and Events
Spring 2013 Events
Big Year at Crex
Go to Bird Updates for more information
Pancake Breakfast Mess Hall Fundraiser
Saturday, May 4
7-11 a.m.
At the Mess Hall across the lawn (East) from the Visitor Center
Help us raise money for a new and improved Mess Hall at Crex Meadows! Enjoy a pancake breakfast with a local unique ingredient! Free will donations. Breakfast is served beginning at 7 a.m. (and a bird tour will depart at 8 a.m.)
Spring Bird Tours
Saturday, April 27; May 4; May 11
8 - 10 a.m.
Meet at Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
Join expert birders as they explore the wetlands and prairies for spring migrants and returning birds. Carpool from the Education & Visitor Center. Please pre-register. Cost is $5/person. First 10 reservations may have a space in the van with a guide.
Butterfly Treks with Dean Hanson (not a Crex-sponsored program)
Saturdays, May 11 and May 18
9am to mid-afternoon
Meet at Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
Join local butterfly enthusiast Dean Hansen for a day-long guided tour of many of his favorite sites in northwest Wisconsin’s pine barrens looking for elfins, blues, dusky-wing skippers, the elusive Chryxus Arctic, and other species of butterflies, many of which are in flight for just a few weeks in the spring.
These treks depart from the Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center at 9am, and hit a couple sites at Crex. You'll then proceed to another large wildlife area just southwest of Danbury. After this stop, there will be places to check east of Danbury along Highway 77 and, just to the north, Springbrook Trail. These sites have good stands of lupine, bearberry, blueberry, a small cress, blooming juneberry and cherry shrubs, and other plants that are either host plants for butterfly larvae or nectar sources for the adult spring butterflies. We’ll end up in the Namekagon Barrens at the far northeast corner of Burnett County, checking for hoary elfins on bearberry. All stops will be close to the road and will not require walking through rough terrain.
To sign up for these programs, please contact:
May 11 trip: Wisconsin Natural Resources Foundation at <http://www.wisconservation.org/> - their site indicates that this trip is full, but you can sign up for their waiting list.
May 18 trip: Contact Dean Hanson directly at hanse112@umn.edu <hanse112@umn.edu>. There is no cost for this trip, but you must register as Dean will limit numbers to make the trek more valuable to those who attend.
Spring Ephemeral Wildflower Walk
Saturday, May 11
1 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Meet at Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
Venture into the Governor Knowles State Forest in search of spring ephemeral wildflowers, including trout lily, hepatica, trillium, wild ginger, and more. Car-pool to Paint Mine Road from Crex Meadows Wildlife Education and Visitor Center. Free program. No pre-registration required.
Songbird Banding
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Many birds migrate through Crex Meadows each spring and fall. Join expert birder, Bruce Bacon, as he demonstrates and bands songbirds. He will demonstrate different methods used to capture birds for banding and the different bands used. Mist nets will be used to capture and then band songbirds. Participants will be able to hold, release, and photography birds! This will be a special experience for all involved!
Space limited;
reservations required;
Cost $8 adults, $5
children (under 12) to help offset banding expenses; lunch
not provided. Please bring your own sack lunch.
Please call 715-463-2739 for
more information and registration
THIS PROGAM IS FULL but you can sign up for our waiting list.
part of the 2013 Workshop series
Wildlife Experience Weekend
Saturday, May 18
5 p.m. Talk & Tour
Explore the wildlife area with expert birders. Investigate the mysteries of wildlife at Crex Meadows in the auditorium followed by evening birding tour. No size limit, free program and tour
Sunday, May 19
4 - 7 a.m. & 7-10 a.m. Tours
Early risers will enjoy an excursion into the marshes in search of marsh birds (4-7 a.m.) Or sleep in a bit for a tour from 7-10 a.m. searching for spring migrants and returning resident birds.
4 a.m. Tour: Cost: $10, space is limited, please pre-register
7 a.m. Tour: Cost $5, please pre-register
Bunkhouses are available for
participants who wish to stay on the property overnight $10/person. Must
pre-register
Wildflower Walk - Lupines
Saturday, June 1
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Meet at Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
Venture into Crex Meadows in search of Lupine and other early summer wildflowers. Car-pool from Crex Meadows Wildlife Education and Visitor Center. Free program. No pre-registration required.
Becoming an Outdoor Family - Camping
Wednesday, June 5
5-6:30 p.m
Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
For those who want to learn outdoor skills with their families, Crex Meadows Wildlife Area is offering a three month summer program. Becoming an Outdoor Family provides an unrivaled experience every other Wednesday throughout the summer. We invite you to "unplug" from your day-to-day routine and go outdoors to reconnect with nature.
The topic this week is camping!
Moth Capture Field Study
Friday, June 7
9:30 a.m. - 1 a.m
Join Friends of Crex member Rich Peet as he captures moths for study at the Dike 6 parking lot off of County Road F from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Rich sets up a white screen with a special light to attract moths. This is an excellent opportunity to see sphinx moths and large silk moths such as IO's, Cecropias and Polyphemus, as well as a good probability of a Luna! Rich will be set up east of the Dike 6 parking lot near the boat launch. Call for specific directions. Free program. Bring your bug spray, refreshments, your camera, and a comfy chair.
Nature's Little Explorers
Tuesdays
June 11 through August 20
10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
Nature's Little Explorers (NLE) at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area offers kids ages 2-6 a chance to discover nature through stories, songs, hands-on activities, hikes, and crafts. NLE is a free, no regirstation, no-obligation program that encourages families to get out and enjoy nature. Call for more details.
June 11, 18, 25, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, August 6, 13, 20
Becoming an Outdoor Family - Introduction To Trapping
Wednesday, June 19
5-6:30 p.m
Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
For those who want to learn outdoor skills with their families, Crex Meadows Wildlife Area is offering a three month summer program. Becoming an Outdoor Family provides an unrivaled experience every other Wednesday throughout the summer. We invite you to "unplug" from your day-to-day routine and go outdoors to reconnect with nature.
The topic this week is an Introduction Into Trapping!
Wildflower Walk - Bog flowers
Saturday, June 22
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Meet at Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
Venture into Crex Meadows in search of summer bog flowers. Car-pool from Crex Meadows Wildlife Education and Visitor Center. You may get your feet wet, so bring along knee waders. Free program. No pre-registration required.
Outdoor Skills Camp
Monday, June 24 through Friday, June 28
4 - 5:30 p.m.
At the Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
The WDNR is featuring an Outdoor Skills Camp for boys and girls ages 11 – 15. Outdoor Skills Camp offers a unique opportunity to learn science and conservation through hands-on activities. Our attendees spend a week participating in a series of programs: Tracks & Traces, Outdoor Survival, Orienteering, Archery, Forestry.
The program runs from June 24 – June 28, 2013 4 – 5:30 p.m. Pre- registration is required.
Becoming an Outdoor Family - Lost In The Woods
Wednesday, July 10
5-6:30 p.m
Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
For those who want to learn outdoor skills with their families, Crex Meadows Wildlife Area is offering a three month summer program. Becoming an Outdoor Family provides an unrivaled experience every other Wednesday throughout the summer. We invite you to "unplug" from your day-to-day routine and go outdoors to reconnect with nature.
The topic this week is Lost in the Woods!
Wildflower Walk - Plants in the Prairie Gardens
Saturday, July 20
10 a.m. to Noon
Meet at Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
Explore the prairie gardens at the Crex Meadows Wildlife Education and Visitor Center with our resident gardener, Alan Roelfs. Learn about propagating and caring for prairie plants. This is an easy walk along handicapped-accessible trails. Free program. No pre-registration required.
Becoming an Outdoor Family - Waterfowl Skills Clinic
Wednesday, July 24
5-6:30 p.m
Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
For those who want to learn outdoor skills with their families, Crex Meadows Wildlife Area is offering a three month summer program. Becoming an Outdoor Family provides an unrivaled experience every other Wednesday throughout the summer. We invite you to "unplug" from your day-to-day routine and go outdoors to reconnect with nature.
The topic this week is Waterfowl Skills Clinic
Becoming an Outdoor Family - Archery/Bow Hunting/Deer
Wednesday, August 14
5-6:30 p.m
Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
For those who want to learn outdoor skills with their families, Crex Meadows Wildlife Area is offering a three month summer program. Becoming an Outdoor Family provides an unrivaled experience every other Wednesday throughout the summer. We invite you to "unplug" from your day-to-day routine and go outdoors to reconnect with nature.
The topic this week is Archery/Bow Hunting/Deer
Wildflower Walk - The Aster Family
Saturday, August 17
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Meet at Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
Venture into Crex Meadows in search of late-summer asters. Learn to identify the differences between similar plants. Car-pool from Crex Meadows Wildlife Education and Visitor Center. Free program. No pre-registration required.
Duck Banding
Saturday, August 17
Evening (Time TBD)
Meet at Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
Help DNR Biologists and Wildlife Technicians capture, band, and release local ducks! Participants will receive information and instruction prior to heading to the banding site. Fun for all ages! Children (under 16) must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at the Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center. Time to be determined once closer. Space is limited, please pre-register.
Becoming an Outdoor Family - Nature Hike
Wednesday, August 28
5-6:30 p.m
Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center
For those who want to learn outdoor skills with their families, Crex Meadows Wildlife Area is offering a three month summer program. Becoming an Outdoor Family provides an unrivaled experience every other Wednesday throughout the summer. We invite you to "unplug" from your day-to-day routine and go outdoors to reconnect with nature.
The topic this week is a Nature Hike
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***This website is brought to you by the Friends of Crex, a non-profit organization
dedicated to SUPPORTING WILDLIFE AND WILDLIFE EDUCATION at the crex meadows complex***
FRIENDS OF CREX, INC. 102 EAST CREX AVENUE, GRANTSBURG WISCONSIN 54840 (715) 463-2739 www.crexmeadows.org