Lodging (back to top)

• Best Western Inn on the Park
  ADDITIONAL ROOMS AVAILABLE
  • Price: $135/night Friday-Monday.
  • Address: 22 South Carroll, Madison.
  • Phone: 608-257-8811.
  • Toll-free phone: 1-800-279-8811
  • Getting there: The Inn on the Park has a free hotel shuttle to/from the Dane County airport.
     
• Campus Inn FULL
  • Price: $145/night Friday-Monday. Located 2 blocks from the UW residence halls and about 1 mile from Monona Terrace.
    Address: 601 Langdon Street, Madison.
  • Phone: 608-257-4391.
  • Toll-free phone: 1-800-589-6285
  • Getting there: the Campus Inn offers free rides to/from Dane County airport via Madison Taxi (use this taxi company only).
     
• Lowell Center Inn FULL
  • Price: $77/night Friday-Monday. Located 2 blocks from the UW residence halls and about 1 mile from Monona Terrace.
  • Address: 610 Langdon St. Madison.
  • Phone: 608-256-2621.
  • Toll-free phone: 1-800-301-1753.
  • Getting there: take a taxi from the airport, cost will be about $12. Lowell Inn is a conference center guest-house facility on the UW campus. All rooms have private baths and hotel amenities including continental breakfast.
     
• The DoubleTree Hotel Madison FULL
  (formerly the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel)
  • Price: $175 single or double on Friday and Saturday night, $109.00 for Sunday and Monday. 2 night minimum on Friday and Saturday night.
  • Address: 525 West Johnson Street
  • Local Phone: +1 608 - 251- 5511
  • Fax: +1 608 - 251 - 4824
  • Identify yourself with "EH1"
  • Due to the busy weekend a seven day cancellation policy is in place. Full charges will apply if room is cancelled within seven days prior to 10/6/06.

Tour Options (back to top)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Tours will take place on Tuesday, October 10, 2006.  Coaches will depart at the appointed times from the front door of the Pyle Center, the conference site.  (If you are flying out of the Madison airport in the late afternoon or evening, you may want to bring your luggage, store it in the coach baggage area, and be dropped off directly at the airport.)  If sufficient interest in a tour is not generated, the tour will be cancelled and a full refund provided.  Advanced registration is required for tour participation.
 

Taliesin Tour—Spring Green, WI
October 10, 2006, 9:15 am – 2:15 pm

Taliesin, described as Frank Lloyd Wright’s autobiography in wood and stone, is located in the rolling hills surrounding Spring Green, Wisconsin, 40 miles west of Madison.  This two-hour tour features an intimate look at the famous architect’s private residence, filled with his furnishings and art collections plus a tour of the Hillside School where you’ll see the magnificent Drafting Studio that Wright called an “abstract forest,” the theater used by Wright and the fellowship for musical and theatrical performances, the assembly hall overlooking the fellowship dining room, and the exhibit room.   Maximum of 21 people.   Cost includes air-conditioned coach transportation, lunch and admission.  ($90.00/person). 

More information is located at www.taliesinpreservation.org

9:15am	Depart from the Pyle Center by Badger Coach
10:15am	Arrive at the Visitor Center for orientation
10:45pm	Begin the 2-hour highlights tour of Taliesin and and Hillside School
12:45pm	Return to the Visitor Center (gift shop and restrooms available)
1:15 pm	Depart for Madison with a boxed lunch
2:15 pm	Arrive at the airport and then area hotels

 

International Crane Foundation Tour – Baraboo, WI
October 10, 2006, 9:30 am – 2:00 pm

The International Crane Foundation (ICF) works worldwide to conserve cranes and the wetland and grassland ecosystems on which they depend. ICF is dedicated to providing experience, knowledge, and inspiration to involve people in resolving threats to these ecosystems.  ICF differs from most nature centers and conservation facilities in that its activities single out a very specific subject - cranes- rather than treating the natural history and general ecology of a region. But the focus on cranes is not limiting; instead it provides ICF an opportunity to address a series of issues not tied to a particular place: endangered species management, wetland ecology, habitat restoration, and the critical need for international cooperation.  Maximum of 50 people.  Cost includes air-conditioned coach transportation, lunch and admission. ($36/person)

More information is located at www.savingcranes.org

9:30am	Depart from the Pyle Center
10:30am	Arrive at ICF and begin tour
12:30pm	Stop in their gift shop/restrooms
1:00pm	Depart for Leopold Farm before continuing on to Madison with a boxed lunch
2:00pm	Arrive at the airport and then area hotels

 

International Crane Foundation Tour
PLUS Aldo Leopold Farm and Shack
October 10, 2006, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm

Enjoy the Crane Foundation tour as described above.  Then proceed by coach to the Leopold farm.  A typical tour of the Leopold farm and Shack will last approximately two hours and includes the history and philosophy of Aldo Leopold, a visit to the Shack, and a walk through restored prairie and woods.  The Shack is a re-built chicken coop along the Wisconsin River where the Leopold family stayed during weekend retreats.  The land surrounding the Shack and farm provides a living classroom for exploring dynamic ecological relationships.  Maximum of 50 people.  Cost includes air-conditioned coach transportation, lunch and admissions. ($50/person)

More information is located at www.aldoleopold.org

9:30am	Depart from the Pyle Center
10:30am	Arrive at ICF and begin tour
12:30pm	Stop in their gift shop/restrooms
1:00pm	Depart for Leopold Farm with a boxed lunch
1:15pm	Begin Tour of Leopold Farm
3:30pm	Depart for Madison
4:30pm	Arrive at the airport and then area hotels

Travel Information and the Madison Venue (back to top)

Where will the conference be held?

EcoHealth Conference 2006 will be held in Madison, Wisconsin on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Madison is a progressive, cosmopolitan city of 220,000. Madison is home to the world class University of Wisconsin, the seat of state government, and an eclectic atmosphere that energizes any visitor’s stay. Madison offers small-town charm and a range of cultural and recreational opportunities usually found in much larger cities. With four lakes, many beautiful parks, and miles of bike paths, this is one of the nation’s most scenic cities. A host of picturesque communities, many retaining their strong ethnic heritage, surround the city. Learn more about Madison by touring www.visitmadison.com

Frequently Asked Questions and Tell Me More:

Tell me more about the State of Wisconsin

We recommend you visit the Wisconsin Tourism Website for more information on the “dairy state.”

Tell Me More about Madison

Discover the University of Wisconsin campus… Take your time… it’s big. The University of Wisconsin is one of the finest universities in the United States and one of the largest with over 40,000 students. Take a walk down the “Lake Path” or through the center of campus and enjoy the view from Observatory Hill. It’s worth the hike. Not up to a hike? Take the bus—it’s free on campus. Catch it (Bus Rt. 80) on the Park Street side of the Memorial Union every 10 minutes. Your campus map shows the route.

Open doors with your nametag… If you present your nametag at the entrance to a UW recreation center (see campus map for locations), you can pay a daily fee and use indoor tracks, pools, equipment rooms, maybe even workout in an aerobics class.

Your nametag also provides access to the campus Unions. Memorial Union (at the corner of Park and Langdon Streets) is a legendary campus hangout. The Union Terrace on Lake Mendota offers lovely views and beautiful sunsets. Take along your nametag to buy a cool brew, or savor wonderful Babcock ice cream that’s made on campus. With either choice, the Terrace is the place to just sit and watch the world go by.

Check out State Street… The State Street pedestrian mall links the University of Wisconsin campus with downtown Madison. A walk up State Street will acquaint you with all kinds of ethnic cafes, restaurants, coffeehouses and shops. Marvel at the Overture Center for the Arts, the entire 200-block of State Street. It’s a $205,000,000 gift to the city from Madison businessman, Jerry Frautschi. SGC exhibits are in the Waterous Gallery and in Galleries 1 & 2 of the Overture. Museum corner is at the top of State Street with the Children’s Museum, the Wisconsin Historical Museum, and the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.

Downtown is actually up on a hill… Your walk up State Street will lead you eventually to the Capitol Square, site of the Wisconsin State Capitol. The Capitol is open to the public—worth a look either on your own or on the free, guided tours at the top of the hour. If you extend your journey around the square a bit, turn onto Martin Luther King Boulevard and take a look at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. You will see a stunning example of Wright’s architecture as well as a view of another of Madison’s beautiful lakes, Lake Monona. Guided tours are available there also.

Ride the bus… Madison Metro drivers are accustomed to answering questions from people unfamiliar with the city; don’t hesitate to ask—they don’t bite. Almost every place you’ll want to go including all the shopping malls is accessible by bus. Most of the buses travel up or down State Street and around the square; the fare is $1.50 and exact change is required.

Is there a conference airline discount?

You bet there is! American Airlines is pleased to offer discounted travel rates to the ECOHEALTH meeting. AA Meeting Services Reservation Phone: 1-800-433-1790. Destination: MSN. Title of Meeting: ECOHEALTH Conference. Valid Travel Dates: October 1, 2006 to October 15, 2006. Ticketing Number: A20H6AB. There are 2 ways to save on airfares via AA:

1. Domestic zone-fare discounts range from 40% to 70% off full, unrestricted Coach fares. Zone fares are valid for travel originating in the US or Canada, to meeting destinations in the US.

2. 5% Discount Fare: Valid for percentage discount travel from all markets where American (AA), American Eagle (AE), AmericaConnection Service and all OneWorld carriers provide service for the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, USVI, Bahamas, Bermuda, Europe, Japan and Mexico point of sale. The percentage discount can be booked online for AA and AE flights only. Use the ticketing number noted above as the "aa.com" discount code. Certain restrictions may apply.

How do I get from the Airport to my hotel after I arrive?

Conference Shuttle Cars (hybid cars with EcoHealth Conference Logos on the side) will shuttle conferees from the airport to conference hotels throughout the day and early evening on Friday, October 6. Conference Shuttle Cars will be waiting in the airport shuttle lane (the lane closest to the parking ramp). If a Conference Shuttle Car is not available when you are ready to leave the airport, and you don’t want to wait for one to arrive, please hop on the complimentary shuttle provided by your hotel (you may call the hotel shuttle by pressing the button on the hotel phone board in the baggage claim area), or take a taxi.

What are some good websites for general information about the Madison, WI area?

The official Madison visitors guide from the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison site.

The recreational and tourism site for the city of Madison.

Where can I find maps of the UW-Madison campus and the city of Madison?

Simplified map of the UW-Madison campus (pdf format)

City of Madison overview map (in .pdf format.)

Google Maps: Type in Madison Wisconsin and use arrows to zoom in.

Getting to Madison

What can you tell me about airports to Madison?

Madison is served by the Dane County Regional Airport. Driving time from the Dane county Regional Airport to downtown Madison takes approximately 15-30 minutes depending on time of day and traffic. A taxi from the Dane County Regional Airport to downtown Madison cost approximately $12.00.

You may also fly into Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport or Chicago’s O’Hare or Midway Airports and continue to Madison via bus.
 

By Bus

From Chicago: The Van Galder bus line runs several times daily from both O’Hare and Midway Airports. The one-way fare is currently $24.00-$26.00 and travel time is approximately 3 hours. Please call (800) 747-0994 for fare and schedule information or visit www.vangalderbus.com.

From Milwaukee: The Badger Coach bus line runs 6 trips daily from Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport directly to the Memorial Union for $19.00 one way or $32.00 round trip. Travel time is approximately 2 hours. Please call (608) 255-6771 for fare and schedule information or visit www.badgerbus.com.

Greyhound bus lines also run to Madison. Please call (800) 231-2222 for fare and schedule information, or visit www.greyhound.com. Taxis are available at the bus terminal, which is approximately 0.5 miles from the Conference Site.

By Car

Madison lies about 150 miles northwest of Chicago (approximately 2.5 hour drive), 75 miles west of Milwaukee (approximately 1.5 hour drive) and 270 miles southeast of Minneapolis (approximately 5 hour drive). For driving directions, try google maps.

By Taxi

For those who will be arriving outside the complimentary shuttle hours, below are some listings of taxi cab companies in Madison. Participants must pay this expense.

Union Cab: (608) 242-2000
www.unioncab.com

Madison Taxi: (608) 255-TAXI (8294)
www.madtaxi.com

Badger Cab: (608) 256-5566
www.badgercab.com

Do I need a visa to enter the United States?

Currently 27 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program, which enables citizens of these countries to travel to the US for tourism and business for 90 days or less, without obtaining a visa. More information can be found at: http://travel.state.gov/

If I need a letter of invitation to obtain my visa, what do I do?

Individuals requiring an official letter of invitation to attend the EcoHealth One Conference may send a request to Carol Strmiska. Please include your name and mailing address with your request. Your letter of invitation will be sent via e-mail and postal service.

This procedure is designed to assist participants who need to obtain a visa and/or permission to attend the meeting. The letter does not imply that any part of the registration fees or other expenses will be assumed by the meeting organizers.

Madison Area Services (back to top)

ATMs – 24/7 Access

Anchor Bank
25 West Main Street

M&I Marshall & Ilsley Bank
1 West Main Street

US Bank
1 South Pinckney Street

Bicycles – Rentals
(Trail maps available at bicycle shops)

Budget Bicycle Center
601 Williamson Street
442-5974

Yellow Jersey
419 State Street
257-7733

Farmers’ Markets

Dane County Farmers Market on the Square
http://www.madfarmmkt.org/
Saturdays 6 A.M. – 2 P.M.
(July 8 location only, Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. near Monona Terrace)

Wednesday Market
200 block Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
8:30 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.

Pharmacies

Community Pharmacy
http://www.communitypharmacy.coop/
341 State Street
251-4454

Walgreens
15 East Main Street
257-3814 (prescriptions only)
257-8718 (store information)