Jun
7
June 7 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Reptile Day
Discover the world of reptiles and amphibians! Meet colorful snakes, wondrous turtles, and unique lizards and salamanders.
Wander, Explore, Hike, Renew
Wehr Nature Center is a place where everyone belongs. Open year-round, we offer accessible buildings, trails, and park features designed for visitors of all ages and abilities. Wander our more than five-miles of trails traversing five distinct habitats all within a five-minute walk. Enjoy universally designed exhibits, comfortable restrooms, and hands-on unique programs that bring people together through nature all year round.
Save the Date!
Annual special events for all ages and abilities
May
30
May 30 @ 10:00 am – 3:30 pm
Friends of Wehr Native Plant Sale Fundraiser
Become a champion for Wehr Nature Center and the environment by purchasing native plants. Any size planting creates a wildlife oasis, connecting beneficial ecosystems that support plants, animals, and humans.
All Ages and Abilities
Nature-based Programming
Mar
28
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Flow Yoga
Mar
28
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Teen Conservation Club
Mar
28
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Operation Recon Nature – Veterans and Families
Mar
28
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
FULL Woodcocks, Wood Frogs, and Wine
Mar
29
8:00 am – 10:00 am
Wehr Birders
Apr
1
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Hike for Health
Featured Program
Guided Forest Bathing
Unplug, slow down, and de-stress from your daily routine. Inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, a certified forest bathing guide will lead you through a series of sensory-based invitations designed to relax, restore, and deepen your relationship with the natural world.
A Place For All Seasons, A Place For Everyone.
Wehr Nature Center inspires all generations to explore and value the plants and animals of our natural world through experiential education, accessible trails, native landscapes and natural areas.
April – June Newsletter
Wehr Words
Bluebirds are furnishing nest boxes, pussy willows are blooming, and wood and chorus frogs are singing at the ephemeral pond.
In this issue of the Spring Wehr Words Newsletter, we hope you’ll enjoy learning about wild turkeys, Wehr’s new focus on native bees, and updates on projects at Wehr.
Meet the Turkeys
One bird’s mess is another bird’s meal! Wehr’s Wild Turkeys will gladly clean up the stray seed thrown to the ground by busy birds at the feeders. It’s quite a sight to find cardinals, doves, and sparrows eating right alongside these giant turkeys.
About Wehr
See why Wehr Nature Center is “a place for all seasons, a place for everyone.” Explore more than five miles of nature trails through woodland, wetland, prairie and oak savanna on 220-acres of protected land in Whitnall Park at Wehr Nature Center.
This is without a doubt, the best place to birdwatch and see wildlife in the Milwaukee metro area. The nature center is fantastic. The staff is welcoming and the trails are extremely well-maintained. Always something exciting to see!
You may have seen opportunities to purchase Mason Bee and Leaf Cutter Bee cocoons for pollination services. This cartoon and post are meant to bring awareness to some of the potential harm that may occur to our wild native bee populations when commercial bees are added to the mix. We have questioned the ethics of this practice for a while now. One of the reasons is there about 150 different species of Mason Bees within the United States. While estimates vary, sources commonly cite around 140 to over 200 species of Leaf Cutter Bees within the United States. This means that the Mason Bees or Leaf Cutter Bees that are being shipped to you may not be even native to your particular state. There is also the issue of the Houdini Fly which is an invasive. The Houdini fly is a kleptoparasite. It does not attack mason bees directly but lays its eggs on the pollen meant for the Mason Bee young. By shipping cocoons across state lines, there is the potential for this invasive to spread into places where it was not previously found which could impact wild populations of Mason Bees. While this industry does have some regulations, there may be a need for stricter regulations especially when one out of four of our 4,000 native bees are at increased risk of being imperiled with extinction. We have already seen an issue with commercial bumblebee operations and the spread of pathogens to wild bumblebee populations. So, there is a reason to be wary. We may do our research before bringing a pet into a home, especially in researching various breeds of dog or cats. We should take the time to research the ramifications of bringing commercial Mason Bees or Leaf Cutter Bees into our space as well. Here is the study that is quoted in the original post: www.pollinationecology.org/index.php/jpe/article/view/888?fbclid=IwY2xjawQyGftleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicm…Spam is, basically, an unwanted mail appearing in large numbers, right? Wild bees might feel like being spammed by commercially sold bees, then.Recently an important opinion paper by MacIvor and Irvin (link in the comment) was published. The authors draw attention to the problem appearing when bee solitary bee cocoons are sold on a large scale. Why buy bee cocoons at all? They don’t make honey or wax but are great pollinators, and can be used in commercial orchards for that purpose. They are also often are reared as a hobby, or are bought by people who think that breeding bees is a way of helping them (actually, it is not). There is too little oversight of the sale of bee cocoons. They can be shipped for large distances, even to the places where the sold bees aren’t a native species. At their destination, they are released into the environment and can interact freely with local species, competing and sharing pathogens and parasites with them. Even if they are shipped to the areas where they are a native species, they may belong to other subspecies or lineage. During interbreeding with wild conspecifics, the gene pools are mixed and that also can have negative consequences for the local populations.The authors call for legal regulations which would allow to prevent large-distance mailing of wild bees. For now, everybody can help to make the situation better – just don’t buy bee cocoons from distant places, check what species you’re buying and if it’s native, and above all, don’t buy bees at all unless you really need to.
It’s that time of year again — when the memes start circulating about dandelions being the very first and best spring forage for bees. While these memes are well meaning, they are incorrect in stating that dandelions are the very first flower to bloom. In our area, the Skunk Cabbage is really the first wildflower that we see blooming. Next is our trees. Dandelions which are European in origin, also lack the necessary nutrition that our native bees need in order to rear successful nests. In a recent study, solitary bees that foraged mainly from dandelions caused nest failure. We are not demonizing dandelions; however, we want to make sure that folks are getting the correct information based on science. In order to really help our native bees in this urban landscape, we can help in providing native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. Even if you just plant one native plant in your space you are making a huge step in helping our native pollinators and other wildlife that depend on native plants for food and shelter.It’s that time of year again — when the memes start circulating about dandelions being the very first and best spring forage for bees. We could go down that rabbit hole… but we’ll resist 🐝What often gets overlooked is that trees are usually the earliest bloomers — and they provide exceptional nutritional value for our local pollinators.One standout is the American Pussy Willow. In March, you may notice its soft, dove-gray catkins lighting up the edges of wetlands and parks. Those fuzzy blooms aren’t just charming signs of spring — they are vital pollen sources.The Willow Mining Bee is a pollen specialist that relies almost exclusively on willow species. Without willows, these bees simply cannot reproduce successfully. Pussy willow also supports a diversity of other small native bees emerging in early spring, offering protein-rich pollen at a critical time of year.And the ecological story doesn’t stop there. The leaves of willow species feed the caterpillars of both the Mourning Cloak and the Viceroy butterflies — meaning this small tree supports pollinators and butterflies across multiple life stages.So, as you’re walking through the parks this March, take a closer look at those silvery buds. Before lawns wake up, before many flowers open, the willows are already at work — quietly sustaining an entire community.📸: Wehr Nature Center#wehrnaturecenter #milwaukeecountyparks
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