Events Calendar

April 4, 2023 - 10:30am - 11:30am

June 11 - Bugs

2023 Summer Session (June 6-August 29): Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am
2023 Fall Session (September 5-December 19:) Select Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am

Tuesdays in the Garden, designed for children aged 1-3, provides a nurturing environment where children’s curiosity and wonder are extended through play and exploration, and children and their caregivers learn and discover side-by-side. Join art educators Claudia Orjuela and Denice Niebuhr for hands-on art making and all-senses-engaged exploration of the outdoor world at Lynden. We’ll consider different themes, each designed to connect Lynden’s environment with children’s interests. We will encourage experimentation and the manipulation of art and natural materials to tell stories, solve problems, and develop relationships.

Fee: $16/$12 members for one adult and one child.
Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration does not guarantee admission. Once we receive your completed registration form, we will follow up via e-mail with an invoice for payment – or a notification that you've been added to the waitlist – and a confirmation after payment is received. Register online now.

To view a list of the session themes, click here.

April 8, 2023 - 8:00pm - 9:30pm

IMG_0837

A Walk with Claudia Orjuela

Sessions:
Friday, January 6, 2023, 7-8:30 pm, Full Wolf Moon
Saturday, February 4, 2023, 7-8:30 pm, Full Snow Moon
Saturday, March 4, 2023, 7:30-9 pm, Full Worm Moon
Saturday, April 8, 2023, 8-9:30 pm, Full Pink Moon - Online registration closed. Register by phone at 414-446-8794.
Friday, May 5, 2023, 8-9:30 pm, Full Flower Moon

Fee: $10 per session/$5 per session for Lynden members. Children under 6 are free.
Registration: Space is limited; advance registration required. Register online or by phone at 414-446-8794. We will make a final decision about running each moon walk after checking the forecast on the morning of the walk. High winds, extreme temperatures, and precipitation beyond a light drizzle will lead to the cancellation of a walk. If we cancel a walk due to weather conditions, you will receive a full refund.

Come walk Lynden's grounds with educator Claudia Orjuela, who will introduce you to the mysteries and unique features of outdoor life after dark. Discover the sights and sounds of the night in Lynden’s back acres and observe our monumental sculptures beneath the light of the moon. A bonfire and treats await at the end.

April 9, 2023 - 10:00am - 5:00pm

The garden will be closed on Sunday, April 9, 2023. Normal visiting hours resume Monday, April 10, 2023.

April 11, 2023 - 10:30am - 11:30am

June 11 - Bugs

2023 Summer Session (June 6-August 29): Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am
2023 Fall Session (September 5-December 19:) Select Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am

Tuesdays in the Garden, designed for children aged 1-3, provides a nurturing environment where children’s curiosity and wonder are extended through play and exploration, and children and their caregivers learn and discover side-by-side. Join art educators Claudia Orjuela and Denice Niebuhr for hands-on art making and all-senses-engaged exploration of the outdoor world at Lynden. We’ll consider different themes, each designed to connect Lynden’s environment with children’s interests. We will encourage experimentation and the manipulation of art and natural materials to tell stories, solve problems, and develop relationships.

Fee: $16/$12 members for one adult and one child.
Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration does not guarantee admission. Once we receive your completed registration form, we will follow up via e-mail with an invoice for payment – or a notification that you've been added to the waitlist – and a confirmation after payment is received. Register online now.

To view a list of the session themes, click here.

April 15, 2023 - 10:00am - 4:00pm

Photo: Molly Rosenblum/Sam LaStrapes/Kodah

Visitors must adhere to our social distance walking visitor guidelines.

Bring your canine friends for an afternoon of romping in the garden.

April 16, 2023 - 8:30am - 10:00am

Photo: Sarah Zimmerman

Fee: $10/$5 members. Space is limited; advance registration required. Click here to register. Please note: online registration closes for each session the Friday before. You can register by phone at 414-446-8794 or in person day-of.

Join birder Chuck Stebelton the second Sunday (usually) of each month for a small-group, socially distanced bird walk on the grounds. Keeping to the perimeter of the garden, we’ll watch for seasonal migrants and resident bird species and seek out the best bird habitats to identify as many species as we can. Please dress for the weather and plan to walk in varied terrain. Bring your binoculars if you have them; no previous birding experience required. In the winter months (January-March), the walk begins at 10 am. In the spring, the walk begins at 8:30 am.

About the Artist

Chuck Stebelton is author of An Apostle Island (Oxeye Press, forthcoming) and two previous full-length collections of poetry. As a birder and Wisconsin Master Naturalist volunteer he has offered interpretive hikes for conservancy groups and arts organizations including Friends of Cedarburg Bog, Milwaukee Audubon Society, Woodland Pattern Book Center, Friends of Lorine Niedecker, and the Lynden Sculpture Garden. He edits Partly Press for Lynden Sculpture Garden and is currently a participant in Lynden's residency program.

April 18, 2023 - 10:30am - 11:30am

June 11 - Bugs

2023 Summer Session (June 6-August 29): Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am
2023 Fall Session (September 5-December 19:) Select Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am

Tuesdays in the Garden, designed for children aged 1-3, provides a nurturing environment where children’s curiosity and wonder are extended through play and exploration, and children and their caregivers learn and discover side-by-side. Join art educators Claudia Orjuela and Denice Niebuhr for hands-on art making and all-senses-engaged exploration of the outdoor world at Lynden. We’ll consider different themes, each designed to connect Lynden’s environment with children’s interests. We will encourage experimentation and the manipulation of art and natural materials to tell stories, solve problems, and develop relationships.

Fee: $16/$12 members for one adult and one child.
Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration does not guarantee admission. Once we receive your completed registration form, we will follow up via e-mail with an invoice for payment – or a notification that you've been added to the waitlist – and a confirmation after payment is received. Register online now.

To view a list of the session themes, click here.

April 19, 2023 - 10:30am - 11:00am

Lynden-ClaudiaOrjuela-HOMEStorytime

FREE
This is a virtual event.

HOME Multilingual Story Time features children’s books written or illustrated by authors, illustrators, and artists who have faced forced displacement as refugees, asylum seekers, or immigrants, and come from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. Designed for children aged 4-8, we believe that reading picture books is a way to share and discuss big ideas with young children. Scheduled to screen every third Wednesday of the month, HOME Story Time is a collaboration with Wisconsin for Ukraine, the Milwaukee Public Library, the Islamic Resource Center, Hanan Refugee Relief Group, Alliance Française de Milwaukee, Milwaukee African Women's Association, and UWM Libraries. Videos remain on view once they are posted.

Schedule, Recordings, and Activities

January 18: Кузини Назавжди/Cousins Forever, written by Elisavet Arkolaki, and illustrated by Charikleia Arkolaki, read in Ukrainian and English by Halyna Salapata from Wisconsin for Ukraine. View the recording here.
February 15: Pelo Malo No Existe/Bad Hair Does Not Exist, written by Sulma Arzu-Brown and illustrated by Isidra Sabio, read in Spanish and English by Letty Nyamatutu. View the recording here.
March 15: The Lion Who Saw Himself in the Water, written by Idries Shah, and illustrated by Ingrid Rodriguez, read in Dari and English by Khojesta Faizi. View the recording here.
April 19: Sirenas/Julian is a Mermaid, written and illustrated by Jessica Love, read in Spanish and English by CK Ledesma from PEAK Initiative. View the recording here.
May 17: قشنگ‌ترین رویای من / My Most Beautiful Dream, written by Ulrich Renz, and illustrated by Cornelia Haas, with translators Bahar Talai, Sefa Agnew, and Sadegh Bahrami, read in Dari by Khatera Nazari, and English by Tiffany Thornton from UWM Libraries. View the recording here.
November 15: що змінила Рондо/How War Changed Rondo, written by Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv, read in Ukranian and English by Karina Tweedell from our partner organization Wisconsin Ukrainians. View the recording here.
December 20 Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey, written by Margriet Ruurs with artwork by Nizar Ali Badr, read in Arabic by Samaher Aldaye and in English by Claudia Orjuela. Archival recording.

Access prior HOME Story Time videos and activities here.

April 20, 2023 - 7:00pm - 8:00pm

January-May: Reyna Grande's The Distance Between Us. Click here for more information.
June-September: Saeed Teebi's Her First Palestinian. Click here for more information.
October-December: Beth Nguyen's Owner Of A Lonely Heart: A Memoir. Click here for more information.

Fee: Free.
Registration: This discussion takes place via Zoom; advance registration required. Click here to register.

The Lynden/HOME Refugee Steering Committee book discussion group, moderated by Lynden’s Kim Khaira, is for those interested in firsthand accounts of displacement. We consider works of non-fiction and fiction, including autobiographical and semi-autobiographical works, by writers who have faced or are facing forced displacement as refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants. Where stories of persecution, historical trauma, and loss of livelihood are effortlessly conveyed by storytellers, journalists, and humanitarians who search out or stumble upon the lives of refugees, we seek out the words of those to whom these stories belong: the narrators who are the closest to their own stories, and the stories of their people, friends, family and, of course, refugees. Newcomers always welcome!

April 25, 2023 - 10:00am - 12:00pm

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Fee: Free.
Registration: Advance registration required. Click here to register online. Work days are weather dependent.

Join the Lynden land team—Kyle Welna, Alyx Christensen, and Annalesa Albright--for a volunteer work day on the grounds. The Lynden Sculpture Garden is transforming its natural habitats and formal landscapes into sustainable and diverse ecosystems that highlight the natural beauty inherent in them. The Lynden's goal is to steward healthy habitats for an array of native plants and wildlife while adding a vibrant mosaic of color and texture to this sculptural landscape through every season.

With over 40 acres and more than half a dozen specialized garden spaces, the Lynden provides many volunteer and learning opportunities, from removing invasive species to planting new trees and plugs, weeding, pruning, collecting, and spreading seeds. If you or someone you know has a few hours or are looking for regular, ongoing volunteer work that keeps you outside, you are welcome to join us. With a small land staff, volunteer help is essential to the evolution and restoration of the Lynden grounds.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring their favorite gardening gloves and digging tools (if you have them)! Water, snacks, and additional tools will be provided.

Schedule

April 25, 10 am-12 pm
In April, we will assist artist-in-residence Kim Khaira with spring cleanup in her tinctorial garden (a garden of plants that can be used in natural dyeing). Work alongside Khaira and the land team to remove invasive species--from burdock to buckthorn. Khaira will introduce the native plants she has chosen for the garden and talk about their many uses beyond their role in natural dyes.

May 23, 10 am-12 pm
Lynden’s two forested ravines are treasures: shady oases in the summer, home to many species of tree and plant life. Unfortunately, some of the older transplants are crowding out native species. In May, we will be removing daylilies from the upper ravine and learning about how to replace this fast-spreading plant with other, pollinator-friendly options.

June 27, 10 am-12 pm
Now that the fragrant lilac bloom has ended, it's time to prune all the dried-up buds. Pruning spent lilac buds helps promote the growth of more flowers next year. Spend a couple of hours in the formal gardens with us sprucing up the lilacs and learning about blending native and non-native plants to enhance the beauty and pollinator value of the aesthetic gardens here at the Lynden.

July 25, 10 am-12 pm
Upon your arrival at the Lynden Sculpture Garden, you are greeted by a picturesque waterfall and formally landscaped hill, home to an array of unique shade-loving perennial species, evergreens, and shrubs. Waterfall Hill has undergone many changes as we work to incorporate this small ecology into the larger Lynden landscape and to create a design that serves as an introduction to the tranquillity and the excitement that unfolds across the grounds. One month into summer, we are knee-deep in peak growing season and could use your help keeping Waterfall Hill tidy.

August 29, 10 am-12 pm
On the western edge of Lynden’s formal gardens, leading up to and embracing The Bremen Town Musicians, is our annual display garden. This traditionally styled garden plays with symmetry, structure, and color using annually grown plant species—species that don’t survive the Wisconsin winter--and it changes each year. Annuals play an important role in feeding pollinating insects because they bloom throughout the growing season. This is also a garden that accentuates a sculptural focal point, making an impact on visitors. In addition to acknowledging that flowers play an important role in pollination and visual engagement, we also like to understand and encourage the many functional uses of the plant communities we engage with. As we weed, prune, and deadhead the annual garden, we will be collecting the plant detritus to create floral teas or bath soaks to take home.

September 26, 10 am-12 pm
The stone path leading up to the patio is nestled between an evolving native shade garden and a sprawling beech tree that is more than 100 years old. In September, we will be removing thistles and dandelions and sprucing up this welcoming walkway. We will also let you in on our new plans for this area. While standing under such majestic trees as the beech or the neighboring elms is always awe-inspiring, over time our steps have been compressing soil and root structures, leaving little space for them to breathe. In 2024 we plan to extend the walkway garden to encircle the beech tree. This will minimize traffic under the tree, and adding plants will help support the beech tree's roots by regulating water availability and giving the soil a chance to recover through herbaceous plant root development. Not to mention adding plant diversity for the other living species we host at the Lynden. It will be a healthier and more beautiful environment for all, and we look forward to including you in that growth next season.

October 24, 10 am-12 pm
In October, we prepare the formal gardens for winter: a final round of pulling thistles and dandelions, pruning trees and shrubs, and responding to the ways plants have evolved, spread, or struggled in their current locations. The majority of the dormant plants will stay in place throughout the season, or as long as possible. The hollow stems benefit overwintering insects, seed heads provide food for birds, the plant skeletons house garden critters, and we are able to enjoy some extra color in winter’s palette. We will also sow the annual bed with a cover crop of rye, oats, peas, and radish to reintroduce nutrients, protect the soil from harsh winter winds, and avoid compaction by encouraging root growth. Join us on what is sure to be a beautiful day in the gardens.

November 14, 10 am-12 pm
In November, we shield the soil from the harsh winter conditions by spreading fallen leaves and tucking in all the bare spots within the gardens. This leaf mulch—which we will till into the ground next spring before planting--will protect the top layers of soil, reintroduce nutrients, and boost fertility for next season’s barrage of flowers. Join us for one last garden work day as we say goodnight to the gardens until spring, jump in crisp piles of leaves, and enjoy the musty scents of autumn.

April 25, 2023 - 10:30am - 11:30am

June 11 - Bugs

2023 Summer Session (June 6-August 29): Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am
2023 Fall Session (September 5-December 19:) Select Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am

Tuesdays in the Garden, designed for children aged 1-3, provides a nurturing environment where children’s curiosity and wonder are extended through play and exploration, and children and their caregivers learn and discover side-by-side. Join art educators Claudia Orjuela and Denice Niebuhr for hands-on art making and all-senses-engaged exploration of the outdoor world at Lynden. We’ll consider different themes, each designed to connect Lynden’s environment with children’s interests. We will encourage experimentation and the manipulation of art and natural materials to tell stories, solve problems, and develop relationships.

Fee: $16/$12 members for one adult and one child.
Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration does not guarantee admission. Once we receive your completed registration form, we will follow up via e-mail with an invoice for payment – or a notification that you've been added to the waitlist – and a confirmation after payment is received. Register online now.

To view a list of the session themes, click here.

April 27, 2023 - 10:00am - 12:00pm

IMG_1717

Fee: Free.
Registration: Advance registration required. Click here to register online. Work days are weather dependent.

Join the Lynden land team—Kyle Welna, Alyx Christensen, and Annalesa Albright--for a volunteer work day on the grounds. The Lynden Sculpture Garden is transforming its natural habitats and formal landscapes into sustainable and diverse ecosystems that highlight the natural beauty inherent in them. The Lynden's goal is to steward healthy habitats for an array of native plants and wildlife while adding a vibrant mosaic of color and texture to this sculptural landscape through every season.

With over 40 acres and more than half a dozen specialized garden spaces, the Lynden provides many volunteer and learning opportunities, from removing invasive species to planting new trees and plugs, weeding, pruning, collecting, and spreading seeds. If you or someone you know has a few hours or are looking for regular, ongoing volunteer work that keeps you outside, you are welcome to join us. With a small land staff, volunteer help is essential to the evolution and restoration of the Lynden grounds.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring their favorite gardening gloves and digging tools (if you have them)! Water, snacks, and additional tools will be provided.

Schedule

April 27, 10 am-12 pm
In April, help us control invasive garlic mustard within the forested ravine. Learn about invasive species control and leave with a handful of garlic mustard and a recipe for Garlic Mustard Pesto as a thank you for your time.

May 25, 10 am-12 pm
In May, we are back in the ravine to control garlic mustard and the now-blooming dame’s rocket. As we move through the season, we will be tracking different species of plants as they pop up around the grounds. Catching these plants at the correct time will help prevent them from seeding and spreading next year. While we may not want dame’s rocket in our landscapes, the leaves are edible; some compare them to a "sweeter arugula" (also known as rocket) or spinach.

June 29, 10 am-12 pm
In June, we're on the lookout for white sweet clover in Lynden's prairies and savannas. This clover tends to outgrow ecologically significant species, shading out the sun-loving plants we are working to cultivate in these microhabitats. While sweet clover is not so desirable in the landscape, it can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable or dried and used for vanilla flavoring in sweets and tea.

July 27, 10 am-12 pm
In July, we're still on the lookout for white sweet clover in Lynden's prairies and savannas. This clover tends to outgrow ecologically significant species, shading out the sun-loving plants we are working to cultivate in these microhabitats. While sweet clover is not so desirable in the landscape, it can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable or dried and used for vanilla flavoring in sweets and tea. We will also be watching for wild oregano, particularly in and around the labyrinth. Help us remove this vigorously spreading but pleasantly pungent plant to make way for native Wisconsin prairie. While we prefer to not keep this oregano in our natural areas, it can be a good companion in the form of fresh tea or when dried and used as a spice. Wild oregano is also thought to have some properties that are beneficial to human health.

August 31, 10 am-12 pm
In 2019, artist Jenna Knapp and the Lynden land team created a five-circuit walking labyrinth, 69 feet in diameter. Thoughtfully “nestled away from Lynden’s formal lawn, this labyrinth is carved into the tall grasses of the native prairie and evolves with the seasons, peaking in the early fall when the field is bright with goldenrod." In
August, we will spend some reflective time in Lynden’s labyrinth while also encouraging the native prairie plants to fill out by removing competitors like wild oregano, Queen Anne’s lace, Shasta/oxeye daisies, turf grass, and smooth bromegrass.

September 28, 10 am-12 pm
Lynden’s back areas are not open to the public, but they are home to heritage oaks and other unique tree species, ephemeral and native herbaceous species, and many land restoration projects. In September, we will take you behind the scenes to clear paths to ensure that staff can continue to traverse these landscapes, tending to projects and plant life.

October 28, 10 am-12 pm
October is for seed collecting and dispersing in our prairie areas. We use many tools to revitalize these areas and encourage high plant diversity--controlled burns, the ever-popular goat visits—and seed collection is one more step we take to encourage these plants to spread and outgrow unfavorable plant species, leading to a high-quality, rich prairie ecosystem. Come learn about our restoration projects and take a few seeds home for your backyard garden.

November 16, 10 am-12 pm
Winter is a critical time for managing buckthorn, one of the most persistent and prolific plant species that competes against diverse plant ecosystems. Buckthorn has characteristics that allow it to outcompete other plant species; it grows and matures much faster than other plants and rapidly colonizes, leaving little time or room for the growth of anything else. In November, we will be on the eastern side of the grounds, tending the understory of our, within the understory of our paper birch island by manually removing buckthorn using the “cut-stump” method. This will clear the area and relieve competition for future native plantings.

April 29, 2023 - 10:00am - 4:00pm

We will celebrate International Sculpture Day on April 29. Details to follow.


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