The Naturalist-in-Residence Program
Encourage our community to explore, learn, and reflect upon our natural world and their place in it, through the guiding vision of an experienced or emerging local naturalist.
The 2022 Naturalist-in-Residence
John Newman (he/him) is a neurodivergent naturalist from the Midwest. He's been a lifelong forager, a giant science nerd, a passionate educator, and the kid who would excitedly start sentences with "Hey, did you know that ___?"
He comes with a Bachelor of Science in Botany from UW-Platteville, and has been a Wisconsin Master Naturalist since the Summer of 2019. A few of his favorite things are Black Raspberries, Camping, Dungeons & Dragons, Stargazing, and learning about the Tree of Life.
Residency Theme: Nature is for Everyone
A series of nature experiences this Fall aimed at inspiring wonder and stewardship of the world around us, as well as recognizing our place within it. The residency included nature-inspired art activities, walks in beautiful new places, taking a deep look at the familiar and ordinary, and expanding our idea of what was, is, and will be.
The theme of the Naturalist Residency is Nature is for Everyone and focuses on exploring nature, fostering environmental stewardship, and creating a renewed sense of connection to our natural world. Above you'll see resources created for the residency, including a list of Local Foraging Resources where you can learn more and take your first foraging expedition. John also did a presentation on Foraging for Beginners, which you'll find linked above. The slides from that presentation are available and provide lots of insight into what foraging is, where to do it, and how to forage responsibly and safely. Additionally, as part of the residency we worked with The Bubbler at Madison Public Library to commission Sara Meredith (aka Smere Tactics(link is external)), a local artist, to create a set of beautiful "Nature is for Everyone" posters that you can download and print!
