Events

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/2026psc/event/psc2026/

Feb-April zoom classes to get certified as a POLLINATOR STEWARD:

Make a positive difference for pollinators, people, and the planet. 

 Topics include an introduction to the world of pollinators, how they live and thrive, threats to pollinators, and how we all can help. Details will be provided on habitat creation for pollinators in many landscapes including home gardens, parks, rights-of-way, and agricultural landscapes. Additional information on pollinator identification and how to share your knowledge through community outreach will be provided. 

 This course is ideal for home gardeners, land managers (large and small), farmers, organizations, government departments, and anyone who wants to do more to support pollinators. Join the growing community of Certified Pollinator Stewards!

Dr Jeff Karron

Professor of Biology at UW Milwaukee

Bumble Bee Queens, Nests, and Spring Wildflowers

Dr. Jeff Karron’s talk features striking slow-motion videography to highlight the interdependence of bumble bee queens and spring-flowering perennial plants.  Early-blooming native perennials provide the essential food resources queens need to survive, establish nests, and successfully raise their first brood.  In turn, many spring flowering plants depend heavily on bumble bees for effective pollination and seed production.  All video and photography featured in this presentation were filmed in high quality prairie and woodland sites across southeastern Wisconsin.  The talk highlights the importance of conserving and restoring early-season floral resources to sustain bumble bee populations.

https://www.villaterrace.org/exhibitions_events/upcoming_events/?eid=739

Introduction to the film and a short Q& A session following with film writer and editor Angie Rayniak.

This documentary follows the co-creators of “Walk to Sustain Our Great Lakes”, Julia Robson & Alyssa Armbruster, as they embark on their 343 mile walk from the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, WI to Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The two women interview political leaders, educators, activists and professionals to help bring a greater understanding of the issues these Great Lakes face, as well as highlighting the progress that has been made in restoring the lakes since the establishment of the Clean Water Act in 1972.

Angie Rayniak has always had a passion for creativity and science – she couples these to focus on communicating complex scientific topics into easily digestible information through creative visuals, essentially bridging the gap between science and understanding through storytelling. With experience in both environmental fieldwork and creative filmmaking, Angie brings a multidisciplinary approach to communicating earth science effectively to a broad audience. This is what led her to work as lead writer and editor for The Worth of Water, A Great Lakes Story.

SOS Save Our Songbirds launched in March 2023 as an initiative of the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Partnership to help bring a bird conservation message to Wisconsin communities at the same time interest in bird watching was increasing.

This volunteer-based, donation based group has directly inspired over 22,500 people at 110 events to take action at home to save declining songbirds by sharing information and starter supplies.

SOS Save Our Songbirds is coordinated by Lisa Gaumnitz, who wrote about nature for the WI Department of Natural Resources for 25 years and helped reporters do the same. Her appreciation for birds and concern over their decline she spurred the creation of SOS Save Our Songbirds.

Through an engaging and interactive presentation set for April 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. at the Wehr Nature Center, Lisa will focus on three actions people can take at home to help songbirds: planting native plants good for birds; protecting birds from hitting home windows; and purchasing coffee and chocolate grown on farms meeting the highest standards for preserving our migratory birds’ winter habitats.

Lisa will discuss how SOS volunteers have reached new and more diverse audiences by offering a “Porch Prairie” container gardening workshop using native plants; Bird-friendly coffee and chocolate tasting parties, and a bird crafting event in which attendees decorated fabric birds to contribute to a national art project raising awareness about window collisions. Partnerships with other bird organizations, Wild Ones chapters, and other conservation groups and businesses have been key to experimenting with these innovative outreach events and spreading the word about home bird conservation. Attendees will receive supplies to jumpstart songbird conservation at home: a free native plant guide good for birds; samples of Smithsonian Bird Friendly certified coffee; and, for a $10 donation, a Feather Friendly window treatment kit to prevent birds from hitting a problem home window.

This event focuses on the connection between native habitat, birds, and biodiversity, and how small, intentional actions at home can make a meaningful difference. Participants will gain a better understanding of how native plants and other natural landscaping techniques support birds, pollinators, and other wildlife, while learning practical steps they can take to create healthier, more resilient landscapes.

The program will be moderated by WUWM's Environmental Reporter Susan Bence, and will feature a keynote presentation by Jen McGuinness of Bird-Friendly Gardening, who will share how home gardens can support birds through the use of native plants, organic practices, and thoughtful design. Her talk highlights what birds need to thrive and how gardens can provide food, water, shelter, and nesting habitat for nectar, seed, and fruit-eating species.

Following the keynote, attendees will choose from a set of breakout sessions, each approximately 45 minutes long with time for questions and discussion. A second breakout session will repeat the first, allowing participants to attend more than one topic. Breakout options include Native Plants: From Turf to Habitat with Danielle Bell, Migratory Birds and the Challenges They Face with Medhavi Ambardar, and Pollinator Conservation in Your Garden with Judy Cardin.

Danielle Bell will share simple, approachable steps for incorporating native plants into home landscapes, including how keystone species can dramatically increase the value of your yard for wildlife. Medhavi Ambardar will explore the incredible journeys of migratory birds, the threats they face, and meaningful actions people can take to help, from native planting to making windows safer. Judy Cardin will share her experience transforming her yard into native habitat and discuss how diverse native plants support bees, butterflies, and other pollinators throughout the seasons.

Together, this event is designed to inspire, educate, and empower participants with achievable actions they can take at home, while supporting Community Wildlife Habitat Certifications and strengthening wildlife corridors across Waukesha County.

Kathi & Michael will teach us how to create a sanctuary for hummingbirds in our own backyards. Through the use of perennial and annual plants, wildflowers, shrubs, trees and feeders, you can discover the magic and excitement of hummingbirds. Their presentation will cover identification of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, ideal habitat, migration, nesting, and feeding. They will explain the importance of water features and how the elements of the best hummingbird feeders and plants can bring you up close to these special birds. 

https://www.villaterrace.org/exhibitions_events/upcoming_events/?eid=742

Luke Zoet, Associate Professor, UW Madison Department of Geoscience,  recipient of UW Madison’s 2025 Distinguished Teachers Award

The Great Lakes are not static landscapes; they are powerful, dynamic systems capable of rapidly reshaping their shores. Along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan coastline, this force is on full display. Much of our local coastal landscape is comprised of tall bluffs made of soft sediments. When water levels are high, wave action can erode the base of the bluffs which drives bluff retreat. In this talk we will examine the causes, processes, and implications of coastal erosion in Wisconsin along the Lake Michigan shore.

Professor Zoet studies glacial processes, using tools of geophysics and geology, rock mechanics and geotechnical analysis. He combines field study with computational lab testing to test and develop theoretical treatments that can be applied in the field. Professor Zoet also works on coastal erosion processes in the Great Lakes.  

Pre-order forms are expected to be available in early March https://www.friendsofwehr.org/plantsale

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!