Mayfly. Bladderwort. Freshwater Drum. No, these aren’t names of some obscure band headed to town, they’re the names of some of the many plants, animals and insects that call Madison’s lakes home. And, on Friday, June 23rd – from 2 to 6pm – you’re invited to come down to Hasler Lab to meet them!
That’s right, summer is fast approaching and that means the 6th-annual Open House at the Center for Limnology’s Hasler Lab is right around the corner. If you live in the Madison area or will have guests from out of town, this free event offers guests of all ages a chance to:
- Ask aquatic scientists about the waters of Wisconsin and the world.
- Meet some of the plants and animals living in our lakes.
- Hunt for aquatic “bugs” and get an up-close look at them under our microscopes.
- Get a hands-on introduction to the marvelous diversity of Wisconsin’s aquatic plants.
- Take a ride on our research boat and try using some limnological tools to take samples.*
- Enjoy free Babcock Dairy ice cream.**
- Learn a little more about Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers and streams!
Beginning at 2pm, the doors to Hasler Lab will open and visitors can stop at several stations featuring current research, lake science demonstrations and examples of all sorts of fishes, insects, plants and plankton living in our lakes.
The event is free and open (rain or shine) to the public. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon for kids, parents and grandparents alike. There will even be a chance to meet Wisconsin’s most famous mascot – Bucky Badger!
Hasler Lab is located at the start of the Lakeshore Nature path at 680 N. Park St. Parking is available at the State Street Campus Parking Garage – 415 N. Lake Street – or some limited public parking is available under Helen C. White library – 600 N. Park St. NOTE: there is no public parking available in our small lot next to the lab.
Questions? E-mail hinterthuer (at) wisc (dot) edu.
*Boat rides limited and tickets for each outing available on a first-come, first-served basis.
**Ice cream is free until we run out!
Top Photo: Bucky Badger checks out the Hasler Lab pier during the 2014 Open House. Photo: A. Hinterthuer