Bird & Nature Adventures

Discover nature by foot, paddle or pedal or pontoon in a Bird & Nature Adventure!

Bird & Nature Adventures are 90-minute, easy-paced, walking tours and periodically offered as a pedal -- biking adventure or a paddle. Most meeting locations and times are the same each month, but can occasionally change, as does the topics each month. Be sure to check the individual calendar event under “Upcoming Events” to confirm the meeting location and other details.

Bird & Nature Adventures happen year-round, in rain, snow or shine. Events are always family-friendly and free to attend. No registration is required. Participants are asked to dress appropriately for the weather and the outing. Binoculars and cameras are welcome. Pets are not allowed.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Paul Noeldner (608) 698-0104. See Madison Friends of Urban Nature for additional locations, including Pheasant Branch Conservancy and UW Lakeshore Preserve, adventure topics and educational tools.

Upcoming Events

• Saturday, May 21, 2022
  10:00am to 11:30am

  Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area

  Explore the Creek with James Winkelman ~ Join James Winkelman and Friends of Starkweather Creek for a free fun family-friendly canoe outing along Starkweather Creek!  Bring your own canoe or kayak, vest and paddles if you have them. A limited number of watercraft will be available to borrow.  Outings in the Starkweather Creek area vary each month - be sure to check the starting location. … Read more

• Saturday, May 28, 2022
  10:00am to 11:30am

  Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor

  Spring Migrants with Chuck Henrikson ~  Join a naturalist for an easy family-friendly walk from Aldo Leopold Nature Center into beautiful Edna Taylor Conservation Park and enjoy a bit of nature education along the way. Walks through the Edna Taylor Conservation Park are held on the 4th Saturday, 10-11:30am of each month and begin at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, 330 Femrite Drive. Meet … Read more

• Saturday, June 4, 2022
  2:30pm to 4:00pm

  Bird & Nature Adventures | Tenney Park

  Good Native Plants with Susan Scott ~  Nature-expert guided walks in Tenney Park along Lake Mendota and the Yahara River Parkway bike path through the Madison Isthmus are free, family-friendly and held the first Saturday of each month, from 2:30-4pm. The walk begins at the Tenney Beach parking lot, 1330 Sherman Avenue. No registration is required. No pets are allowed. Co-sponsored by Madison … Read more

• Sunday, June 5, 2022
  1:30pm to 3:00pm

  Bird & Nature Adventures | Cherokee Marsh, North

  Wildflower Wander with Mary Binkley ~  Cherokee Marsh is Madison’s largest conservation park with three units - North, South, and Mendota. Each month, year-round we explore the north unit's beautiful trails through the woodlands, wetlands, and restored prairies along the Yahara ‘Catfish’ River. Co-sponsored by Madison Parks, Friends of Cherokee Marsh, Sierra Club and Madison Audubon Society. … Read more

• Saturday, June 11, 2022
  2:30pm to 4:00pm

  Bird & Nature Adventures | Owen

  Walk in the Woods with Sean Gere ~  Explore Owen Conservation Park on gentle trails through historic oak openings on a hillside with an Ice Age kettle and along restored prairies with beautiful vistas on this high point overlooking the west side of Madison. Co-sponsored by Madison Parks, Madison Audubon Society, and the Friends of Owen Conservation Park. Free, family-friendly guided nature … Read more

• Sunday, June 12, 2022
  1:30pm to 3:00pm

  Bird & Nature Adventures | Turville Point

  Explore Turville Trails with Melissa Kesling ~  Follow rolling hiking paths through the Turville Point Conservation Park woodlands and prairie with beautiful vistas of Lake Monona and Monona Bay. Walks at Turville Point held on the 2nd Sunday every month are co-sponsored by Madison Bird City FUN partners, Madison Parks, Friends of Olin Turville, and Madison Audubon Society. Meet at the Turville … Read more

• Sunday, June 19, 2022
  1:30pm to 3:00pm

  Bird & Nature Adventures | Warner Park

  Orienteering with Kathlean Wolf ~  Enjoy an informal family and kid-friendly nature walk around the scenic Warner Pond lagoon and across Castle Creek to discover the wetlands, woods, and prairie in the Wild Side of Warner Park and the birds and other creatures that call it home! Walks at Warner Park held on the 3rd Sunday every month are co-sponsored by Madison Bird City FUN partners Wild … Read more

• Saturday, June 25, 2022
  10:00am to 11:30am

  Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor

  Baby Bird Bonanza with Dane Gallagher ~  Join a naturalist for an easy family-friendly walk from Aldo Leopold Nature Center into beautiful Edna Taylor Conservation Park and enjoy a bit of nature education along the way. Walks through the Edna Taylor Conservation Park are held on the 4th Saturday, 10-11:30am of each month and begin at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, 330 Femrite Drive. Meet … Read more