Nature Based Organizations

The Mead Kite Festival is an excellent opportunity for those with Wisconsin Bat Ambassador training to reach hundreds of people of all ages that are curious about Wisconsin bats. The Bat Ambassadors will run a table or two with hands-on engaging educational activities. Materials can be provided by the WI Bat Ambassador program, lunch, beverages, and snacks will be provided the day of the program. Located at George W. Mead Wildlife Area, Stanton W. Mead Education and Visitor Center, 201517 Cty Hwy S, Milladore, WI; 20 minutes from WI Rapids, 25 minutes from Stevens Point, and 30 minutes from Wausau. August 22nd, 2026 10:30 am - 3:30 pm. Contact sandra.deroche@wisconsin.gov for more information.

Monitor bats from your own backyard. Once you learn how to use the equipment and complete the monitoring pages, you will be able to provide vital data to further understand how bats are doing in Wisconsin.

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.

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