Come Gather with Us

Change can sometimes be good, sometimes bad but the changes for our Education Department is GREAT! Moving into our new facility is opening up a wonderful new component for education. In the past our educational leaders and the animal ambassadors would and still do travel to your location of choice for an educational program. With our new Gathering Room we can offer educational programs on site. On October 20th we offered our first in house program to the Passage School students at Lad Lake. What a great experience we had not only the kids but also myself. With this new room the environment is much more inviting and receptive to an up-close and personal experience with the animal ambassadors that make up the education department. The kids could ask as many questions as they wanted to without any time constraints. Because the ambassadors were at their own home the kids could spend more time with them too. The critters appreciate not having to be packed up one-plus hours before the program and not going out into extreme heat or cold.


Question and Answer time with Dakota the Great Horned Owl


The space itself invites a more natural setting for wildlife education. Our building is surrounded by beautiful pines and prairie fields. You come into the Gathering Area to warm hues trimmed in maple and pine. The room is outlined with our herp educators who would love to inspire you.



Private lessons with Daphne the Muscovy duck



In addition to our programming, if your group or organization is in need of a gathering place give us a call to make arrangements to hold it at our facility 262-965-3090.

Guest Blogger L.K.

Notice: Today’s Groundhog Day event has been cancelled

Groundhog Day is today and everyone is wondering, where’s Waldo?

He’ll be snoozing in his favorite log; he’s heard about the blizzard outside and has chosen to sleep in today. I think it’s safe to say that he will not see his shadow even if he does emerge for breakfast; or lunch. No shadow means an early spring!

We have regrettably cancelled the planned education programming and celebrations at the Elks Lodge due to today's winter storm.

The celebration of Groundhog Day arose from a variety of traditions, including some religious, some seasonal and most importantly, observational. It gradually became a time when both people as well as animals emerged from their winter slumber to welcome the strengthening sunshine, only to return in wait for the actual coming of spring. Groundhog Day is now held annually on February 2nd which also happens to be the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The most important thing is that the observance of this day gives those of us in colder climates an excuse to celebrate, breaking up the monotony that leads to spring fever.

We Wisconsinites will have to settle for the next Packers match-up to lift our spirits instead. Waldo and his fellow animal ambassadors have been hosting pep-rallies for our selfless volunteers who come in on game days. In addition to predicting an early spring Waldo also predicts that his favorite team, the Packers, will win Sunday’s game 35-21. He’ll be sound asleep in his favorite log for most of it, but we’ll tell him who won when he wakes up.

Daphne, as quarterback, is a force to be reckoned with



Slither is all over the ball!



Jewel always picks the role of half-back



Waldo waits for the hike...



and tackles the ball to the ground!



While Pecan is busy preparing for the celebration party!