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UWEC Biology Outreach Programs The UW-Eau Claire biology department offers a variety of educational opportunities. Bring your group to tour the James Newman Clark Bird Museum, the biology department greenhouses or the Putnam Park nature area on the UW-Eau Claire campus, or arrange to have one of our faculty or student experts talk to your group about plant science, entomology or even molecular biology.
For more information on tours and presentations please call the biology department office at 715 836-4166. The UW-Eau Claire biology greenhouses offer a glimpse of exotic places right here in the Chippewa Valley. The three greenhouses, located on the fifth floor of Phillips Hall, consist of 3,500-3,600 square feet under glass. One of the greenhouses is divided into two separate rooms, each with different themes: a tropical rain forest and a desert. The "tropical rain forest" houses many exotic trees, including rubber and chocolate trees, and also the fruitful banana and coffee trees. The "desert" contains some cacti that are close to 50 years old and a 30-year-old date palm tree that was grown from seed (from a professor's lunch!). The second greenhouse is used for class projects and research, while the third is a diverse collection of orchids, cacti, bromeliads (pineapple family), ferns and other exotic plants. Tours can be arranged by contacting the greenhouse manager at (715) 836-4166. There is a $10 fee for groups of 10 to 25, and tour space is limited to groups of 25 at one time. James Newman Clark Bird Museum The James Newman Clark Bird Museum, circular in shape, contains four dioramas and surrounds the planetarium in Phillips Hall. The more than 530 specimens housed in the museum were collected by James Newman Clark from the 1870s through the 1920s. The four dioramas depicting native birds in their natural habitats include a white pine forest with ruffed grouse, a screech owl pouncing on a mouse, the now extinct passenger pigeons, and shore birds from downtown Eau Claire. The museum is open to the public weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. when the university is in session. Putnam Park is a 230-acre natural area owned by UW-Eau Claire. Most of the park is forested, although there is a small marsh area at the eastern end of the park and a small prairie area at the western end. The land comprising the heart of the park was donated to the city of Eau Claire in 1909 by Henry C. Putnam, who wished to see the land remain in its natural state and serve as a botanical laboratory and park in perpetuity. Over the years smaller tracts of land have been added to the original tract donated by Mr. Putnam. Ownership of the park was transferred from the city to the university in 1957. About half of Putnam Park is designated a Wisconsin State Natural Area . For the university the park provides diverse natural habitats for teaching and research that are available right on campus; for the community it is a quiet place for solitude, walking, relaxation and nature study.
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