The UW Arboretum is a 1,200- acre swath of prairie, woods and wetland smack dab in the city of Madison; parts border the noisy Beltline; others, idyllic Lake Wingra. It is a recreation destination and a refuge for people seeking solace in nature. It is also a world-class research facility, the birthplace of ecological restoration.
When Dr. Bob Alt and his wife were planning a move from Chicago to Madison in the late 1980s, they narrowed their house search to the Arbor Hills neighborhood for one reason: its proximity to the Arb.
“It struck me as an ideal educational resource and neighbor and that has been the case,” says Alt. “We do so much there,” he adds. “We hike, we go birding, we go to classes, we go to listen to music, we go to art shows.”
A recently retired internal medicine doctor, Alt has also been a stew- ard at the Arboretum for the last five years. In that capacity he walks the trails, looking for such problems as flooding or blocked paths due to fallen debris. He and his wife also often bike on the road through the Arb on their way to classes at UW. “That is as lovely a bike ride as you can find in town.”
Alt would like to see more resources and staff at the Arb, and a higher profile for the institution. He notes there is no sign on the Beltline near the exit for the Arb.
Karen Oberhauser, who joined the Arboretum as director in October, agrees that the Arb might have an understated profile, but she is not con- cerned that it is underutilized. “Many people are exposed to the beauty and peacefulness of the Arb when they come to run, bike, walk and ski on our roads and trails.” But she would like more of these visitors to engage with other offerings — the walks, tours, classes and volunteer opportunities that would help them learn more about the land and how to conserve it.
She also wants to spread the word about the Arb’s offerings and research beyond the Badger State. “I think our leadership role in the fields of environmental and science education, land stewardship, and environmental research can expand much more broadly,” she says. “I’m working to engage people who don’t necessarily visit here...Having the university as a partner in these activities really positions us to be a major player. My vision is taking advantage of the resources of the entire UW and building on those to increase our stature and impact in the broader community.”
That includes “creating pro- grams and materials” that can be used by others, she adds.
With additional resources, Oberhauser would like to do more professional development for area sci- ence teachers, and implement consis- tent monitoring of the impacts of the Arb’s land management techniques. Additional staffers would also be helpful in managing invasive species, she says. “With a fairly small staff we manage lots and lots of land. With a few more people, the Arb could look even better than it does now.”
