"Southern Wisconsin's Glacial Landscapes": Badger Talk in Madison, WI

About this event

This is an in-person talk hosted on November 17, 2026 at 11:30 AM by Friends of the UW Arboretum in Madison, WI. Registration is required. Last year's admission price was $48, but it could increase for fall 2026. Please register using this link: (https://foamadison.org/events). This event will not be available virtually.

This talk describes how Wisconsin’s landscape came to be what it is today. Southwestern Wisconsin, the Driftless Area, was never glaciated and its deep valleys and narrow ridges result from millions of years of stream erosion. At times in the past glaciers have covered more than two thirds of Wisconsin, and the area covered by the last glaciation exhibits excellent examples of glacial topography. Wisconsin was chosen as the location of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and the Ice National Age Scientific Reserve mostly for that reason. Our most recent glaciation was the Wisconsin glaciation, and it was responsible for many of the glacial landforms we see today.

David M. Mickelson is Emeritus Professor of Geoscience, Geological Engineering, and Water Resources Management at UW–Madison and has taught glacial geology, intro geomorphology, coastal geomorphology, air photo interpretation and Geology of the National Parks at Wisconsin since 1971. Geomorphology is the study of earth surface processes. One area of his research includes glacial geology. He has done research on modern glaciers and glacial deposits in Sweden, Norway, Argentina, China, Alaska, the Rocky Mountains, New England, and the Midwest. His continuing research interest has been the glacial deposits and the glacial history of Wisconsin. His other main area of research is shoreline erosion and nearshore and beach processes. He has published numerous papers on shore processes on the Great Lakes and on Wisconsin glaciation. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Ice Age Trail Alliance since 2010. He is the first author of the book “Geology of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail” published by the University of Wisconsin Press in late 2011.