Maywood - Ellwood H. May Environmental Park

Tomorrow's the Day! Join us for our 2nd Annual Prairie Walk on Saturday, August 17.

The event kicks off at Maywood at 9am with a presentation by the Friends of the Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum. Plus we'll have free prairie seed courtesy of Prairie Moon Nursery and informative handouts from the Xerces Society.

Then from 10am-3pm, travel to up to five local prairie locations at your own pace. Learn about the different sights and how you can incorporate prairie plants into your own yard. Guided tours will be offered at Maywood's prairie.

This event is free and open to the public. Donations to support Maywood's on-going prairie maintenance are greatly appreciated.

For more event information, visit https://gomaywood.org/events/prairiewalk/

Today is Relaxation Day and we know a great park you can take some time to relax in!

Enjoy a walk on the trails or find a bench to observe the nature around you. Whether you have 10 minutes or a few hours, time in nature is never wasted.

The park and trails are open today until 11pm.
The Ecology Center is closed on Thursdays.

Join us next Monday (August 19) at 5:30pm for a session of iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation.

The practice will be held in the Ecology Center and begins at 5:30pm. Instructor Barbara Holt will guide you through the 45 minute session.

iRest can be practiced sitting in a chair or laying on the floor.

Our summer iRest session are FREE to Maywood Association members or are $12 for the general public.

For more information view our summer yoga brochure:https://gomaywood.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Yoga-Summer2024-Brochure-web.pdf

Bluebird monitoring season is coming to a close at Maywood.

We'd like to give a big THANK YOU to the individuals who take time to monitor the bird houses at Maywood throughout the breeding season.

Pictured here are some of the last bluebirds before they fledged.

Fall is a great time to view migrating birds at Maywood.

Spring migration, when birds are more colorful and trees have fewer leaves, is a favorite time to view birds. But fall is also a great time to birdwatch at the park.

A new tool on the Cornell Lab All About Birds Website, provides a dashboard to help see local migration in detail. Check it out to see the best times to stop by Maywood for some birdwatching.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/heres-how-to-use-the-new-migration-forecast-tools-from-birdcast

PS - Forgot your binoculars? We have some available to check out at the reception desk when the Ecology Center is open.

Mark your calendars for a new fun-filled Maywood event: The Maywood Glow Hike!

On Saturday, October 19, you'll enjoy a glow-lit trail walk at the park followed by fun glow-lit activities back at the Ecology Center.

More details will be posted to our website soon!

Beginning in August, Monarch butterflies begin their migration to central Mexico. For monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains, this can be an over 3,000 mile journey! The monarchs migrating in fall do so in one generation, meaning a monarch you may see here will fly all that way!

In spring monarch migrate north in two generations, with the overwintering population laying eggs in the southern U.S. The children and grandchildren then migrate farther north.

Monarch Joint Venture's website provides some great information and in interactive migration map: https://monarchjointventure.org/monarch-biology/monarch-migration

We've got you covered for the Packers-Bears Game on November 17th!

Join Maywood at 3 Sheeps Brewing Company Taproom for Pints for the Park! We'll have games and raffles going to support Maywood. And of course the game will be on too.

A portion of beverage sales will also be donated to the park.

Watch for more details on this fun-filled event!

Join members of the Sheboygan Astronomical Society this Saturday at 8:30pm for night sky viewing at Maywood!

The viewing session begins at 8:30pm and runs to 10:30pm. Please meet in the parking lot. The parking lot lights are turned off for optimal viewing. Please use caution when driving in.

Please note: Cloudy skies will cancel the viewing session. The Ecology Center is closed, but there is a porta-potty available in the parking area.

https://www.facebook.com/events/758994052732180

Liven up your water bottle or add some nature to your back to school supplies!

We just got in some new stickers at the Ecology Store. Stop on by to check

The Ecology Store accepts cash or check payments. Proceeds help support Maywood programs and park projects.

This Saturday, Maywood will host the starting location for Snapshot Day in Sheboygan County.

Snapshot Day is a statewide, one-day event connecting volunteers, water lovers, and local groups in a search for aquatic invasive species (AIS).

To learn more about the Sheboygan County activities, contact Katie Hanson at [email protected] or 920-459-1375 at the Sheboygan County Planning and Conservation Department.

To learn more about the program visit: https://wateractionvolunteers.org/event-page/aquatic-invasive-species-snapshot-day-2024/

All the fun.... none of the driving!

Join us on a bus trip to the Horicon Marsh on Thursday, September 12.
We'll enjoy viewing and learning about the country's largest cattail marsh from land and water! Planned activities include birding, a pontoon boat tour, lunch, a stop at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitors Center, and ice cream on the way home.

The tour leaves Maywood at 7:30am and returns at approximately 5:30pm.

Get all the details on our website: https://gomaywood.org/bustrip/

Our Nature-based Book Club in partnership with resumes on Saturday, September 7 at 10am.

Our September book is "Life and Death on the Great Lakes" by Dan Egan. Come join in the lively discussion and camaraderie.

Books are available up to 30 days before the club meets. To get your copy, go to Mead Public Library, tell them that you are a member of Maywood’s book club, and ask to check out the book. All you need is a library card; you can get a library card by showing a form of identification.

This is a free program, but advanced registration is greatly appreciated. To register call (920) 459-3906, email [email protected], or register online at https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/MaywoodBookClubFall2024

We've got a fantastic line-up of yoga classes scheduled this fall.

Instructor Barbara Holt has been providing yoga at Maywood for over 10 years. Her classes incorporate nature through outdoor meditative walks along with the indoor practice.

View our fall brochure here:https://gomaywood.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Maywood-FallYoga2024-web.pdf

Visit our registration forms webpage for online registration links: https://gomaywood.org/programs/registration-forms/

Join us this fall for this unique yoga opportunity.

Maywood Nature Connections - August 2024 - https://mailchi.mp/ee0d033015a4/maywood-nature-connections-august-2024

Read about August programs and events at Maywood.

Tomorrow (August 2nd) is the deadline to order paver bricks for the placement this fall.
Orders can be dropped off at the Ecology Center on Friday 9am-4pm.

Paver bricks are a great way to remember a major life event or memorialize a loved one.

Bricks are available in two sizes 4x8 ($75) or 8x8 ($150). Proceeds of brick sales support environmentally friendly landscaping around the Ecology Center.

Printable order form: https://tinyurl.com/59t6yur8
Cash or check payments accepted. We currently do not offer online ordering for this personalized item.

Please note the center closed on Thursdays.

Did you know in 1927, the state legislature passed the Horicon Marsh Wildlife Refuge Bill? This legislation began the journey of restoration for the marshlands we know today.

Beginning in the mid-1800s efforts to dam and drain the marsh ultimately lead to it becoming a wasteland that was not useable by wildlife or humans.

Join us on Thursday, September 12 as we explore the wonders of the marsh on land and by pontoon boat. Not only will you gain knowledge of the marsh's history, but you'll enjoy viewing wildlife and birds that call the marsh home.

Don't wait in reserving your seat as space is limited. Reservation deadline is August 28.

For more information and registration links and forms visit: https://gomaywood.org/bustrip/

Those willing to search a bit will find wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) blooming now in the Maywood prairie.

While not a prolific plant in our prairie, wild quinine provides a valuable food source for smaller pollinators including predatory wasps, flies, and solitary bees.

During World War I, wild quinine was used a substitute treatment for malaria when the bark of Cinchona trees was not available.

From a distance, wild quinine and yarrow blooms may look similar, But up close you will see a distinct difference between the two. Wild quinine has clumps of button-like flowers on 1-3 foot tall plants. Yarrow will have compact clusters of disc like flowers. Both yarrow and wild quinine are members of the aster family.

Spend some time in nature this week. The park and trails are open 4am-11pm daily.

Did you know Maywood is open 365-days a year free of charge? No park sticker or admission fee is required to enjoy Sheboygan's hidden nature gem.

Come explore over 135-acres that encompass six habitats: prairie, hardwood forest, pine forest, Pigeon River, ponds, and wetlands.

There's something new to see everyday at Maywood!

Wednesday was our second class in the Yoga at the Ponds series. Participants enjoyed a yoga session on the pond decks as well as meditative walks.

Watch for our upcoming fall yoga line-up that will incorporate nature in the classes.

On a walk by our ponds this Wednesday, our staff found someone forgot the pick-up their fishing supplies before they left. Found was a large quantity of unspooled fishing line strewn across the deck, a lure, and a bait container cover.

Please be a responsible park guest when fishing the ponds or river and take ALL your supplies home with you. Trash cans are located along the main walkway to the Ecology Center and next to the porta-potty for disposing of garbage.

The loose fishing line is especially concerning as birds, turtles, frogs, and other aquatic wildlife can become entangled in it causing injury or death. Two years ago, one of our staff members freed a green heron from a tree where it had become tangled and trapped in fishing line someone left behind.

Do your part to keep our park wildlife safe and make Maywood an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Drop-in participants are welcome at our July 29 iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation class.

The class begins at 5:30pm in the Ecology Center at Maywood.

Class is free to Maywood members or $12 for the general public.

Rest is a meditation practice based on the ancient tradition of yoga nidra, adapted for the modern life. It can be practiced by anyone, regardless of physical ability or experience with meditation. When practiced regularly, iRest enables you to meet each moment of your life with peace and well-being. This practice can be done while sitting in a chair or lying on the floor. Bringing a yoga mat, blanket, towel or small pillow, and eye covering could make the experience more enjoyable but is not necessary. Barbara Holt is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance (RYT-200) with over a decade of experience teaching yoga and meditation in a variety of settings. Barbara is an iRest Level 2 teacher. To learn more about the benefits of iRest, please visit www.irest.org.

Only a few more weeks until the 2nd Annual Maywood Prairie Walk!

Join us on Saturday, August 17 to learn about the important role prairies play in our environment.

The day will kickoff at 9am at Maywood with a presentation by the Friends of the Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum . Then tour five local prairies from 10am-3pm.

Admission to the event is free.

We'll also have some great prairie giveaways at the morning presentation thanks to a generous donation from Prairie Moon Nursery

For more information including a list of prairie sites visit https://gomaywood.org/events/prairiewalk/

Compass Plant and Cup Plant are two tall yellow prairie flowers now in bloom. Both plants are members of the aster family.

Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum L.) can grow 3-10feet tall. It's name comes from the plant's leaves that tend to orientate in a north-south direction.

Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) grown 3-6+ feet tall. The leaves of this plant form cups along the stem, creating a place for water to collect. The collected water attracts bids and insects.

You will soon also see prairie dock blooming. This plant also had a tall, sunflower-like bloom.

Enjoy Sheboygan's Hidden Nature Gem!

The park and trails at Maywood are open until 11pm today. Come enjoy a walk on the trails and enjoy this nature getaway that is so close to home!

A paver brick at Maywood is a wonderful way to celebrate a major life event or a thoughtful way to remember a loved one. Proceeds for brick sales support environmentally friendly landscaping around the Ecology Center.

The deadline to order bricks for this year is Friday, August 2nd.

Bricks come in two size options 4x8 ($75) or 8x8 ($150). Payment may be made with cash or check.

Printable order form available here: https://tinyurl.com/59t6yur8
Sorry, we do not currently offer online ordering for these personalized items.

Bricks ordered by August 2nd will be placed in the walkway in mid-October. Bricks ordered after August 2nd will be included in our 2025 August order.

Gray-headed coneflower can be found blooming in the prairie right now. The plant pictured here is just beginning to bloom.

Look for plants 1 1/2 to 4 feet high. The flowers will have yellow petals that appear to droop.

This prairie plant blooms from June through August.

The center disk of the flower has a slight scent of anise when bruised.

Registration is now open for our bus trip to the Horicon Marsh on Thursday, September 12. Join us as we tour the largest cattail marsh in the country!

There are a limited number of seats available, so be sure to register early! Registration closes on August 28.

Read details about the trip here: https://gomaywood.org/bustrip/
Register online (cc fee applies): https://tinyurl.com/5dn4nfvx
Printable registration form: https://tinyurl.com/5xdnpnmt