The 2026 Butterfly and Dragonfly Count has been rescheduled to July 11th to coincide with the Riveredge Bioblitz.
Contribute to 30+ years of research on the abundance of butterflies and dragonflies at Riveredge by helping with these counts! You will have the opportunity to to shadow and learn to identify important indicator species in the field alongside conservation professionals. Participate for all or part of the day. Wear walking shoes and pack a bag lunch if you’re staying for the day.
Ages 18+
This event is free for everyone!
Pre-registration is not required, but highly recommended so you can be notified of any changes due to weather. Use the button below to register for the Riveredge Bioblitz which is combined with the Butterfly and Dragonfly Count this year.
What’s crawling, flying, hopping, and growing at Riveredge? Help us find out! Whether you’re an amateur, an expert, or a kid, Riveredge welcomes citizen scientists of all ages to our annual Bioblitz at Riveredge on July 11! During this free event, participants contribute to the monitoring and inventory of plants, birds, insects, and fish alongside field experts! This year, we’ll be collecting observations on the main campus, with a special focus on the state natural area surrounding Riveredge creek!
All ages welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
This event is free for everyone!
Pre-registration is not required, but highly recommended so you can be notified of any changes due to weather.
Questions? Contact Jana Gedymin at jgedymin@riveredge.usor 262-375-2715.
Monitoring Eastern Bluebirds in a Suburban Neighborhood and Their Surprising Adaptability
For many years, Al Sherkow has been the area’s busiest, most experienced and most-in-demand bird bander, working on monitoring projects at the Urban Ecology Center, Riveredge Nature Center, and the Mequon Nature Preserve. During 2022, Al and his wife moved from Whitefish Bay to Bayside. He soon started banding in his yard and sharing with his new neighbors the wonder of seeing birds up close and the process of banding them. A neighbor noticed birds flying out of an unused wooden newspaper holder under a mailbox. Al looked and Eastern Bluebirds were building a nest there. In 2025, he monitored 19 traditional bluebird nest boxes, and 18 newspaper holders. These latter birds aren’t following the guidelines for placing bluebird boxes. That they are using the newspaper holders is an interesting adaptation to expand their range into this suburban neighborhood. Al and his neighbors have learned a lot, and this program will share it with you.
This free program is offered virtually and in-person at the Mequon Nature Preserve.
To join in-person, please register with the button below. No registration necessary to join virtually.
Contribute to 30+ years of research on the abundance of butterflies and dragonflies at Riveredge by helping with these counts! You will have the opportunity to to shadow and learn to identify important indicator species in the field alongside conservation professionals. Participate for all or part of the day. Wear walking shoes and pack a bag lunch if you’re staying for the day.
8:30 am – 9:30 am – Review
9:30 am – 3:00 pm – Count in the Field
Saturday, November 14 2026 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Accepting abstracts for poster and oral presentations through October 9th!
We are excited to showcase new academic talent! Uncover insights into the natural world and support the next generation of scholars by attending the Student Research Symposium on November 15th. Undergraduate and graduate students from colleges and universities in our region will present their research with posters and oral presentations. The day includes a keynote from a distinguished speaker and a catered lunch. Come for all or part of the day.
There will becash prizes up to $300 awarded for the best oral and poster presentations. Plus, all student presenters will receive a FREE Riveredge Membership just for participating!
Student Presenter: Free! Abstracts submission deadline October 9th. Current Student Non-presenter: Free Supporter by November 10: $5 Supporter after November 10: $7 Children under 12: Free (must be accompanied by an adult) All registrations include a catered lunch! Please indicate dietary restrictions/allergies on the registration form.
We invite college students to submit an abstract of a current or recent year’s research project to present in oral or poster form at our Student Research Symposium. Submissions are welcome in the categories of biology, environmental science, chemistry, geology, and other sciences. The abstract submission deadline is October 9th! There will becash prizes up to $300 awarded for the best oral and poster presentations. Plus, all presenters will receive a FREE Riveredge Membership just for participating!
Please see below for important presentation information.
Presentation Information for Student Presenters
Poster Presentation
Posters should be a maximum size of 44″ X 36″
We will have a tripod easel and poster board set up for you. Posters will be attached to the display boards using binder clips that will be provided.
Poster set-up will be 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 15th, 2025 (the morning of the event).
Alternativity, students are welcome to drop off their posters to Riveredge Nature Center weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. before November, 15th.
Presenters should be available to discuss their posters at the event during the poster session (time TBD)
Oral Presentation
Presentations are scheduled for a 15 minute block (10-12 minute presentation with an additional 3-5 minutes for a question-and-answer period).
Sessions will be moderated and the time limit enforced.
Computers attached to digital projectors will be equipped with USB ports for flash drives. It is best to have multiple copies of your presentation saved in the cloud and on physical media. All rooms will be equipped with a computer, projector, and screen.
If additional equipment, including audio, is needed, please indicate this when you submit your abstract.
Join SAWW (Safety and Woods Worker) trainer Luke Saunders (Forester with Blue Heron Stewardship LLC) for a hands-on training in chainsaw use, maintenance, and technique. Spend time both outside and in the classroom, practicing how to operate chainsaws safely, comfortably, and productively.
This class is part one of a four level series through the Safety and Woods Working training program (SAWW). Topics include: personal protective equipment (PPE); body mechanics; chainsaw safety features; the chain and the cutter tooth; reactive forces; planning and executing tree felling, limbing, and bucking; introductory bore cutting and open-face felling. Hands-on training gives participants the opportunity to fell at least one tree. Participants are encouraged to bring your own equipment and lunch. Helmets are mandatory.
Ages 18+ | Member: $200 | Non-member Adult: $210
Pre-registration is required by May 4 at 11:59 pm.
Follow the instructions using the button below to login to your member account for member discounts on programs and events. You can use this login to check your membership status, see your expiration date, and renew your membership as well.
If you don’t see the member price after logging in, need help checking your membership status, or you are unsure what email address we have on file, please reach out to our Membership Manager, Renee Buchholz at rbuchholz@riveredge.us or call the Riveredge office at 262-375-2715.
6:30 am – 1:00 pm | Birdathon: meet at 6:30 am | Bandathon: stop by anytime Open to everyone ages 5+ | Children must be accompanied by an adult See below for details | No registration necessary
Birdathon – How many species will be singing and displaying on the Riveredge Nature Center property during the peak of spring migration? The Noel J. Cutright Bird Club invites new and veteran birders to spend the day searching for as many birds as possible. We’ll multiply those results (averaging about 100 species) by collecting donations to support bird related causes. If you want to join one of our birding teams, show up by 6:30 a.m. in the visitor center parking lot where the property will be divvied up and teams will set off. Want to show up at 4 a.m. for owling and the dawn chorus? Email Carl Schwartz at cschwartz3@wi.rr.com to get details.
The Riveredge Bandathon will be held on the same day. It starts at the Riveredge west parking lot. Working out of Connie’s Classroom, licensed Master Bander Jana Gedymin, along with a team of skilled volunteers, will be banding as many birds as possible from sunrise into the afternoon, weather permitting . Last year, 35 birds were banded representing 13 different species. Highlights included a Blackburnian Warbler in stunning spring plumage and a Baltimore Oriole that sang in-hand. Visitors will have the opportunity to observe songbird capture and banding techniques up close and learn more about the fascinating science behind bird banding. Feel free to stop by anytime —but remember, “early birds get the worms!” If you have questions, contact Jana Gedymin at jgedymin@riveredge.us.
Also: a special opportunity to observe hummingbird banding will be available at the Visitor Center from 8:00 am – 11:00 am!
questions?
If you have questions or need more information about the Birdathon & Bandathon, please contact Jana Gedymin at jgedymin@riveredge.us.
Water Quality Training co-sponsored with Milwaukee Riverkeeper®
Milwaukee Riverkeeper® and Riveredge staff will join forces to conduct this one-day training on how to assess the water quality of a nearby stream or river. You’ll find out how to identify aquatic invertebrates and do five water quality tests. Monitors are asked to conduct tests monthly during the summer and submit their data to the statewide Water Action Volunteers website.
Dr. Jeff Karron’s talk features striking slow-motion videography to highlight the interdependence of bumble bee queens and spring-flowering perennial plants. Early-blooming native perennials provide the essential food resources queens need to survive, establish nests, and successfully raise their first brood. In turn, many spring flowering plants depend heavily on bumble bees for effective pollination and seed production. All video and photography featured in this presentation were filmed in high-quality woodland and prairie sites across southeastern Wisconsin. The talk highlights the importance of conserving and restoring early-season floral resources to sustain bumble bee populations. Dr. Karron is Professor of Biology emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is internationally known for his research on the ecology of plant-pollinator interactions, bumble bee behavior, and the conservation of endangered plants. For more information about his research, please visit his website: www.karronlab.com. Co-sponsored by the UWM Field Station & Friends of the Cedarburg Bog.
This program is free to attend.
Please register on the Friends of the Cedarburg Bog event page.
Science Thursday: The Cedarburg Bog – State Natural Area #2 at Riveredge and on Zoom
The Cedarburg Bog was named state natural area #2 in Wisconsin by conservationist Aldo Leopold in 1952 to protect its unique natural landscapes. Dr. Jim Reinartz, president of the Friends of the Cedarburg Bog and former UWM Field Station director will share with you why this designation reflects the Bog’s outstanding ecological importance. It’s the state’s largest and one of the rarest patterned “string bog” which are typically found much further north. It contains southern boreal forest species and provides vital habitat for diverse wildlife. It is home to many plant and animal species that are at or near the southern extent of their range in Wisconsin, including specific birds, orchids, and insects.
This program is offered in-person at Riveredge and virtually on Zoom.
Science Thursday Lectures are always free! | Designed for ages 18+
Pre-registration is not required, but highly recommended for the In-Person option. No registration necessary for those joining on Zoom.
