Posts filed under ‘Winter Activities’
From warming hut to Prairie-style palace: Tenney Park Shelter
Story and photos by Di
ane Schwartz on Thursday 01/26/2012, Isthmus Newspaper
- The Tenney Park lagoon is frequently called Madison’s prettiest place to skate. Shaped like an uneven horseshoe, surrounded by trees and crossed by graceful arched bridges, it’s a setting reminiscent of a Currier and Ives painting. But until recently, the warming shelter was a dark and gloomy no-frills building built in 1958 and beginning to decay.
Now, the park has a shelter worthy of its status as a city of Madison Landmark and its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Completed in December after four years of planning and a $1 million fundraising effort, the building looks right at home. Officially named the John T. Wall Family Pavilion in honor of its largest donor, it was designed by Plunkett Raysich Architects of Madison and incorporates such Prairie-style elements as natural limestone and broad overhanging eaves, all to match the park’s design roots.
“We used the old bathroom on Marston at Sherman, now used for storage, as the inspiration for the building,” says Mary Lang Sollinger, chair of the Tenney Park Shelter Group.
Inside, the shelter has rustic charm. Skaters can lace up in a well-lit room with tall ceilings edged with wood beams and sip cocoa in front of a limestone fireplace, built from recycled limestone from the old shelter. Above the fireplace hangs a huge sepia-tone photo depicting a tranquil scene of suspender-clad boys fishing in the lagoon circa 1935.
Remarkably, the scene (sans the suspenders) and the feel of the park have changed little, despite 30,000-plus cars going by each day.
In 1899, the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association purchased the land with a $4,000 grant from Madison attorney Daniel K. Tenney. It was “intended to serve the families of working men and women who lived near the shops and factories on the isthmus,” according to the city’s parks website. The Association then hired Ossian Simonds, a nationally known landscape architect, who, along with Jens Jensen, created a distinct “prairie style” of landscaping, to design the park.
“The idea was to create naturalistic landscaping using native plants,” says Wisconsin Historical Society architectural historian Jim Draeger. “It’s very similar to what is done today.” In 1908, famed park planner John Nolen updated the design to better reflect the public’s growing demand for active forms of recreation. Some of the lagoon was drained to make room for a “broad meadow,” later home to baseball diamonds. Despite changes through the years, Simonds’ original design of lagoon and island remains.
The shelter’s inaugural season has not, so far, been a good one for skating. See cityofmadison.com/parks or call 608-266-4711 to check ice conditions.
All eyes on the eagles: Eagle Days 2012
Cashel Nelson, 8, looks through a scope at the eagle overlook in Prairie du Sac during Bald Eagle Watching Days 2010 while his friend from Madison's Goodman Community Center Qarly Haywood, 8, awaits her turn.By Jeremiah Tucker, Sauk Prairie Eagle.
Randy Jurewicz, a retired biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, helped organize the first official Eagle Watching Days in Sauk Prairie 25 years ago. The event, he said, grew out of a national census of eagles organized by the National Wildlife Federation.
“We tried to get volunteers to go out all over the state and look for bald eagles,” Jurewicz said. “Now, it’s pretty easy to get people to look for eagles where they’re pretty certain to see them and enjoy them.”
It was more difficult, he said, to persuade volunteers to traipse into regions where there were almost no eagles and confirm their absence for the official count.
“So we said, ‘You do this, and we’ll tell you what, the second Saturday of January in Sauk City, we’ll all get to see eagles together,’” Jurewicz said. “We were trying to entice these volunteers to go to these areas and report a few eagles, if any, and guarantee that by coming to Sauk City we’d show them some eagles and have hot chocolate and free spotting scopes.”
At the time, it was a well-kept secret that every winter when some Sauk Prairie residents decamped for warmer locales, other snowbirds arrived seeking the open water around the dam, the bluffs surrounding the Wisconsin River and the easy food available on the wide-open farming fields.
“The birding community knew about it,” Jurewicz said. “Bird watchers would know about it and they would share it, but the general public didn’t know about it, the public in Southeastern Wisconsin didn’t know about it and certainly not the people in Rockford and Chicago and other places where people are now coming to view it.”
For a few years, Jurewicz and some of his co-workers in the DNR continued to hold a small, informal eagle-watching event in Sauk Prairie. Once the Sauk Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce and the local conservation group Ferry Bluff Eagle Council signed on as co-sponsors, it became the community event Bald Eagle Watching Days.
This weekend is the 25th anniversary of the first Bald Eagle Watching Days. To mark the occasion Kay Roherty, the event’s chairwoman, said they’ll release a rehabilitated eagle into the wild in VFW Park, necessitating the closing of the boat ramp to accommodate the expected traffic.
“It’s been a few year since we’ve had a release,” Roherty said. “We brought that back for the 25th anniversary.”
Roherty, who has been chairwoman of the event for the last 10 years, said Bald Eagle Watching Days generally brings about 1,500 people into Sauk Prairie. She said over the last 25 years visitors from all over the United States have attended.
“I remember once there was someone from Turkey, but I think he was visiting people in this country,” she said.
While the event has grown from its modest beginnings to include live birds of prey shows, wildlife photography seminars, guided bus tours and multiple exhibits, the primary draw remains seeing bald eagles soaring in their natural habitat.
The eagle numbers remain firm this year. During a recent aerial survey, the DNR counted 186 eagles between Petenwell Lake and the Mississippi and said one of the hot spots was Prairie du Sac. That number is close to the 20-year average.
Jeb Barzen, director of field ecology for the International Crane Foundation, organizes a twice-monthly roost count of eagles in the greater Sauk Prairie area for the Ferry Bluff Eagle Council. Three weeks ago, he said, the count was 162 eagles.
The most recent count showed 45 eagles in the area.
Barzen said the unusually warm weather means that the birds aren’t concentrated around the river as they have been in the past when the freezing weather pushed them to the open water.
“This warm weather simply means that even if we have a lot of birds in the area, the birds are likely going to be spread out from the Prairie du Sac Dam to Lone Rock,” Barzen said. “That’s a pretty big area, even to take 160 birds and spread them out in.”
He warned that the eagle viewing might be sparser than it has during past eagle watching days.
Even so, Jurewicz, who still assists in planning Bald Eagle Watching Days, said visitors will be assured to see eagles whether it’s in the wild or the eagle release on the bank of the Wisconsin River and the live birds of prey show at the River Arts Center.
“Where else can you go some place with your family and get an entire’s day of entertainment and, outside of gas and food, everything else once they get there is free?” Jurewicz said. “There are bus tours; people don’t even have to drive around town.”
Reprint of an article posted in the Sauk Prairie Eagle Wednesday, January 11, 2012 3:17 pm
Get Kids Outside Note: 2012 will be our 4th year attending this event. Our first year, we took 8 kids. This year we’re taking 60 kids and parents!
A flash of white: Bald eagles soar just in time for Eagle Days
A bald eagle soars over the bluffs at the Spring Green Conservancy. Even at a distance, the birds are magnificent.
Flash of white. Check.
Huge wing span. Check.
Yes, it’s eagle spotting time in southern Wisconsin.
I saw an eagle yesterday near the Wisconsin River. The bird was flying over the bluffs at the Spring Green Nature Conservancy off Hwy 23. With a white head and tail and huge wingspan, there’s no mistaking this bird, even from a distance. Further down the road on County Hwy GG, I spotted an eagle nest tucked into a “V” of the tree.
It’s always exciting to see eagles and to prepare for my annual trek to Eagle Days in Sauk City.
For the fourth consecutive year, I’ll be taking a group of kids and parents to this great public and free event on January 14.
Sauk City is an eagle sanctuary. When the lakes and rivers freeze up north, the birds fly south in search of open water. The Prairie du Sac dam on the Wisconsin River makes a perfect fishing hole for the birds in winter.
Laura Freedman, Minnesota's Raptor Center, talks about eagles at the Bird of Prey show.
Last year we saw about 30 eagles. This year, thanks to a ridiculously warm winter, we’ll be lucky to see five.
Fortunately, there is much to do at Eagle Days and I know we’ll see enough eagles to leave us satisfied.
The Raptor Center will be releasing rehabilitated eagles at the VFW park at 12:30 p.m. and we always enjoy the bird of prey show at 11 a.m. The kids love seeing the birds up close.
As always, it will be a great day to be outside. If you go, look for the group of enthusiastic kids and write to me about how you liked the event.
“Quit while they’re still kicking” or when to know it’s time to leave
Learning to skate with walkers helps kids gain confidence.
One of the best pieces of teaching advice I ever got was ”Quit while they’re still kicking.”
At first, I didn’t get it.
Why quit if the kids are still having fun?
Turns out, there’s an art to knowing when to end an activity.
Here’s a case in point.
I went skating on Monday with my 5- and 6-year-old nieces and their mother at Hartmeyer Ice Arena. It was the girls’ first time on skates and I thought they did really well.
They used walkers at first and then graduated to skating on their own. Sure, they fell down a lot, but they seemed to enjoy it…at first. After about an hour of skating, the novelty wore off and they grew tired of falling.
Tears came shortly thereafter. I suggested to their mother that it may be time to leave, but the girls objected. They stayed a bit longer and the whining increased as the kids grew more and more tired. Then, they wanted to go.
While it is very difficult to leave while kids are still having fun, I find that it’s always better to leave them wanting more. Forty-five minutes to an hour is plenty for a first time activity. Then, the next time, they’ll be excited to go again.
Let me know how you decide when enough is enough.
Going Inside to get Outside? Indoor Skating at Hartmeyer Arena
Skating is a favorite winter sport, but this year, we have no ice.
Balmy temperatures means families must go inside to enjoy this great holiday activity.
Thankfully, Hartmeyer Ice Arena offers public skating on two days:
- Monday, December 26 from noon-2 pm or
- Friday, December 30 from 2-4 pm
Admission is just $4 for adults and $3 for kids.
Skate rentals are $2.
I’ll be there for fun on Monday and for work on Friday, when I’m offering childcare for families. Click this link for more information or email me to register. Just drop your kids (1st-5th grade only) off. Cost is $26 and includes skates, admission and apple snack or $24 if you bring your own skates.
This is a great activity for families on a budget and lots of fun.
Hope to see you there. I’ll be the one in the red fleece jacket.
Kids learn to enjoy winter at Indian Lake County Park
Even without snow, the kids made use of the sledding hill.
Lou and his mother didn’t look too happy as we gathered at 9 a.m. on a cold, December morning for a trip to Indian Lake County Park.
“I had my doubts,” mom admitted. But she showed up anyway along with 30 others. At the end of the day, they were all smiles and glad they came.
Despite the lack of snow and 10 degree temps, the kids found lots of ways to stay warm and have fun. Plus, Indian Lake is a drop-dead gorgeous park. The sunny, blue skies formed a perfect back drop for limitless outdoor fun:
- Kids ran, slid and rolled down a frost covered sledding hill.
- Kids played on a huge pile of wood. They turned the wood pile into a fort, a mountain or just a neat place to climb. They killed off space aliens, played soldier games and lots more.
- Kids played with sticks, the best toys ever.
- Kids examined beautiful frost crystals that coated the ground.
Sticks are the best toys ever. Note the lack of mittens.
- Kids helped build a fire.
- Kids played football and kicked around a ball.
- Kids hiked up the hill to see a historic chapel.
- Kids ate hot dogs and hot chocolate.
But mostly, the kids learned that sometimes it’s important to get up and go even if it’s cold. Parents set the example. Unfortunately, about 15 kids missed out because their parents cancelled.
We forget how warm kids get when they run around. No matter how many times we asked kids to put their hats on, most didn’t listen and took them off anyway. Go figure. Kids just don’t react to cold the same way as adults.
Winter is a great time to get outside. It’s important to help parents and kids learn how to enjoy the winter.
How do you respond to fears about cold weather?
Playing football in the morning sun. Again, no mittens. Are they crazy?
Indian Lake County Park with 60 people
Will be taking more than 60 kids and parents to Indian Lake County Park for some hiking tomorrow morning. It will be cold and sunny. I’m actually more concerned about the parents than the kids. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Cave of the Mounds: A great escape from protesting or anything else
O
nce again, a major protest at the State Capitol coincided with one of my outings. I have to say that I was happy to be heading away from town. Protesting is noble, but it distracts me from what I love. For me, the best thing to do is to continue my work with kids and parents despite the chaos swirling around me.
It’s times like this when we need nature more than ever. We need to get away from the media and remember what’s really important. We need to be reminded of how beautiful our state is and it’s many natural wonders. We need to go to places right in our own backyards, like Cave of the Mounds, and experience one of those wonders.
Just 30 minutes from Madison, Cave of the Mounds remains a classic day trip. If you haven’t been there, it’s time to pack up the kids and go.
Cave "bacon" forms when calcite-rich water follows the contour of the cave ceiling forming drapery-like curtains. Note also the tiny stalactites.
The cave tour lasts about 1 hour and took us past beautiful cave formations: stalactites – or stalagnotites as Joan called them - hang from the ceiling; stalagmites – or stalagnomites – grow from the ground up. There’s cave “bacon” that looks… well… like bacon and classic formations like Polly the Parrot.
There’s no better place to get a sense of geologic time and the power of water. Water drips from the ceiling adding ever so slowly to the ‘mites and ‘tites.
Polly the Parrot formed when two stalactites dropped on top of a stalagmite, fusing them together into a parrotlike shape.
The cave promotes wonder and we all need that, especially when the world gets turned upside down.
I had just one small complaint. Just before leaving to eat our lunch, a staff member asked me to let her know if while eating we spilled anything on the chairs. I thought this was odd. Did she think we going to leave a mess? I don’t know. Other than that, our tour guides were informative and courteous, and of course, the cave never disappoints.
What are your favorite natural escapes within 30 minutes from home?
Diane Schwartz is busy getting ready for summer at the Goodman Community Center. Five new folding bikes will arrive soon and she can’t wait to start teaching kids how to safely ride around town. As always, subscribe to this blog now to receive a free 11-page bubble activity guide. Thank you for reading.
Wisconsin Protest Meets Outdoor Adventure
Last week I canceled Ski club. Organizers also canceled most of Winterfest.
Not for extreme cold or lack of snow, but because of the protest at the Capitol.
It’s been a surreal week.
On Wednesday, Superintendent Nerad closed Madison schools because so many teachers called in sick.
On Thursday, many other principals closed schools due to teacher sick-outs. I canceled ski club because we had no kids to take.
On Friday, schools remained closed and people continued to swarm the Capitol in growing numbers. Organizers canceled Winterfest which was to take place around the Capitol on Saturday and Sunday. A few events moved to the Memorial Union.
Since I had planned to take kids to Winterfest, we went to the Union instead. To avoid traffic headaches, we rode the bus. This was quite the adventure for the kids. Little did we know that we’d be crammed on a bus with dozens of protesters heading downtown.
The kids loved it. They got to see how peaceful protesters behave and they got to see all the people around the Capitol. They enjoyed reading the signs.
“Beam Scotty Back,” was a favorite though they didn’t get the Star Trek connection.
When we got to the Union, the kids watched sky divers land on the ice, snowboarders compete and snowsculptors sculpt. We ate our PB&J outside. And of course, they ran around on the ice and acted silly. The big fun was collecting snow eggs from the ice, as they called them.
It wasn’t the same as Winterfest, but they didn’t care. Perhaps they got something even better. They got to ride a city bus and see a historic political event. Teachable moments don’t get much better and the best part is that I didn’t have to say very much. They just soaked it up.
Have you ever been a trip where the unexpected happened? Did you take your kids to the protests? Do let me know.
Diane Schwartz takes kids cross country skiing at Blackhawk Ski Club every week until March 4. You can also find her getting ready for spring at Schumacher Farm Park in Waunakee. Become an email subscriber today and receive a free 11 page Bubble Activity Guide for free.
Is it ever too cold to Get Kids Outside?
Thursday was cold, very cold. Temps topped out at about 10 degrees with a nasty wind chill.
As a result, kids at Lowell and Emerson Elementary schools had no recess – their second in a row.
Now, it was my turn. Would I take 11 kids cross country skiing? We did the week before and the kids froze because we were out in the open. Would today be a repeat?
After consulting with Molly, the lead instructor at Blackhawk Ski Club, I decided to go – even though my boss had already told the kids it was too cold. Molly’s plan was a good one – stay in the woods and keep ‘em moving by sending them on a scavenger hunt.
It worked. The kids were not fazed by the cold and they had a great time on the scavenger hunt. No one complained. Plus, it was safe.
Blackhawk Ski Club isn’t exactly wilderness. There’s a warm chalet, hot chocolate and snacks. If kids wanted to go inside they could, but none of them did. They all stayed out for a full hour.
The kids had a blast and they learned something about the cold – if you dress right, keep moving and stay out of the wind, you’ll be fine.
Meanwhile, students at Emerson and Lowell Elementary schools learned to fear the cold. While safety is always important, I disagree with this policy.
When kids don’t get enough exercise, they are less able to focus and more likely to act out in class. Inside recess focuses on board games, not on being active. So, I suggest the following:
Why not let parents make the choice?
Why not base the choice on outerwear?
Why not let them out for a short time under the supervision of a trained teacher?
Why not structure a moving activity, such as a run around the playground?
It seems to me that going outside for recess is a lot like going skiing at Blackhawk Ridge: Kids are close to a warm building and there’s supervision.
I think we’re doing our kids a disservice by not teaching them how to dress for the cold.
What do you think? When is it too cold to go outside? What are you doing to help kids enjoy winter in Wisconsin?
Diane Schwartz takes kids cross country skiing at Blackhawk Ski Club every week until March 4. You can also find her at Winterfest on February 19 teaching kids and families the joys of winter. Of course, that will be a lot easier now that a warm front is on the horizon.
