Friends of Lapham Peak 2025 schedule for the Nature Center to be open:

• October – 4, 5, 18, 19
  • October 4- 11:00 AM to 12:30PM
    • Flora Hike – Family Friendly
    • Discover Wisconsin’s stunning native plants!  Back again for 2025, join the final 2025 guided Flora Hike at Lapham Peak, led by Master Naturalist Meg Shad Saeger. Explore forest and prairie, learn fun facts, and support local conservation efforts at one of Wisconsin’s most beautiful State Parks. All ages welcome!
  • October 5 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
    • Trees: Our Super heroes
    • Trees are so important to our everyday lives. Join, Master Naturalist, Judy Salus, as she presents a family-friendly program about the importance of trees through fun facts and activities. In addition, Judy will teach you a simple key to identifying trees that will enhance your family’s hikes. By the end of the presentation, you’ll be a “tree hugger!”

• • October 18 – 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
    • Calm the Chaos! Enhancing Emotional Well-Being with Biophilic and Nature-Based Practices – Adults Only
    • Free your mind and focus on your senses as we learn to calm the chaos we all experience. Biophilic design and nature immersion practices address the human response to natural surroundings, demonstrating that people thrive in nurturing environments. These principles can be applied to our comfort, well-being, and healing, helping us become our best selves personally and professionally. We’ll explore nature connection practices such as forest therapy, alongside an embodiment exercise to understand how we process and experience stress in our physical bodies and its impact on our emotional bandwidth. Learn tools to recognize and manage stressors and take away easy-to-adopt nature-based practices that can help you feel more grounded and authentic.

      Cost: $25 per person

       

  • Saturday October 18th – 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
    • Bats of Wisconsin – Family Friendly
    • You don’t have to wait for nightfall to discover the fascinating world of bats!

      Join us at Lapham Peak’s Hausmann Nature Center on October 18th at 1PM for an engaging daytime program all about Wisconsin’s native bats, led by Helen Holtz, Land Management Director at the Waukesha County Land Conservancy, Wisconsin Master Naturalist, and WDNR Bat Ambassador.This educational event will introduce you to Wisconsin’s eight bat species and their vital role in our ecosystems. Bats act as natural pest control, eating thousands of insects each night, and contribute to a healthy balance in nature. You’ll also learn about the serious threats they face, including White-nose Syndrome and habitat loss, which have led to the decline of several species, especially those that hibernate in caves and mines. Come explore how we can better understand and protect these often misunderstood creatures – no flashlight required!

  • October 19 – 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
    • Identifying and Caring for Oak Woodlands – Adults Only
    • Between more open savannas and dark forests, oak woodlands are often underappreciated and misunderstood. Dan Carter, chief ecologist with The Prairie Enthusiasts, will discuss how to recognize, restore, and care for oak woodlands.

 

 

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