Bird & Nature Outings

media release: "Bumblebee Walk" special outing at Owen Park with Susan Carpenter

6021 Old Sauk Road, Owen Conservation Park parking lot, follow easy walking paths

Join bumblebee expert Susan Carpenter for the annual Owen Park 'bee-friendly' walk.  Learn about bees and pick up tips for identifying and supporting these critical pollinators!  As prairies disappear across the country, so do bees. More than 700 native species are in decline. Owen’s prairies are ideal habitat for the bumble bee: tall grass for shelter, friendly flowers for food. By adopting simple changes in small spaces, we can transform our own backyards into bee heaven havens. Susan Carpenter is the Native Plant Garden curator and gardener at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum. She works with students and volunteers to manage and monitor a four-acre garden representing the plant communities of southern Wisconsin. She also leads a conservation project documenting native bumble bees, including the endangered rusty-patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis.  Bring a camera (cell phone is fine), writing instrument, and anything else you may need to comfortably spend a couple of hours outdoors, like sunblock, water, and insect repellent. Binoculars are a nice extra. To Bee or Not to Bee Depends on You and Me!  Organized by Friends of Owen Conservation Park.  See Bumble Bee Brigade http://wiatri.net/inventory/bbb/, Xerces Society http://www.xerces.org and Bumble Bee Watch http://bumblebeewatch.org for more info and opportunities to do Citizen Science surveys and monitoring. Contact 608-698-0104.