Marsh Haven Nature Center is located at the north end of the famous Horicon Marsh, just 3.5 miles east of Waupun, Wisconsin on Highway 49.  Our all-volunteer, community supported center features displays and exhibits that help depict the history and wildlife of Horicon Marsh. 

In addition, we also have an Art Gallery where a diverse collection of wildlife art, and beautiful wildlife photography is on display; a classroom/meeting room with full kitchen access for your teaching and meetings needs; outdoor amphitheater and indoor theater with large television and screen; bunkhouse/lodge for overnight adventures, and the only observation tower, campfire and camping accommodations on the Horicon Marsh.

Wildlife feeding stations are located on either side of our Gift Shop, and our visitors often see a variety of birds up close.  In 20 years of operation, our volunteers have met visitors from all fifty states in the USA, and about 90 foreign nations!  We provide free maps to help visitors enjoy Horicon Marsh even more.

Marsh Haven Nature Center offers unique environmental education programs with a focus on experiential, hands-on learning. We base our programming on the philosophy of place-based learning and the resources of Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods and The Nature Principle; Jon Young, tracker and founder of the Wilderness Awareness School; and principles from the Art of Mentoring and Coyote Teaching.

Volunteers run our center and it is open during the week from noon - 4 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends April through mid-November. 

A special birthday celebration
Hundreds of students from area schools have been invited to be the guests at a milestone birthday to be celebrated at Marsh Haven Nature Center in April. Sasha, the educational Red-tail Hawk in the care of wildlife rehabilitator Barbara Harvey of Mayville, will be turning 25 years old this spring. Sasha and
Barbara are well-known in the area for their educational programs given at schools, local events, and at the Horicon Marsh. With a dedication to educating future generations about the importance raptors play in the area’s ecosystem, it was fitting to invite elementary school students to share in Sasha’s birthday
celebration.

Thanks to the generous corporate sponsorship from Horicon Bank, Marsh Haven Nature Center is able to offer Earth Day 2012 – A Celebration of Wildlife, as a day of education for 200 fourth and fifth grade students. Horicon Bank is committed to supporting programs in the communities they serve, and their sponsorship of this celebration of wildlife illustrates that dedication to environmental education and to future generations.

In September of 1986, Sasha, a Red-tail Hawk who had been hatched that year, was found with a hunting arrow in her wing, near the elbow. The arrow was removed and the wound was allowed to heal, but Sasha would never fly again. Barbara received a permit to use this hawk for educational programs. She worked with Sasha for hundreds of hours, getting her used to sitting calmly on a display stand and on a glove. They have been visiting schools together for over 24 years now, sharing a message of education and appreciation for wildlife and nature. 

Earth Day 2012 – A Celebration of Wildlife will include Barbara’s “Wild Bird of Prey Program” using live hawks and owls, and  Marsh Haven’s
Founder, Lawrence Vine of Beaver Dam, will be presenting his program, “The Fascinating World of Snakes” using a live corn snake. Students will also share a piece of Sasha’s birthday cake as part of the celebration. This program will take place at Marsh Haven Nature Center during the week after Earth Day in April.
     
For more information on educational programs at Marsh Haven Nature Center, please visit www.marshhaven.com. To learn more about Horicon Bank and their commitment to make lives better and more secure, visit www.horiconbank.com.

 Photo: Renee Wahlen Tillema, left, director at Marsh Haven Nature Center, accepts a sponsorship check from Darlene Kurtz, Horicon Bank Mayville branch manager, while Barbara Harvey, right, looks on with Peek-A-Boo, a non-releasable Barred Owl used in her education programs.