Six-legged Summit: An Insect Conference

Join us for a full day of learning all about the wonderful world of insects. This program involves multiple sessions, including outdoor field trips, indoor photo-filled presentations and family-friendly activities. All participants will receive lunch, and can expect to bring home resources and inspiration to take action on behalf of insects, as well as a renewed sense of awe and wonder.

For each concurrent session, you can choose from two options including indoor presentations and guided hikes outdoors.

Schedule

• 8:45 am – Doors open
• 9:00 am – Welcome & introduction
• 9:15 – 10:30 am – Concurrent session I
  • Robberflies with Mike Reese
  • Monarch Butterflies with Karen Oberhauser
•  10:45 am – 12:00 pm – Concurrent session II
  • Dragonflies with Edgar Spalding (outdoor tour)
  • Bumblebees with Jade Kochanski
• 12:00 – 1:00 pm – Lunch
• 1:00 – 2:15 pm – Concurrent session III
  • Monarch Butterflies with Karen Oberhauser (outdoor tour)
  • Dragonflies with Edgar Spalding

Session Descriptions 

Welcome & Introduction: Join us for a brief introduction to why we’re here today. We’ll take a whirlwind tour of insect diversity, be reminded of how much you already know about this large class of animals, and learn how important insects are to our lives and to the workings of the natural world.

Robberflies with Mike Reese: In this outdoor field trip, we will explore prairie and woodland trails in search of robberflies, an overlooked but amazing group of insects. Learn about robberfly ID, ecology and their amazing hunting abilities.

Monarch Butterflies with Karen Oberhauser (indoor): Monarch butterfly populations have been declining over the last 25 years—essentially the entire time that we’ve been monitoring them. It is important to move beyond documenting this decline, and focus on the challenge posed by monarch conservation and insect conservation in general. Come learn about the amazing biology of migratory monarchs, how we can use data collected by scientists and public to understand what is driving monarch numbers, and what we can do with that information. The take-home message will be how we can address species conservation—in our own gardens and beyond—in the face of climate and other human-driven changes. 

Dragonflies with Edgar Spalding (outdoor): More information coming soon.

Bumblebees with Jade Kochanski (indoor/outdoor): This session will offer an exploration of Wisconsin’s native bumble bees, focusing on ecology, conservation, and identification. Participants will gain in-field identification experience and are encouraged to use their new knowledge to contribute to the WDNR Bumble Bee Brigade participatory science program.

Monarch Butterflies with Karen Oberhauser (outdoor): The odds are that there is milkweed, monarchs’ only host plant, growing somewhere in a neighborhood near you. Join us for a treasure hunt as we look for monarch eggs and caterpillars on milkweed growing in Holy Wisdom Monastery gardens and prairies, and check out the other interesting animals that find food or a place to rest on these amazing plants. We’ll look closely at the unique flowers found on all milkweed plants, and learn about the milky sap that gives the plants their name.

Dragonflies with Edgar Spalding (indoor): More information coming soon.

Leaders

Jade Kochanski is a pollinator and restoration ecologist whose work focuses on bumble bee conservation in restored tallgrass prairie managed with prescribed fire across Wisconsin. She is committed to community-focused outreach. 

Karen Oberhauser has studied monarch butterflies for almost 40 years, using traditional lab and field techniques, as well as the contributions of a variety of audiences through participatory science. She is now happily retired, but spent most of her career at the University of Minnesota, before becoming the director of the UW-Madison Arboretum from 1997-2023.   

Mike Reese has worked as a cook, botanist, high school math teacher, golf and basketball coach, and finally a high school librarian. While he has no formal academic training in the field of entomology, he has gained a tremendous depth of knowledge from spending lots of time wandering around, getting his feet wet and looking for whatever happens to be flying by.  

Edgar Spalding grew up in rural Nova Scotia and became deeply interested in nature, and a life-long birder (including photography). But, in college he became interested less in nature and more in the physical and chemical aspects of life processes — physiology is the best word. So he returned to his native USA for grad school (Penn State), postdoctoral work (Yale), and joined the faculty at UW–Madison in 1994. 

Who Can Attend this Event?

Open to all. Family friendly, children welcome to attend with an adult. Activities are most appropriate for adults and kids 5+.

Cost

• $22 for adults
• $12 for kids 12 and under

Register

Please register by July 10, 2025. There is no refund if you have to cancel your registration.