Mequon Nature Preserve

Mequon Nature Preserve Free and open 365 days a year! There are over 6 miles of trails to explore that are dog-friendly and meander through restored prairies, forests, and wetlands.

We offer FREE educational field trips for all schools and organizations.

Step outside and see where the trail takes you 🌳From prairies and wetlands to forests and wildlife, Mequon Nature Preser...
06/18/2026

Step outside and see where the trail takes you 🌳

From prairies and wetlands to forests and wildlife, Mequon Nature Preserve offers endless opportunities to explore, learn, and connect with nature. Plan your visit and experience the beauty of the Preserve for yourself.

This native, woodland plant is definitely well known by the saying “leaves of three leave be”. Poison ivy, Toxicodendron...
06/17/2026

This native, woodland plant is definitely well known by the saying “leaves of three leave be”. Poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans, grows alongside woods, ditches, and fence rows. The middle leaf has a shorter stem and is larger than the other two. The edges of the leaves are usually serrated. In late summer, poison ivy produces white berries, which are eaten by birds. All parts of this plant produce a resinous oil called urushiol that can cause itching, inflammation, and blistering. The oil can spread to anything that encounters it, including tools and clothing.

If you believe you have come in contact with poison ivy, wash any exposed skin with regular soap under cold water. There are also special poison ivy cleansing products that can remove the oil from skin.

Contrary to its name, the Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla), is only found in Tennessee while migrating. You c...
06/16/2026

Contrary to its name, the Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla), is only found in Tennessee while migrating. You can typically find this bird throughout the eastern part of Canada and the northeastern and northwestern United States. This warbler likes to live in wooded areas and along bogs, and feed mainly on insects. Nashville Warblers have a yellow belly, olive back, and a gray head with a white ring around the eye.

06/16/2026

A Song Sparrow has taken up residence near the education center! She is currently incubating three eggs in her nest made of woven grasses, roots and hair. Watch as she nestles in to her eggs so that they can receive as much body warmth as possible during the incubation period. Song sparrows can nest near the ground all the way up to 15 feet in the air. As one of our more common species, they can use a variety of habitats and frequently nest near human-dominated landscapes.

Save the date! The annual Summer Playdate is Saturday, July 11 from 11:00am-2:00pm. This free, outdoor event is fun for ...
06/15/2026

Save the date! The annual Summer Playdate is Saturday, July 11 from 11:00am-2:00pm. This free, outdoor event is fun for the whole family! Enjoy tractor rides through the preserve, a visit from local first responders, games, crafts, pond and prairie net station, and more! will be selling delicious waffles, and Brendan's Bracelets and Ted David Bluebird houses will also be there. Sign up your family (one ticket per car) with the link. We hope to see you there!

Thank you, Keiding Inc, for sponsoring the craft station and Meijer for sponsoring the food station!

https://ticketstripe.com/summerplaydate2026

This orange, octopus-like-looking fungus is known as cedar-apple rust. It requires two different hosts to complete its l...
06/12/2026

This orange, octopus-like-looking fungus is known as cedar-apple rust. It requires two different hosts to complete its life cycle: juniper trees (Genus Juniperus) and deciduous fruit trees (Rosaceae family). The fungus overwinters inside galls on the branches and needles of junipers, but during spring rains, the galls swell and produce these gelatinous tendrils. The tendrils release spores, which are then carried by wind and infect nearby fruit trees (sometimes traveling up to a mile). As late spring and summer continue, the fruit/leaves of fruit trees will show yellow, orange, or red spots. The leaves also grow hairlike fungal tubes with windborne spores that reinfect nearby juniper trees, starting the cycle over again!

Make sure to check out Milwaukee Public Museum’s annual bioblitz on June 12 and 13 at Wehr Nature Center! Tilia and Cory...
06/12/2026

Make sure to check out Milwaukee Public Museum’s annual bioblitz on June 12 and 13 at Wehr Nature Center! Tilia and Cory will be doing scent demonstrations at 11:15am and 1:00pm on Saturday (13th). This event is free and fun for all nature lovers! 🐸🌱🦋🌻

And that’s a wrap! The official 2025-2026 field trip season has ended. We had so much fun this school year showing stude...
06/12/2026

And that’s a wrap! The official 2025-2026 field trip season has ended. We had so much fun this school year showing students the MNP prairies, forests, and wetlands. Students learned about trees, maple sugaring, birds, wetland monitoring and water quality, and more! A total of 51 schools and organizations were represented with a total of 2,540 students in K5-college visiting our trails.

Thank you to all the students, teachers, and chaperones that attend our field trips. We also want to thank our dedicated team of volunteer teachers for assisting and leading these trips. We cannot wait for next school year!

Are you a teacher that would like to take your students on a fun, hands on nature trip? All trips are free of charge for all schools and those schools in MPS can request our Bus Scholarship. Visit our website to learn more about field trips!

https://mequonnaturepreserve.org/nature-programs/school-field-trips/

Adventure is packed and ready to go 🎒🌿Explore Mequon Nature Preserve with an Adventure Backpack filled with tools, activ...
06/11/2026

Adventure is packed and ready to go 🎒🌿

Explore Mequon Nature Preserve with an Adventure Backpack filled with tools, activities, and guided instructions designed to help you discover the forests, prairies, and wetlands in a whole new way.

Available April through October. Grab a backpack and start exploring!

This wetland plant is called Blue Flag Iris, Iris versicolor. Sometimes the flowers can be white, however they are mostl...
06/10/2026

This wetland plant is called Blue Flag Iris, Iris versicolor. Sometimes the flowers can be white, however they are mostly purple to blue. It grows to be up to 3 feet tall and prefers full sun. Its drooping flowers are four inches wide, with yellow and white stripes stretching out from the center. This is a favorite plant for many different bee species and hummingbirds! To humans and other animals, the entire plant is poisonous.

Address

8200 W County Line Road
Mequon, WI
53097

Telephone

+12622428055

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Mequon Nature Preserve posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Mequon Nature Preserve:

Shortcuts

Share

Category