We love listening to the haunting, intense, and even comical calls of common loons. But what do they mean? Find out from Jay Mager: a biologist, professor, and ornithologist known for his decades-long research on the behavioral ecology of this iconic Northwoods bird. We’ll start with pizza and appetizers, then begin the presentation at 6 p.m. Discounts available for volunteers, visit cablemuseum.org for more details. Register by: July 8. Cost: $15 member/$25 non-member.

Nature presentation

Explore creative inspiration from nature in this hands-on, two-day art workshop featuring land art, printmaking, nature photography, and so much more. Open to all and eligible for WI Master Naturalist continuing education, this workshop encourages creative exploration using natural materials from the Hunt Hill landscape.

Sign up for our annual Wisconsin Master Naturalist Training. 1 Week, 40 hrs, M-F with a Saturday half day Education Event where you will own an educational table of your choice.

Join Cassie as she looks for really cool birds, including her favorite, the Black-capped Chickadee!

Join the North Lakeland Discovery Center for an exciting, all-inclusive, multi-day overnight experience from September 25-28, 2026, during peak fall color season. Stay in our historic bunkhouse cabins and explore the Northwoods through naturalist-led interpretive hikes and paddles focused on autumn ecology, wildlife, and seasonal change. Designed for adults, this experience balances learning, outdoor exploration, and time to slow down in one of northern Wisconsin’s most beautiful seasons.

A deep dive in Wisconsin’s Geology history by Academy Fellow Dr. Marcia Bjornerud.

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Badger Talks program reflects the tradition of the Wisconsin Idea — to extend the resources of the University to citizens of the state. We connect faculty and staff from hundreds of different disciplines with communities throughout the state to spark conversations on important topics, engage residents on critical issues, and share the latest UW research. To count for advanced training hours, please select topics that are relevant to the Master Naturalist subject areas: natural history, human connections, Master Naturalist service (education, citizen science, stewardship), geology, ecology, weather and climate, plant communities, wildlife, water, and aquatic life

Panel of Wisconsin experts discusses the latest research on social and informational hurdles to tackling some of the planet's most serious problems.

Every four-month term of The Birding Academy includes the following learning modes, ranging from month-long deep dives to casual and low commitment meet-ups. This allows learners to customize and scale their participation based on what works best for them. Topics covered change each term, providing opportunities for fresh discoveries and new connections.

Learn more about the different types of glaciers that previously covered the region and the impacts of cyclical glaciation on regional climate and ecology

explores the story of the ancient sea that once covered the region and how the myriad of ancient landscapes are preserved in the rock record.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Forest Ecology Working Group, National Conservation Training Center, and Migratory Bird Program have developed a 12-part monthly lecture series to address the 50-year decline of 3 billion birds through partnerships, conservation science and forest management. The series tells a compelling story about forest bird population declines, partnership opportunities, and forest management actions that can support bird population recovery and sustainability.

Join our Master Naturalist guides for an online trek focused on learning and exploring the Great Lakes — places that make Wisconsin a great place to live, work or play. You’ll be able to learn at your own pace using online readings, videos, and supplemental activities to reinforce the key concepts. Instead of book chapters, the trek uses an online network of trails to deliver accessible and fact-based knowledge. Find more information and registration here:

This presentation is designed for individuals who lead nature-related field trips and outings, regardless of topic! Jane Whitney, an award-winning Wisconsin Master Naturalist who has led numerous hikes each week for many years in Door County, will give a presentation in Madison to share tips and techniques for leading high-quality, inclusive, and engaging field trips. After leading more hikes than she can count, Jane has accumulated a few ideas and tips on how to lead a hike and capture your audience. We'll cover what works as well as what might not work, how to start and finish, what to do in the middle, how to manage the group (without their knowing you're managing them), how to handle mixed groups of kids and adults, and how to answer difficult questions. In part 2, Rachael Lewandowski-Sarette, On-site and Accessibility Coordinator of Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center in Wisconsin Dells, and an award-winning nature educator, will share information with field trip leaders about how they can make outings more accessible, informative, and safe for everyone. She will describe best practices on sharing trail information, supporting mobility device access (wheelchairs, for example), thinking about resting points, incorporating multiple senses, and more.

These short videos will feature highlights of NRF’s popular field trips, webinars on interesting natural resource topics, and leaders sharing their favorite natural places. Look for a new video every #FieldTripFriday; you’ll also find a video archive on the NRF of Wisconsin Youtube channel.

This course will cover field identification techniques for common trees native to the Great Lakes region.  The course will focus on winter and summer identification characteristics including leaves, bark, buds/twigs, and tree form. There is a $20 charge for this class.

With this webinar series hosted by Wisconsin Forestry Center, each one has a topic related to forest management. Look for a new video every month and you can view previous webinars as well.

Presentations on native plant landscape design, plant communities, wildlife support and plant propagation. And more. Open to the public and free of charge but there is a parking fee at Wehr.

To participate in the program, you must complete either the online training, available year-round, or participate in an in-person training, offered in the spring. Read the volunteer expectations [PDF] to learn more about the project.

Science on Tap-Minocqua is the result of a unique partnership among UW-Madison’s Trout Lake Station, UW-Madison’s Kemp Natural Resources Station, the Lakeland-Badger chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association, the Minocqua Public Library and the Minocqua Brewing Company and exemplifies the Wisconsin Idea – that the boundaries of the university are the boundaries of the state. ​Due to COVID 19, Science on Tap will be a zoom webinar beginning in October 2020. Find connection information and archives at: http://www.scienceontapminocqua.org/. Please select talks that relate to the subject areas covered in your Master Naturalist training.

The Lake Talks is a series of free, informal talks in communities along or near the Lake Michigan shoreline, addressing issues of relevance to those communities or the Great Lakes as a whole. Each event includes time for audience interaction and discussion

Under Our Feet Podcast is hosted and produced by Rudy Molinek who is a PhD student in geoscience at UW-Madison. This podcast focuses on human stories that are intertwined with deep Earth history, primarily season one is about the geology of wisconsin!

Meet at Visitor Center. Learn about the land: plants, animals, and fungi; phenology; and ecological practices and concepts.

Hosted by Wisconsin Wetlands Association, the Wetland Coffee Break series will feature brief presentations about wetlands, the plants and animals that call them home, and the many natural benefits they provide to our communities.

Chris Swanston shares the science behind climate change adaptation strategies and the role of ecosystem carbon cycling.

The Wild Ones webinars promote native plants and landscaping.