PBS WISCONSIN EVENTS

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A Walk Thoreau Nature: PBS Wisconsin Thoreau Pop-Up!

WHEN:

Sun, Apr 12, 2026 at 1:00 pm

WHERE:

Holy Wisdom Monastery, Middleton

Promotional poster for Ken Burns' documentary "Henry David Thoreau," directed by Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers. Features a halftone portrait of Thoreau against a parchment background layered with handwritten text, manuscript excerpts, and collaged imagery including a factory, pine trees, wildflowers, a protest scene, and a loon on water.

With spring knocking on our doors, it’s the perfect time to get outside and reconnect with nature! Join PBS Wisconsin and Holy Wisdom Monastery for a free afternoon of reflection, the great outdoors and a glimpse at the new PBS documentary series Henry David Thoreau.

Thoreau himself was a naturalist, and his writings still resonate today as we continue to look for ways to live in harmony with nature and each other. During the event, we’ll explore our own relationship to nature together at Holy Wisdom Monastery, a local leader in environmental restoration and clean energy!

Part of the free-to-attend PBS Wisconsin Thoreau Pop-Up series, we can’t wait to walk Thoreau’s nature with you! All ages and nature-comfort levels welcome, come and go anytime between 1pm and 4pm.

At this event:

  • Tea and coffee refreshments
  • Clips from the Henry David Thoreau film, looped indoors throughout the afternoon
  • Guided walking tours led by Holy Wisdom Monastery (see below for a description of the tour, and be sure to reserve your tour time!)
  • Self-guided Meditation Trail

Weather note: while refreshments and film clips will take place indoors, the walking tours and Meditation Trail are outdoors. Please dress for the weather!

REGISTER FREE HERE. Registration is required for a guided walking tour. Registration is not required to attend the overall event, but it is still appreciated to help us plan ahead!

About the guided walking tour

Experience the beauty and promise of spring amidst the restored prairies on the monastery grounds. Knowledgeable tour guides will share the story of caring for the earth and help participants deepen their appreciation with this land. Tours will depart from the front desk in the gathering space of the monastery building and last 30-45 minutes. Expect to walk approximately one mile on grassy trails at a leisurely pace. Be sure to register for your tour time!

About Holy Wisdom Monastery

Holy Wisdom Monastery, located in Middleton, Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization, Benedictine monastery and retreat center. Their mission is to weave prayer, hospitality, justice and care for the earth into a shared way of life. They strive to build community with all who come there, in-person and virtually.

For more than 70 years the sisters, coworkers and volunteers have cared for the land by restoring native prairie and oak savanna, building a LEED-certified platinum building and achieving net-zero energy by generating 100% of their energy needs onsite. More than four miles of nature trails are open to the public.

The retreat and guest house is open for groups and individuals for day and overnight stays. Healthy, delicious, homemade meals, with produce from their gardens and local farmers, are available for guests. The simple, beautiful spaces are perfect for weddings, memorial services, meetings, concerts and more.

Attend a spiritual or environmental program, guided retreat or wellness class. Join their Sunday Assembly worship community or attend a variety of prayer opportunities. The peaceful setting, overlooking Lake Mendota and the city of Madison, helps you rest and relax on your group or individual retreat or visit so you can return home renewed and refreshed. All are welcome.

About the Henry David Thoreau film series

 

HENRY DAVID THOREAU is a new, three-part, three-hour film directed by Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers, and executive produced by Ken Burns and Don Henley. Henry David Thoreau helped define modern environmentalism and nonviolent resistance, yet his life has been obscured by myth. The author of Walden and Civil Disobedience, he was brilliant but flawed, idealistic but opinionated. A writer, scientist and activist, his words resonate urgently with today’s challenges as humanity looks for ways to live in harmony with nature—and each other.

Major funding for HENRY DAVID THOREAU was provided by The BeMer Angels Society, Jeff Skoll, the Mansueto Foundation, Tyson Foods, and The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. Funding was also provided by the Tyson Family Foundation, The Neil and Anna Rasmussen Foundation, and The BeMer Angels Society members: The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment and Mark A. Tracy. Additional funding was provided by Roxanne Quimby Foundation, Jim and Mona Mylen through The HeartSpace Fund, and Elizabeth Kenny.