Events

Midwest Gardening Symposium: Green Gardening from the Ground Up

Saturday, March 13, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm

Registration Deadline: March 8

The second-annual Midwest Gardening Symposium celebrates “green,” low-maintenance gardening. Hands-on gardening experts will offer practical advice at the Midwest Gardening Symposium: Green Gardening from the Ground Up, at Olbrich Botanical Gardens on Saturday, March 13.

Saturday, March 13th:
FestivAle
Arthritis Foundation fundraiser

Special Session: 12:00-1:00 p.m. / Open Tasting: 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Location: East Side Club, Madison

March 18 - Thursday, 9:00 am - 11:30 am
Arboretum Naturalists' Enrichment Lecture: "Wisconsin Frogs, Toads and Salamanders." Speaker: Randy Korb, Author/wildlife educator, St. Croix Wildlife, Inc.

Thursday, March 18th
Greens & Grains 101
12:00-1:00 p.m. $10
Dark, leafy greens and whole grains are good for you and taste good too! Not sure which to buy or how to prepare (or pronounce!) them? Learn fun and easy techniques as Caitlin and Amanda whip up a variety of greens and grains including kale, quinoa, chard, wheat berries and more!

MARCH CONSERVANCY DAY Sponsored by the Friends of the Pheasant Branch
Conservancy

Join the returning geese, cranes and other birds at the conservancy to help
usher in springtime. We'll have photos to share, bird songs to hear and fun
facts about these birds. We'll point out the places in the conservancy to keep
watch over the next several weeks for returning birds and take a walk to see
who's already making a home here this season.

Thursday, March 18 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Meet at the Orchid Heights Park

Thursday, March 18th
Vom Fass: “What do I do with this Chicken?”
6:30–8:30 p.m. $25 (please sign up directly with Vom Fass)
Whole chicken: where do you even start? How many times have you been seduced to purchase a succulent whole chicken with wonderful plans only to come up with nothing once at home? Time for a few ideas from our friends at Vom Fass! Sign up and learn how to cut that chicken down and useful pieces for delicious meals all week long.

Friday, March 19th
Camping in the Great Indoors
4:30–6:00 p.m. $10
Just because it is chilly in Wisconsin doesn’t mean we can’t go camping! We will whip up the camping treats so scrumptious we might just forget we are inside! Come make your very own Gooey S ‘more Bars and Classic Campfire Tinfoil Dinners. Ages 6-12

HEALTHY BONES, NATURALLY
A workshop for those wondering what they can do to avoid bone fractures, regardless of the current state of their bone health.

When: Saturday, March 20 9 am - 5 pm
Where: Well Within Center for Yoga & Health
715 Hill St (near Whole Foods)
Madison, WI
Cost: $100 before March 6
$120 after March 6
For info: www.WellWithinMadison.com or 608-236-9138

March 20 - Saturday, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Arboretum Volunteer Workday (Grady Tract): "Grady Tract." Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training are provided, and groups are welcome with advance notice. Meet at the Grady Tract parking lot. For more information: 608-265-5214 or mlfarrior@wisc.edu

Saturday, March 20th
Safe and Effective Natural Treatments for Allergies
2:00–3:30 p.m. Free
What better way to start off the first day of spring than learning how to naturally manage allergies? Join a team of natural treatment specialists from the Center for Natural Medicine as they provide health tips for the Spring Season. Tips will include dietary, nutritional, herbal, and lifestyle approaches common to naturopathic care.

March 20 - Saturday, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Arboretum Walk (Night): "Equinox." Join the naturalist for sunset on the first day of spring, half-way between the winter and summer solstices

March 21 - Sunday, 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Arboretum Class: "Effigy Mounds of Dane County." From 700-1200 AD, earthen mounds of various shapes and sizes -- including effigies of birds, panthers, bears and turtles -- were built by native people, mostly in southern Wisconsin. View and learn more about some of these mounds while discussing what we know and don't know about the environment, lifestyle and culture of the people who built them. Registration required. Contact the Arboretum for a registration form, or register and pay online at uwarboretum.org

March 21 - Sunday, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Arboretum Walk (Visitor Center): "Signs of Spring." Listen and look for signs of spring, such as the return of sandhill cranes and indications of mole and worm activity in the thawed soil.

Olbrich’s Spring Flower Show:
Secret Spring Gardens

March 6 – 21, 2010 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily

Spring Show Plant Sale: March 22 Monday 12 p.m. – while supplies last!

Monday, March 22nd
First Tastes: Adventures in Baby Food Making
6:00–7:30 p.m. $15

"Weston A. Price Foundation - Madison Chapter"
Nutrient-Dense Foods - Education & Activism
Mon. Mar. 22 - Chapter meeting 7 pm, Wil-Mar Center, 953 Jenifer St., the
public is invited. For more info, call Carolyn at 221-8696 or see
http://my.madison.com/Groups/Madison_WAPF

Tuesday, March 23rd
Celebrating the Whole Planet
4:30–6:00 p.m. $10 Donation to the Whole Planet Foundation
To celebrate the Whole Planet Foundation we will create dishes from around the world. We will make Indian Vegetable Samosas and Central American Tres Leches Cake. All the proceeds from this class will go to The Whole Planet Foundation, supporting entrepreneurial women in impoverished countries. Ages 6-12

Wednesday, March 24th
Transforming Stress
6:30–7:30 p.m. Free
Join Kelly Hora M.Ac. and learn how to transform stress and create a personal plan to respond to stress in a positive way. We will explore Acupuncture and Chinese medicine’s holistic approach to stress, as well as lifestyle choices you can make to support yourself. We will begin with an overview of the physiology of stress, then complete a self-reflection worksheet to generate new tools and approaches to stress and how we respond.

Thursday, March 25th
Indian Cooking
6:00–8:30 p.m. $25
Come learn to transform basic everyday ingredients into delectable Indian dishes. We will explore authentic light Indian dishes that will not be short on flavor. For the entrée enjoy Marinated Fish baked with tangy tomato sauce, black mustard seeds and cilantro, accompanied by Fragrant Basmati Rice with whole spices and black cumin seeds, as well as Spicy Potatoes. Experience how humble potatoes can be transformed into a delightfully tasty dish using basic Indian spices and fresh herbs.

Dane County Parks to Present Draft Master Plans for Token Creek County Park and Natural Resource Area

Friday, March 26th
Gluten Free Gang: Gnocchi
4:30–6:00 p.m. $5
Come see how delicious gluten free Italian can be by making homemade gnocchi! Gnocchi (Nyok-kee) is a pillow-like potato dumpling from northern Italy. Gnocchi is fun to make and will soon be your family’s new favorite dish! Ages 6-12

March 27 - Saturday, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Arboretum Volunteer Workday (Core Area): "Core Area and Curtis Prairie." Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training are provided, and groups are welcome with advance notice. Meet at the front steps of the Visitor Center. For more information: 608-265-5214 or mlfarrior@wisc.edu

March 27 - Saturday, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Arboretum Class: "All About Bluebirds." Walk along the Arboretum's 20-year-old bluebird trail in Longenecker Gardens while learning about the fascinating life of the bluebird, bluebird behavior, the reasons for bluebird decline, and the restoration efforts that are currently being employed. Dress for the weather.

Saturday, March 27th
French Cooking 101: for teens!
12:00–1:30 p.m. $10
Master the basics of preparing a traditional 4 course French meal. We will build our menu off the French classic by Ginette Mathiot, “I Know How to Cook”, recently translated into English for the first time! It never hurts to have a few classic French dishes in your repertoire. Inquire with Caitlin for full menu details. Ages 13-17

March 27 - Saturday, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Arboretum Walk (Night): "Skydance." The American woodcock is a funny-looking bird that has an amazing spring ritual for attracting mates. We can never guarantee that wildlife will appear on cue, but we can usually hear and see woodcock performances near the Arboretum Visitor Center. Naturalists will talk about the woodcock and other rites of spring that can be seen on a March evening.

March 28 - Sunday, 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Arboretum Earth Partnership for Families: "Living with Wild Things, Learning from Aldo Leopold." At this drop-in event, learn about Aldo Leopold's love of wild things and efforts to restore the land. Create models of what the land was like at different times in history. A naturalist-led walk takes place from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Maple Syrup Fest at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center

Satisfy your sweet tooth and spend a delightful afternoon outdoors with your family at Maple Syrup Fest. Visitors can participate in hands-on activities and see demonstrations of various methods by which Native Americans, pioneers and people today tap trees for the production of maple syrup and sugar.

March 28 - Sunday, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Arboretum Walk (Visitor Center): "Early Migrants." Birds are returning from the south. Neo-tropical migrants spend the winter in Central and South America then return here to nest. We will look for early migrants and early nesters among yearlong residents.

March 28 - Sunday, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Arboretum Special Event: "Nature's Second Chance--Meet the Author." Steven J. Apfelbaum, author of the widely acclaimed "Nature's Second Chance: Restoring the Ecology of Stone Prairie Farm," will read from his book, sign copies and answer questions.

Monday, March 29th
Whole Planet Foundation Vegetarian Dinner & Fundraiser
6:00-7:30 p.m. $15 donation to the Whole Planet Foundation
As part of our Whole Planet Foundation Prosperity Campaign, join Caitlin and Amanda as they lead you through a scrumptious vegetarian menu of recipes inspired by microcredit clients around the world, including: Ethiopian-Style Chickpea Stew, Vegetable Biryani with Cashews, Coconut Bread and Mango Agua Fresca.

Tuesday, March 30th
Pizza for Pints
10:00–11:00 a.m. $5
Come with your favorite grown up and make your very own pizza from scratch! We will shape and top our own personal pizzas. While they bake we will decorate yummy fruit dessert pizzas! Ages 3-5

Tuesday, March 30th
Bento Box Lunches: Pack the Fun in Lunch
6:00–7:30 p.m. $15
Pack your child a fun, healthy and creative lunch by learning the art of making Bento Box lunches for your children from instructor Tara Verma. The Japanese style lunch art is a way to express yourself while making lunchtime exciting. Whether your child/children are at home or school this class is for you. Attendees will have a chance to put their skills to practice and make a treat to take home.

Wednesday, March 31st
Pakistani Cuisine
6:00–8:00 p.m. $25
This evening Huma Siddiqui, local author and host of NBC’s White Jasmine Cuisine, will share with us how to transform ordinary chicken into something succulent and exotic. The menu will include: Exotic Chicken, tender chicken cooked with spinach, garlic and ginger; Matar Pulao, basmati rice with green peas and whole spices; Tomato Chutney, a wonderful spicy tomato sauce with cumin, cilantro and green onions; and Rasmalai, baked ricotta cheese with green cardamoms and soaked in creamy milk.

The Hazards of Electronic Waste

A Film “Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia,” with a discussion led by Ed Abel, Owner of File 13 E-Waste Solutions LLC

The eight most hazardous metals listed in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or “RCRA” are arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium, and silver. Electronic waste contains all eight of these potentially hazardous materials.

Absolutely Art’s 5th Birthday Bash & Artists Opening Reception with special guest DJ SpinCycle
Friday, April 2nd 5p-9p
Show runs 4/1/10-4/30/10

Absolutely Art is thrilled to celebrate our 5th Birthday and we are proud to present our artists for April. Featuring, the art and outreach of Mess Hall Press and works by Sonal Ahuja.

April 3 - Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon
Arboretum Ecological Restoration Work Party: "Wingra Oak Savanna." Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Tools and training are provided, and groups are welcome with advance notice. Meet at the gravel parking lot along Arbor Drive just off Monroe Street. For more information: 608-265-5214 or mlfarrior@wisc.edu

Spring Pansy Sale at Olbrich Botanical Gardens
April 3 Saturday
10 a.m. - while supplies last

Capture the first signs of spring with a colorful pansy at the annual Pansy Sale at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. The sale starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 3 and continues while supplies last. Take home the newest varieties in brilliant blends of yellow, blue, and purple, all grown in Olbrich’s own greenhouses.

April 4 - Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m.
Arboretum Walk: "Early Spring." The earliest spring wildflower on the prairie is the Pasque flower - we will hunt for them on this Easter which is also the date of the earliest average time to see them.

Potential Climate Impacts on the Midwest: The U.S. Climate Impacts Assessment

DON WUEBBLES
The Harry E. Preble Professor
of Atmospheric Sciences
School of Earth, Society, and Environment
Department of Atmospheric Sciences
University of Illinois

Monday, April 5, 2010
3:30 P.M.
Room AB20, Weeks Hall
1215 W. Dayton St.

More Information: www.nelson.wisc.edu/community/programs/special-events

Contact: lambersonphi@wisc.edu, (608) 265-2563

Concern about climate change is a global problem, but its impacts occur at the local and regional scale. Regional integrated

NELSON INSTITUTE COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM

Water levels in the Yahara Lakes are heavily influenced by a number of physical factors, both natural (precipitation,
groundwater levels) and human-made (paved surfaces, bridges, dams and other land uses). This forum will explore
the complex river system that includes the Yahara Lakes and examine how it responds to these influences.
Forums are FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Water Levels in the Upper Yahara Lakes:
Surface and Groundwater Influences

Presentations:

Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin (CHEW)
http://www.wisconsincooks.org/chew

Next Meeting
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
7:15 PM

“A TASTE OF HEAVEN; A Guide to Food and Drink
Made by Nuns and Monks”

Wednesday, April 7th, Madeline Scherb, author of “A TASTE OF HEAVEN; A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Nuns and Monks” will speak to CHEW about her travels and adventures researching the book. Afterward we plan to sample some of the treats Madeline describes.

Blue Mounds Area Project to Receive 5% of One Day’s Sales
from Whole Foods Market® Madison

What: Whole Foods Market Madison is holding a Community Support Day for Blue Mounds Area Project, where five percent of one day’s sales goes to the local nonprofit organization.

Dane County and Wisconsin DNR to Host Public Information Meeting for Review of Capital Springs State Recreation Area Preferred Alternative Master Plan