The Center for Limnology is committed to the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities. Our Hasler Laboratory facility in Madison was built before the Americans with Disabilities Act and is not fully ADA accessible. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any outreach or department event, please email limnology@mailplus.wisc.edu AND monet.hutchins@wisc.edu or call 608-262-3014.
Hasler Lab, Madison (Photos)
June 20, 2025 * 2-6pm * free * rain or shine
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. Learn a little more about Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers, and streams! It’s a great way to spend an afternoon.
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, make aquatic-themed crafts with kids, and enjoy free Babcock Dairy ice cream.
Parking is available at the purblic parking lots near campus or some limited public parking is available under Helen C. White Library, 600 N. Park St. There is no public parking available in Lot 8 next to the lab.
Trout Lake Station, Boulder Junction (Photos)
August 1, 2025 * 1-5pm * free * rain or shine
Trout Lake Station’s Open House is an opportunity to get a first-hand look at what research is going on at the station this summer, as well as meet the scientists and students conducting it. Learn about CFL scientists conducting research all over the world exchanging knowledge and helping to solve global environmental problems.
Activities for visitors to the station include meeting some of the fish that call Wisconsin’s northern lakes home, learning to tell invasive species from natives, and talking with scientists about the state of Wisconsin lakes and our role in keeping them healthy for future generations.
We will have aquatic-themed crafts and free Babcock Dairy ice-cream making it fun for the whole family!
With TLS staff and student researchers available, guests are able to learn about what it means when a tree is bendy, how to build a battery from bog water, what that giant buoy on Trout does, how to pinpoint zooplankton under the scope, why aquatic hitchhikers must be stopped and how to identify fish and aquatic plants.