Badger Bonsai Society

Category: Clubs Also called: BBS; Badger Bonsai Society (Madison, Wisconsin); badgerbonsai.net Last checked: 2026-10-20

What it is

The Badger Bonsai Society is a bonsai club in Madison, Wisconsin that meets at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Its Membership page says the society “was formed in 1972 for the purpose of promoting and enjoying the ancient art of bonsai in and around the Madison-Wisconsin area,” and that it is a member of Bonsai Clubs International (BCI). The site’s tagline is “Promoting and Enjoying the Ancient Art of Bonsai Since 1972.”

Who it’s for

Beginners and experienced growers in and around Madison and south-central Wisconsin. The Membership page says meetings “are open to the public, and anyone interested can attend,” but asks people who keep coming to join, because dues pay for workshops and guests.

Why it’s listed

It is a real, long-running club with its own website, published dues, a regular meeting place and dated upcoming meetings. The site was checked on 2026-10-20:

• Regular meetings: the second Thursday of each month (except January), 6:30–8:00 PM, at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. April, June and September meetings run longer (6:30–9:00 PM) for styling and repotting sessions or demos by members or guest artists. January is a members’ dinner.
• Next meetings on the club’s own Upcoming Events page: Thursday, November 12, 2026 and Thursday, December 10, 2026, monthly meetings at Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
• Newsletter: Badger Bonsai News is posted every month; the October 2026 issue covers the October 8 meeting (a jin presentation and phoenix graft demo) and says board elections are in November.
• Annual show: the club holds an annual exhibit with Novice and Open classes and a People’s Favorite public vote; galleries from 2022 through 2026 are on the site.
• Library: members can borrow books and magazines from a cart brought to every meeting.
• Membership: $30 individual, $40 family, $20 student a year, paid through PayPal on the Membership page. Members get the newsletter, library access, show participation and priority at workshops.

Dates and prices are what the pages showed on the check date. They change.

Official URL

Official club site: https://badgerbonsai.net/

• Upcoming events (Nov 12 and Dec 10, 2026): https://badgerbonsai.net/upcoming-events/
• Monthly meetings: https://badgerbonsai.net/meetings-and-events/
• Membership ($30 / $40 / $20): https://badgerbonsai.net/membership/
• Newsletter archive: https://badgerbonsai.net/newsletter/
• October 2026 newsletter (PDF): https://badgerbonsai.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Badger-Bonsai-News-October-2026.pdf
• Annual show info: https://badgerbonsai.net/annual-show-guidelines/
• Library: https://badgerbonsai.net/library/
• Contact: https://badgerbonsai.net/contact-us/

Location

Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave., Madison, WI 53704. The Contact page is a web form and repeats the meeting place and time; no phone is published.

Notes

• Category is Clubs: a member society with dues, a board, a newsletter and monthly meetings.
• The home page’s newest blog post is from March 2026, but the Upcoming Events page and the newsletter archive (through October 2026) are current. Cite the Upcoming Events page for dates.
• Wisconsin is not new (Milwaukee Bonsai Society is listed), but this is the first Madison listing. CO, NE, AR, FL, CT and MI were avoided.
• Listing image: the club has no logo image and no og:image (the og:image is a WordPress blank placeholder). The image is the club’s own site header photo (cropped-Tree_30-3.jpg, a displayed broadleaf bonsai with an accent plant), resized from 2000×1386 to 1000×693, JPEG converted to PNG, saved as badger-bonsai-society-logo.png.
• Not affiliated with Bonsai Plaza. No contact, email, PayPal or form was used.

FAQ

Q: When does the Badger Bonsai Society meet?
A: On the second Thursday of each month except January, 6:30–8:00 PM, at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison. The next meetings listed are November 12 and December 10, 2026.

Q: Can I attend before joining?
A: Yes. The club says its meetings are open to the public; it asks regular attendees to join.

Q: How much does membership cost?
A: $30 a year individual, $40 family or $20 student, paid on the Membership page.

Q: Does the club have a show?
A: Yes. It holds an annual exhibit with Novice and Open classes and a People’s Favorite vote.

Q: What do members get?
A: The monthly newsletter, use of the club library, a chance to show trees, priority at workshops and a vote in club elections.