Elevando, Wisconsin: Reaching new audiences to develop community leaders

Jorge Islas-Martinez immigrated to the United States more than 25 years ago. Today, he is well-known in the Whitewater community where he works as a bilingual liaison for the school district and volunteers with several organizations. One of his most recognized contributions, he started teaching English as a second language and is still running that […]

UW-Extension Hosts Summer Academy to help youth plan their futures

In June, 13 Dane County youth, along with youth from across Wisconsin, gathered at the UW-Madison campus for the annual Summer Academy event, hosted by UW-Madison Extension’s Positive Youth Development Institute and 4-H. At Summer Academy, youth had the opportunity to build and learn skills to reach goals and plan for the future. Through interactive […]

Canning Season in Dane County

Autumn is just around the corner, which means for many residents of Dane County, it’s the season to start thinking about preserving those fruits and veggies! That makes now a good time to remind everyone about the resources we can provide about Food Safety and Preservation. The Dane County UW Extension also provides pressure canner […]

Natives and Nativars

‘Native’ is a bit of a slippery term, though you hear it used on a regular basis in reference to plants. But the question is, “Native in reference to where?”. When talking about ‘native’ plants, someone might be referring to a U.S. native or East coast native, but not necessarily a Midwest native or Wisconsin […]

It’s June in the Teaching Garden

This year, unlike last year, we have certainly not had to worry about watering! Everything is huge and luxuriant (unfortunately, this includes mosquitoes in the evening). So many things are flowering that I had trouble choosing what to cover. I decided that I would focus on ‘daisies’ since we have several cultivars (this word is […]

It’s Spring in the Teaching Garden!

It’s a great time of year. Bulbs, native spring wildflowers and various trees and shrubs are all blooming! Here are some of the highlights over the past three to four weeks. Bulbs: We have a couple of late-season daffodils still blooming. ‘Palmares’ is a member of Division 11 of the Narcissus genus. That division has […]

Return to Winter (Briefly)

If you are feeling a bit of weather whiplash, you are not alone. Some plants have leafed out or are blooming a few weeks earlier than usual due to the record-breaking warm weather in February and early March. Now, Mother Nature as she often does, is doing a bit of a course correction and we […]

It’s Time to Start Seeds – Check Out Our Seed Starting Workshop!

The 3rd-4th week in March is a great time to start seeds in the southern half of the state. We are holding a seed starting workshop this Saturday at the Dane County Extension office. This in-person event begins with a lecture on seed starting techniques and principles followed by a hands-on session in the Dane County Extension Teaching Garden Greenhouse where attendees can practice planting seeds and will take home some seeds in packs that they have planted. There are still spaces left if you’d like to come.

Check Your Ash Trees for Signs of Emerald Ash Borer This Winter

Woodpecker flecking on ash bark Photo credit Lisa Johnson Woodpecker Flecking on Ash Photo credit Wisconsin DNR Even before humans are able to detect signs of emerald ash borer in ash trees, woodpeckers know the larvae are there, feeding just under the tree’s bark. Woodpecker damage, called “flecking,” occurs when birds peck away the top […]

Now Available! 2024 Dane County Plat Book

The book now offers detailed information about county roads, large land ownership, parks, and outdoor recreation opportunities. It also shows the locations of Dane County parks, publicly owned lands, churches, schools, cemeteries and municipal halls. Other unique features of the book include aerial photos of jurisdictions. This plat book was created entirely in-house, helping to reduce production […]

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