Wehr Nature Center is a place where everyone belongs. Open year-round, we offer accessible buildings, trails, and park features designed for visitors of all ages and abilities. Wander our more than five-miles of trails traversing five distinct habitats all within a five-minute walk. Enjoy universally designed exhibits, comfortable restrooms, and hands-on unique programs that bring people together through nature all year round.
Save the Date!
July 26 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Join us for an inclusive Open House celebrating Wehr Nature Center’s commitment to equitable access to the outdoors for people of all ages and abilities. This free community event invites everyone to explore nature through accessible experiences, adaptive recreation, and meaningful connections with local accessibility partners.
August 22 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Discover the plants behind your favorite beverages at this leisurely, fun, and educational evening at Wehr featuring local coffee, tea, craft beer, and other purveyors. Live music, food trucks, and more!
September 13 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Hop, crawl, fly, or jump your way into the most amazing insect exhibit in southeast Wisconsin!
All Ages and Abilities
10:30 am – 11:30 am
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
9:00 am – 10:00 am
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
8:00 am – 10:00 am
Featured Program
Join us for a monthly ecology walk at various Milwaukee County Natural Areas, where we’ll learn, observe, and ID native flowers! On our walk, you’ll also learn about the characteristics of the native plant community that we will explore.
Wehr Nature Center inspires all generations to explore and value the plants and animals of our natural world through experiential education, accessible trails, native landscapes and natural areas.
July – September Newsletter
Happy Summer! Wehr’s trails are overflowing with an abundance of green, flowers, interesting insects, and wildlife. In nature the delight is in the details – slow down and see for yourself during your next hike at Wehr.
In the summer issue of Wehr Words, we hope you’ll enjoy learning about Wehr’s efforts to support the next generation of environmental leaders, spotlight the amazing Wehr Astronomical Society, highlight the 16,000+ volunteer hours, and more!
One bird’s mess is another bird’s meal! Wehr’s Wild Turkeys will gladly clean up the stray seed thrown to the ground by busy birds at the feeders. It’s quite a sight to find cardinals, doves, and sparrows eating right alongside these giant turkeys.
See why Wehr Nature Center is “a place for all seasons, a place for everyone.” Explore more than five miles of nature trails through woodland, wetland, prairie and oak savanna on 220-acres of protected land in Whitnall Park at Wehr Nature Center.
This is without a doubt, the best place to birdwatch and see wildlife in the Milwaukee metro area. The nature center is fantastic. The staff is welcoming and the trails are extremely well-maintained. Always something exciting to see!
Here is some great information from The Pollinator Partnership on reducing light usage to help our nocturnal pollinators. FYI: It helps Fireflies too!It's #MothWeek and we're sharing ways you can reduce hard to your local moth populations! Artificial light at night (ALAN) disrupts moths in profound ways. Moths have evolved over millions of years to use celestial light cues from the moon and stars to orient their movement💡Turn off unnecessary outdoor lights, especially during spring and summer when moths are most active🏃♀️Use motion sensors and timers to minimize light exposure☀Choose warm-colored bulbs (2700K or lower) over cool white LEDs🌼Create a moon garden with native, pale-colored, fragrant flowers that bloom at night🗣Speak up at neighborhood meetings or with your HOA to promote pollinator-friendly lighting guidelines⚗Avoid pesticides and bug zappers🔗Learn more and download this resource at pollinator.org/blog/lepidoptera See less
Our naturalists have engaged with folks regarding little blue butterflies that they may either see in our park or their yard. They are often mistaken for Karner Blue butterflies which are a classified as a federally endangered species that also happen to live in Wisconsin. They primarily inhabit open pine-oak barrens, oak savannas, and sand prairies that support wild lupine—the sole food source for Karner blue caterpillars which means that it is extremely unlikely that they would be found in Southeastern Wisconsin. So, let us break down what you could be seeing. If you observe the butterfly in photo 1, you will notice that there are no orange markings or tails located on the hind wing. Depending on the season this could be a Spring Azure or Summer Azure or simply known as the Azure Complex. Yes, we know, it is a bit confusing. In photo number 2, you will notice a butterfly with a couple of orange markings on the hind wing as well as tails. This butterfly is known as an Eastern Tailed-blue.Both of the Azures and the Eastern Tailed-blue butterflies are a bluish-grey color and if you see a light blue-grey butterfly it will be one of these species.For comparison, the Karner Blue is also a bluish grey with no tails and lots of orange markings along the hind wing as well as on the upper wing. All the photos were taken by one of our naturalists and the photo of the Karner Blue was taken at Sandhill State Wildlife Preserve in Babcock, WI. The image features three distinct types of butterflies displayed side by side. Each butterfly is positioned against a natural green background, with the leftmost example being the Azure Complex, which has a pale blue color with no orange markings and lacks tails. The middle butterfly, labeled as the Eastern Tailed-Blue, shows a hint of orange along the wing edges and has short tails. The rightmost butterfly is identified as the Karner Blue, which is marked by prominent orange spots on the wings but, similar to the others, does not have tails. The butterflies are perched on various plant materials, with the Eastern Tailed-Blue on a cluster of small white flowers.
Enjoy member perks like free parking, discounts on select programs and events, and more!
Quick question!
English 
Español de México