UW students are involved — come join us !

Here's a brief list of the student organizations that we know of—but please contact us if there are others you think should be listed. We want to support your work! See also out list of current Student Projects !

Also--watch video clips of students in the Preserve!

What involved students say:

Working on the Preserve has been a wonderful experience for me.  You get to breathe fresh air, meet a lot of great people, and do something small to improve our planet, right here in our own backyard. -- Janelle Anderson

I love volunteering for the Muir Woods restoration project! Whether it's trail-building, invasive species removal, or planting, I have had a great time working with others to make the whole Preserve a much cooler place. You get to meet great people who are interested in the same things - working outdoors and helping create a better environment for the rest of campus. -- Alice Tang

They say to think globally, act locally— volunteering in the Lakeshore Preserve is the perfect way to achieve this goal.  A great group of people gets together in order to take action on our campus while learning what our future goals of environmental action should be in years to come. -- Julia Bair

Before volunteering in the Preserve, I couldn't tell a maple tree sapling from buckthorn. I'm definitely no plant expert now, but my appreciation for plants and protecting the Preserve from invasive species has increased dramatically. It's amazing how much you can learn just by volunteering for 2 hours a week. In addition to learning, I love the feeling of accomplishment I get when a native seedling is planted or an invasive species is sawed down. When those two hours are done, I know I really did something with them. -- Morgan Gustison

Students for the Lakeshore Nature Preserve

Website: http://slnp.rso.wisc.edu/

This UW-Madison student organization, founded in 2005-06, seeks to be for UW students what the Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve is for members of the Madison community. Students for the Lakeshore Nature Preserve is working to build a community of undergraduate and graduate students who support the Preserve by volunteering, contributing to stewardship, and organizing tours and activities to increase student knowledge and understanding of the natural ecosystems and cultural landscapes within the Preserve's boundaries. Interested students are urged to join the group and help it grow.

Contact: Zach Hirschtritt, students.preserve.uw@gmail.com

Muir Woods Mentors

The Muir Woods Mentors is an environmental education group that focuses on exposing elementary school-aged children to the natural world. It originated out of a Leadership Trust Award from the College of Letters and Science Honors Program, and is currently funded by a Wisconsin Idea Fellowship. The group has been bringing children to Muir Woods to do volunteer work and learn about various aspects of the plants and animals there.

Find out more here >>
Webpage: http://muirwoodsmentors.rso.wisc.edu/

Contact: muirwoodsmentors@gmail.com

Eagle Heights Community Gardens

The University of Wisconsin's Eagle Heights Community Gardens (EHCG) was established in 1962 to offer Eagle Heights residents and the UW and Madison communities the opportunity to have an organic garden and participate in garden activities. EHCG is one of the oldest and largest community gardens in the United States. At last count - the pool of gardeners speak approximately 60 languages. The gardens feature gardening practices from around the world. Located within the Lakeshore Nature Preserve, the gardens provide a wonderful place for meeting fellow gardeners, family picnics and walks, and bird watching.

Website: http://www.eagleheightsgardens.org/

Contact: ehgardens@rso.wisc.edu

F. H. King Gardens

F.H. King is a student organization dedicated to promoting sustainable agriculture at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. It maintains an organic demonstration garden at the Eagle Heights Community Gardens. The garden is a university resource where students, faculty, staff, and community members can practice sustainable, organic production techniques. The produce is distributed among volunteers, and the surplus is donated to local food pantries.

Website: http://fhking.rso.wisc.edu/

Contact: nbreazea@ssc.wisc.edu

UW Hoofers

Housed at the Memorial Union, UW Hoofers is the outing club for students at UW-Madison. Although it runs recreational outings all around the state and nation, some of its most celebrated activities—canoeing and sailing in particular—take place on the waters of Lake Mendota and often involve exploring the Lakeshore Nature Path from the water. Hoofers rents canoes and sailboats, so is a great way for UW-Madison students to get access to equipment for exploring the Preserve from the lake.

Hoofers website: http://www.hoofers.org/xoops/

Canoe rentals: http://www.union.wisc.edu/outdoorrentals/index.html

Call for rental information: 262-7351

• See all the students projects going on in the Lakeshore Nature Preserve!
• Read about courses and educational uses of the Preserve