Hunter's Safety - Internet Field Day
The Mead offers Internet Field Day opportunities for completing a Hunter’s Safety certification.
To learn more about Wisconsin DNR safety education, click here.
To find information about enrolling in a safety education class, click here.
To search for open field days at The Mead, click here. The course type is “Hunter Internet Field Day” and the county is “Marathon”.
If you have any questions, please contact Gary Egan:
gje106frosty@gmail.com
Phone: (608) 235-4567
Hunter's Safety - Internet Field Day
The Mead offers Internet Field Day opportunities for completing a Hunter’s Safety certification.
To learn more about Wisconsin DNR safety education, click here.
To find information about enrolling in a safety education class, click here.
To search for open field days at The Mead, click here. The course type is “Hunter Internet Field Day” and the county is “Marathon”.
If you have any questions, please contact Gary Egan:
gje106frosty@gmail.com
Phone: (608) 235-4567
CLOSED
The Visitor Center will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday Thursday, November 26th and Friday, November 27th.
Preserving the Holidays - Beginner Canning Workshop
Join long-time BOW Instructor Kelly Van Laanen for a winter canning class.
In this beginner-friendly, hands-on class, you will learn the fundamental science and safety of water-bath canning. No prior kitchen or canning experience is required.
What You’ll Learn and Do:
Canning Essentials
Demystify the process. Learn the step-by-step mechanics of water-bath canning, essential equipment, and critical food safety guidelines.
Festive Flavors
We will be canning two nostalgic holiday favorites: Cranberry Orange Relish and Spiced Apples.
Take home two completed jars of your handmade holiday preserves.
Registration Fee $65. Workshop limited to 16 participants.
Register and learn more here: https://www.uwsp.edu/becoming-an-outdoors-woman/preserving-the-holidays-beginner-canning-workshop/
You will receive a confirmation email and additional information after registering.
Questions? Email pfarrell@uwsp.edu
Herpetology Society
Join us at the Stanton W. Mead Visitor Center to learn about herpetology from the students at UW-Stevens Point. This free and family-friendly event has live animals, presentations, arts and crafts, free popcorn, and more!
Mead Book Club
Join the Mead Book Club! This winter we are reading Other Minds: the Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith.
Discussions will be held via Zoom from 7:00pm-8:30pm. The meetings are on December 16th, January 20th, and February 17th.
To register, please contact Same De Roche at Sandra.DeRoche@wisconsin.gov
Nature Still Life
Come to the Mead to beat the cold that keeps artists craving opportunities to work on technique. A giant indoor still life made of various natural objects inspires artists, and is made a little more delightful with yummy snacks, hot coffee and tea.
Free, no registration required. Bring your own supplies. Appropriate for all skill-levels.
Christmas Bird Count
Join us for the 2nd Annual Christmas Bird Count for the Mead and Mosinee area. Partnering with the National Audubon Society, volunteers take one day in December to document bird species.
Spend a few hours or all day birding with us! All experience levels welcome. There will be a data compilation pizza party after the count at the Visitor Center.
Sign up for the count on December 20 here.
CLOSED
The Visitor Center will be closed Thursday, December 24th and Friday, December 25th.
CLOSED
The Visitor Center will be closed Thursday, December 31st and Friday, January 1st.
Mead Book Club
Join the Mead Book Club! This winter we are reading Other Minds: the Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith.
Discussions will be held via Zoom from 7:00pm-8:30pm. The meetings are on December 16th, January 20th, and February 17th.
To register, please contact Same De Roche at Sandra.DeRoche@wisconsin.gov
Nature Still Life
Come to the Mead to beat the cold that keeps artists craving opportunities to work on technique. A giant indoor still life made of various natural objects inspires artists, and is made a little more delightful with yummy snacks, hot coffee and tea.
Free, no registration required. Bring your own supplies. Appropriate for all skill-levels.
Mead Book Club
Join the Mead Book Club! This winter we are reading Other Minds: the Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith.
Discussions will be held via Zoom from 7:00pm-8:30pm. The meetings are on December 16th, January 20th, and February 17th.
To register, please contact Same De Roche at Sandra.DeRoche@wisconsin.gov
Nature Still Life
Come to the Mead to beat the cold that keeps artists craving opportunities to work on technique. A giant indoor still life made of various natural objects inspires artists, and is made a little more delightful with yummy snacks, hot coffee and tea.
Free, no registration required. Bring your own supplies. Appropriate for all skill-levels.
Nature Still Life
Come to the Mead to beat the cold that keeps artists craving opportunities to work on technique. A giant indoor still life made of various natural objects inspires artists, and is made a little more delightful with yummy snacks, hot coffee and tea.
Free, no registration required. Bring your own supplies. Appropriate for all skill-levels.
Wildlife Art Gallery
“Pollinizer” by Steve Coates, Rookery Award (3rd place), 2025 Mead Wildlife Art Gallery
Fall Migration Viewing
Join us as we watch migrating birds gather en masse at dusk. Meet at the viewing platform on Smokey Hill Road.
If precipitation chance exceeds 50%, birding event will be cancelled. Check the National Weather Service page for Milladore.
Introduction to Nature Photography
Focal Point Camera Club presents: Introduction to Nature Photography
This free event focuses on composition, lighting, and related topics. Guests will have a hands-on opportunity to explore the Mead Wildlife Area while using their new skills on a nature photo walk.
Cover image by Carolyn Wetuski
Feed Duck Hunters
Attention duck hunters! Are you feeling a rumble in your stomach? The Friends of Mead/McMillan Wildlife Areas will be grilling up brats and hotdogs and serving ice cream sundaes on Saturday, September 26th from 10am-1pm at the Visitor Center. Fill your belly with good food and drinks while supporting the Friends.
Pop-up Mushroom Foray
Are you interested in fall mushrooms? We are too!
Join Master naturalist Craig Ziolkowski for a pop-up foray. Meet at the Visitor Center at 12:00pm, then caravan to a secondary location. Participants will return to the center around 2:00pm. No prior mushroom experience is needed to come along and search for some fungi.
Dress for the weather, wear sturdy footwear, and bring a basket or mesh bag to gather your findings. Trip will proceed with light rain, but will be cancelled if heavy rain or thunderstorms are predicted.
For more information, contact craig.zoilkowski@wisconsin.gov
Mead Bird Walk - Wagon Ride
Join us for a hay wagon ride to bird the interior areas of Mead. Participants will hop on a hay wagon and ride along as we look for birds (especially shorebirds) in a drawdown area. This event is ideal for all, beginner and seasoned birders.
Meet at the visitor center. Bird ID books and binoculars are available to borrow, or bring your own.
If precipitation chance exceeds 50%, birding event will be cancelled. Check the National Weather Service page for Milladore.
Image credit: Gary Leavens via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Wildlife Art Gallery Submissions Open
Applications for the annual juried Mead Wildlife Art Gallery will be accepted beginning September 1st, 2026 until October 1st, 2026!
Click here to view the full prospectus: https://www.meadwildlife.org/s/Mead-Art-Gallery-2026-Prospectus.pdf
4th Annual Kite Festival
Celebrate the wind at The Mead, marvel at the acrobatics and engineering of magical kites, bring your own or make one on-site. Learn from expert flyers, play and relax. The Wisconsin Kiters Club will dazzle you with their huge displays along Hwy S and at the visitor center. Grab some lunch from a food truck or bring a picnic to enjoy while you watch the kites high in the sky.
Make a kite or bring your own kite to fly! Arts and crafts too.
Learn about monarchs with the Master Naturalists or do hands-on learning with the Wisconsin Bat Ambassadors. Interested in doing citizen science? There will be plenty of info on how to do that too!
A spectacle of the best kind! You don’t want to miss this free, all-ages event!
Handicapped parking and all access restrooms are available. Be prepared for uneven ground.
Sponsored by: Visit Wausau
Summer Fun at the Mead: Wildflowers and Native Plants
Are you ready for some fun in the summer sun? Join us every Friday for Summer Fun at the Mead! This event series is free, and no registration is required.
This week’s topic: Wildflowers and Native Plants
Mead Bird Walk - Wagon Ride
Join us for a hay wagon ride to bird the interior areas of Mead. Participants will hop on a hay wagon and ride along as we look for birds (especially shorebirds) in a drawdown area. This event is ideal for all, beginner and seasoned birders.
Meet at the visitor center. Bird ID books and binoculars are available to borrow, or bring your own.
If precipitation chance exceeds 50%, birding event will be cancelled. Check the National Weather Service page for Milladore.
Image credits: Wwcsig via Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA-3.0
Summer Fun at the Mead: Solar Cooking
Are you ready for some fun in the summer sun? Join us every Friday for Summer Fun at the Mead! This event series is free, and no registration is required.
This week’s topic: Solar Cooking
Mead Archery Camp 3
THIS CAMP IS FULL. YOU MAY REGISTER FOR THE WAIT LIST. YOU WILL NOT BE CONTACTED UNLESS A SPOT OPENS.
Mead Archery Camp 3: August 5, 2026-August 26, 2026, Wednesdays, 1:00-3:00
Mead Archery Camp is a free, 4-week program to introduce students to the sport of archery. Led by NASP (National Archery in the Schools Program) certified instructors, students (between the ages of 9-17) will learn safety skills, get to know the equipment very well while growing in accuracy and confidence. Each week, as skills build, archers will face greater challenges which will culminate in a fun (and competitive) Archery Olympics during week four of camp.
Grown-ups and family members are invited to attend the graduation ceremony which will be followed by managed, range time so the students can show you what they got! All equipment is provided; at every camp snacks will be available mid-way to keep their minds in the game.
Registration is required. Spots are limited.
Camps are four-weeks long. Wednesday afternoons only, 1:00-3:00pm. If you know of dates that your archer is unable to attend, please notify us in advance. Guardians are welcome to stay and watch.
Important Disclaimer: By registering, you are agreeing to retain complete responsibility for your archer and cannot hold the instructors, any staff at the Mead Wildlife Area, nor any member of the Friends of the Mead McMillan liable.
Summer Fun at the Mead: Pond Study
Are you ready for some fun in the summer sun? Join us every Friday for Summer Fun at the Mead! This event series is free, and no registration is required.
This week’s topic: Pond Study
Summer Fun at the Mead: Birding Basics
Are you ready for some fun in the summer sun? Join us every Friday for Summer Fun at the Mead! This event series is free, and no registration is required.
This week’s topic: Bird Basics: with special guest, the Raptor Education Group Inc (REGI) and LIVE raptors!
Summer Fun at the Mead: Geology
Are you ready for some fun in the summer sun? Join us every Friday for Summer Fun at the Mead! This event series is free, and no registration is required.
This week’s topic: Geology
Summer Fun at the Mead: Mammals
Are you ready for some fun in the summer sun? Join us every Friday for Summer Fun at the Mead! This event series is free, and no registration is required.
This week’s topic: Mammals
Mead Archery Camp 2
THIS CAMP IS FULL. YOU MAY REGISTER FOR THE WAIT LIST. YOU WILL NOT BE CONTACTED UNLESS A SPOT OPENS.
Mead Archery Camp 2: July 8, 2026-July 29, 2026; Wednesdays, 1:00-3:00pm
Mead Archery Camp is a free, 4-week program to introduce students to the sport of archery. Led by NASP (National Archery in the Schools Program) certified instructors, students (between the ages of 9-17) will learn safety skills, get to know the equipment very well while growing in accuracy and confidence. Each week, as skills build, archers will face greater challenges which will culminate in a fun (and competitive) Archery Olympics during week four of camp.
Grown-ups and family members are invited to attend the graduation ceremony which will be followed by managed, range time so the students can show you what they got! All equipment is provided; at every camp snacks will be available mid-way to keep their minds in the game.
Registration is required. Spots are limited.
Camps are four-weeks long. Wednesday afternoons only, 1:00-3:00pm. If you know of dates that your archer is unable to attend, please notify us in advance. Guardians are welcome to stay and watch.
Important Disclaimer: By registering, you are agreeing to retain complete responsibility for your archer and cannot hold the instructors, any staff at the Mead Wildlife Area, nor any member of the Friends of the Mead McMillan liable.
Summer Fun at the Mead: Decision Making in Conservation
Are you ready for some fun in the summer sun? Join us every Friday for Summer Fun at the Mead! This event series is free, and no registration is required.
This week’s topic: Decision Making in Conservation
Mead Bird Walk - Butterflies and Birds
Join us to explore both the butterflies and the birds at Mead. This event is ideal for all, beginner and seasoned birders.
Meet at the visitor center. Bird ID books and binoculars are available to borrow, or bring your own. The trails are gravel and may be uneven. Dress to be outdoors and for walking.
If precipitation chance exceeds 50%, birding event will be cancelled. Check the National Weather Service page for Milladore.
Summer Fun at the Mead: Nature Art
Are you ready for some fun in the summer sun? Join us every Friday for Summer Fun at the Mead! This event series is free, and no registration is required.
This week’s topic: Nature Art
Summer Fun at the Mead: Forestry Fun
Are you ready for some fun in the summer sun? Join us every Friday for Summer Fun at the Mead! This event series is free, and no registration is required.
This week’s topic: Forestry Fun - with a special guest appearance by Smokey Bear!
Decoy Event and Expo
Join us for this free, all-ages event from 11:00am-4:00pm for:
Guided bird walks
Carving and Painting Demonstrations
Learn to Carve and Paint like the Experts (hands-on!)
Hand-crafted Decoy Collections on Display
Grill & Chill - Lunch and Ice Cream Fundraiser to support the Friends of Mead/McMillan Wildlife Areas
…and more!
Mead Bird Walk - Birding 101
Join us for a bird walk! This event is ideal for all, beginner and seasoned birders.
Meet at the visitor center. Bird ID books and binoculars are available to borrow, or bring your own. The trails are gravel and may be uneven. Dress to be outdoors and for walking.
If precipitation chance exceeds 50%, birding event will be cancelled. Check the National Weather Service page for Milladore.
Summer Fun at the Mead: Ssssnakes!
Are you ready for some fun in the summer sun? Join us every Friday for Summer Fun at the Mead! This event series is free, and no registration is required.
This week’s topic: Ssssnakes!: with opportunity to see and touch real snakes!
Mead Archery Camp 1
THIS CAMP IS FULL. YOU MAY REGISTER FOR THE WAIT LIST. YOU WILL NOT BE CONTACTED UNLESS A SPOT OPENS.
Mead Archery Camp 1: June 10, 2026-July 1, 2026; Wednesdays, 1:00-3:00pm
Mead Archery Camp is a free, 4-week program to introduce students to the sport of archery. Led by NASP (National Archery in the Schools Program) certified instructors, students (between the ages of 9-17) will learn safety skills, get to know the equipment very well while growing in accuracy and confidence. Each week, as skills build, archers will face greater challenges which will culminate in a fun (and competitive) Archery Olympics during week four of camp.
Grown-ups and family members are invited to attend the graduation ceremony which will be followed by managed, range time so the students can show you what they got! All equipment is provided; at every camp snacks will be available mid-way to keep their minds in the game.
Registration is required. Spots are limited. (See below)
Camps are four-weeks long. Wednesday afternoons only, 1:00-3:00pm. If you know of dates that your archer is unable to attend, please notify us in advance. Guardians are welcome to stay and watch.
Important Disclaimer: By registering, you are agreeing to retain complete responsibility for your archer and cannot hold the instructors, any staff at the Mead Wildlife Area, nor any member of the Friends of the Mead McMillan liable.
Book Club
Join the Mead Book Club! This spring we are reading Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? by Frans De Waal.
Discussions will be held via Zoom from 7:00pm-8:30pm. The meetings are on March 18th, April 15th, and May 20th.
To register, please contact Same De Roche at Sandra.DeRoche@wisconsin.gov
Friends of Mead McMillan Board Meeting
Every other month on the second Tuesday the Friend’s board members have a meeting at 6PM at the Mead visitor center. At these meetings we discuss future projects and events, hear property and education reports, and brainstorm ways we can improve the Mead and McMillan wildlife areas.
We would like to extend an invitation to anyone that would like to learn more about the friends group to join us at these meetings. Only board members have the power to vote but we would love to hear your input on any topics being discussed.
We are always looking for new board members and would love to meet you, our group has many tasks we could use help with such as helping out at events, volunteer coordination, fundraising, running social media, and much more. If you have ideas on how to improve the Mead and want to be more involved please reach out either by coming to a meeting or filling out our form below and someone will be in touch!
You can find more about what we do here.
Mead Bird Walk - Warblers and More
Join us as we explore the Mead looking for migrating warblers and other species. This event is ideal for all, beginner and seasoned birders.
Meet at the visitor center. Bird ID books and binoculars are available to borrow, or bring your own. The trails are gravel and may be uneven. Dress to be outdoors and for walking.
If precipitation chance exceeds 50%, birding event will be cancelled. Check the National Weather Service page for Milladore.
Feature image credit: Rhododendrites via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Trapper Certification Class
Saturday May 2nd | 8am - 5:30pm Sunday, May 3rd | 8am - 4pm
This 2-day weekend course covers standard trapping techniques, emphasizes current regulations, trapper ethics and animal welfare. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Trapper Association and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Register with Wisconsin Trappers Association Instructor Al Nickel by calling (715) 570-8718. Registration fee is $20.
Dress for weather & hands on experiences. Bring a notebook and bag lunch. Recommended gear: Hip boots or chest waders.
Wetland Walk and Talk
Celebrate Earth Day at the Mead and learn about our magnificent wetlands! The event will begin at the visitor center with coffee, tea, and a short presentation on “What are Wetlands?”. Following the introduction, you will have a choice of three locations at the Mead to walk and talk with an expert.
Expert guided tour topics:
Exploring River Otter Activity on the Little Eau Pleine River
Big Eau Pleine Reservoir Walleye Movement Study
Current State of Wisconsin Wetlands and Wisconsin Wetland Association Resources
The trails are gravel and uneven at times. Please dress accordingly.
Become A Volunteer
Volunteers play a crucial role in helping us run events. They assist with event setup, greet and direct attendees, and help with cleanup afterward. Their support allows events to run smoothly and ensures a positive experience for everyone. Other volunteer positions are also available.