned Owl and Eastern Screech-Owl.
A Few Changes This Season! 📢
If you've attended an Owl Prowl in the past, you may notice some changes. Wehr Nature Center's goal is to provide meaningful opportunities to experience owls while prioritizing the Owls' well-being.
By mid-December, owls are increasingly focused on establishing and defending their territories, and Wehr's Owl Prowls will take place earlier in the winter. 📅
Wehr Naturalists will no longer use owl calls or playback, as this can cause owls to expend valuable energy responding to a perceived intruder.
Winter is already a challenging time for wildlife, making energy conservation especially important. For this reason, Wehr Nature Center will no longer offer traditional Owl Prowls in January; instead, Owl Prowls will be offered in November and Early December.
Later in the Winter, we may offer quiet nighttime walks or daytime programs focused on listening and observing wildlife naturally. 🌙
By walking quietly and listening for natural calls, participants can still have wonderful encounters while helping us model responsible wildlife observation.
The staff at Wehr Nature Center hope you can join them for an unforgettable Owl Prowl experience! 🌲🦉✨
📸: Wehr Nature Center

Congratulations to Kate Grundle, our horticulturist for the Trial Garden at Boerner Botanical Gardens, for earning 3rd p...
10/25/2026

Congratulations to Kate Grundle, our horticulturist for the Trial Garden at Boerner Botanical Gardens, for earning 3rd place in the All-America Selections (AAS) 2026 Landscape Design Challenge, a national competition among public gardens! 🎉
Boerner competed in Category 3, the division for the largest public gardens (over 100,000 annual visitors).
This year’s theme was “The Goodness of Gardening…Using AAS Winners.” Kate’s design showed how thoughtful garden design can support wildlife and pollinators, and it was built to engage visitors of all ages.
Award-winning AAS varieties, including the fragrant Evening Scentsation petunia, drew guests through the space. The judges recognized how the display combined handcrafted art, upcycled materials, and pollinator-friendly plantings to teach the community about ecological gardening while giving visitors a fun, memorable experience.

Visit our indoor pools this Fall! 🏊Noyes and Pulaski Indoor Pools are open for lap swim, open swim, water exercise class...
10/24/2026

Visit our indoor pools this Fall! 🏊
Noyes and Pulaski Indoor Pools are open for lap swim, open swim, water exercise classes, and swim lessons. Hours and activities vary by location.

Visit our archery ranges at Kinnickinnic River Parkway, Kletzsch Park, Root River Parkway, or Warnimont Park to keep you...
10/22/2026

Visit our archery ranges at Kinnickinnic River Parkway, Kletzsch Park, Root River Parkway, or Warnimont Park to keep your archery skills sharp this Fall! 🍂

Missed out on the interactive story map at Bird-A-Palooza? 🐦There is still time to check it out! The story map shows a v...
10/21/2026

Missed out on the interactive story map at Bird-A-Palooza? 🐦
There is still time to check it out! The story map shows a variety of ideas for restoration work throughout Kletzsch Park. Review the plans, provide feedback, and help shape the natural areas in the park!
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a2c06ceee5fd4c62abedab23310b6dae

Keep your eyes peeled for Eyelash Cup fungus! 👀🍄 One of our naturalists recently spotted this tiny but fascinating fungu...
10/19/2026

Keep your eyes peeled for Eyelash Cup fungus! 👀🍄
One of our naturalists recently spotted this tiny but fascinating fungus growing on a log at Wehr Nature Center . While Eyelash Cup (Scutellinia spp.) is relatively easy to identify, its small size means it is often overlooked.
Also known by whimsical names like Molly eye-winker, scarlet elf cap, and eyelash pixie cup, this colorful fungus can be found from spring through fall, often appearing in small groups or larger clusters after a rain.
Eyelash Cup grows on well-rotted wood or damp ground nearby, where it obtains nutrients from dead and decaying material. When young, the fungus is nearly spherical and bright red, scarlet, or orange. As it matures, it opens into a shallow cup and eventually becomes flat and disk-like.
Its most distinctive feature?
The fringe of dark, eyelash-like hairs surrounding the edge! 🔍
These tiny “eyelashes” are often easiest to see with a magnifying glass.
Next time you are exploring the woods, take a closer look at those fallen logs—you never know what tiny treasures might be growing there! 🌿🍄
📸: Wehr Nature Center

Address

6000 W. Ryan Road
Franklin, WI
53132

Telephone

(414) 281-2694

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