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ELAINA BROSSMAN
NATURAL RESOURCES FOUNDATION OF WISCONSIN
A have steadily increased. Similarly, Wisconsin eliminated tax funding for state park operations, leaving the system almost entirely dependent upon admission stickers, camping fees and other user-generated revenue. Sadly, in the most recent complete national comparison available, Wisconsin ranked last among all 50 states in state park operating spending. We are essentially asking our parks to function like commercial enterprises accessible only to those who can afford it, rather than public resources for everyone to enjoy. The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin was created 40 years ago to help the DNR accomplish more. We are proud of what our members and partners have made possible. Philanthropy shouldn’t be expected to fill budget holes that have widened over decades. But at this time in our state’s history, your donations are more important than ever.
Wisconsin has been blessed with extraordinary beauty and abundant biological diversity, and a conservation tradition shaped by people such as Aldo Leopold, Gaylord Nelson, John Muir and Fran Hamerstrom. Their legacy is at risk. As we celebrate our organization’s 40th anniversary, I want to say thank you for doing your part to protect our state’s amazing natural resources both financially and through your supportive voices. Our state legislature makes the decisions about state funding for conservation and parks, and they care what their constituents think. You give me hope that our society can do better in the coming years. We can, and we must. Not only for ourselves, but for the generations that follow.
David Clutter Executive Director
OUR MISSION
BEHIND THE SCENES: NEW WISCONSIN CONSERVATION FILM Filming and interviewing for the new documentary in partnership with PBS Wisconsin has taken place all over the state, including at an NRF Field Trip 2
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SHELLY TORKELSON
Protecting Wisconsin’s lands, waters, and wildlife by providing funding, leading partnerships, and connecting all people with nature.
about bumble bees led by Elizabeth Braatz and Susan Carpenter. We look forward to sharing the final film with you soon. Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin wisconservation.org
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In honor of NRF’s 40th anniversary, here are a few reflections that members of NRF’s community have been sharing. You can add your video message at Tribute.co/NRF. Thank you for protecting our state’s lands, waters, and wildlife and connecting all people with nature. The impact that the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin has made over our first 40 years belongs to you!
“Congrats on 40 years!” — Friends of Wehr Nature Center (Franklin)
— Baird Creek Preservation Foundation (Green Bay) “We all love the outdoors and want to see Wisconsin’s natural areas protected and enhanced. That’s what NRF is all about, to me. They do a tremendous job.”
“I want Wisconsin to be a leader in preparing our special lands for the future.” — Ed, NRF member (Verona) “Just talked my neighbor out of planting her sister’s garden Lupine [and into using babies of my native Lupine instead. One neighbor at a time. :-)” — Deborah, Facebook follower
“This internship taught me a lot and helped me grow. I’m glad I applied, and I’m thankful for everything I learned.”
“Thank you for sponsoring the Kohler 7th grade wetland ecology field trip to the Sheboygan County Marsh. I had fun on the trip when we got to pick the bugs out of the water and identify them. I learned how to identify the health of a wetland.”
— Blakely, Diversity in Conservation intern
— Claire, middle school student (Kohler)
— Ron, NRF member (Ladysmith)
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TOM OBUKOWICZ
“We are so grateful for the opportunities you provide to help us connect people to nature!”
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GENERATIONS OF FIELD TRIP LEADERS
SAUK COUNTY
BAYFIELD COUNTY
“I’ve met so many interesting people on these trips throughout the years. Sometimes I feel like I get as much from participants as they get from me. And no one gets angry when I veer off into another unrelated, but amusing (to me anyway) tale!”
“I appreciate how enthusiastic NRF members are about nature. This allows me to go a little bit deeper in my teachings, be a little bit nerdier than on a regular public tour. I also enjoy meeting people from all over Wisconsin due to the statewide reach of the NRF Field Trip Program.”
— Phil Fauble 4
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and Education Director at Cable Natural History Museum, has led a Loon Pontoon trip since 2015. Chelsy Herring, Executive Director of Friends of Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, has led a spring blooms trip at Ledge County Park since 2024. NRF Field Trips would not be possible without the generosity of our leaders, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all 450 of them.
COURTESY OF CHELSY HERRING
The three below have been leading trips for 30 years, 12 years, and 2 years, respectively. Phil Fauble, a hydrogeologist with the Wisconsin DNR, has been leading his Geology of the Baraboo Hills trip since 1996. Emily Stone, author
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Throughout the history of the Field Trip program, thousands of Wisconsin’s brightest naturalists have volunteered to lead trips. They generously share their time,
knowledge and passion about the wonders of Wisconsin’s natural world, and are also responsible for trip concepts, scouting, route planning, logistics, and executing the actual program.
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NRF launched the Field Trip program to help connect more Wisconsinites with the outdoors back in 1993. During its first full year, the program hosted 42 trips with 582 participants. NRF now hosts over 275 Field Trips with over 5,000 participants every year.
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— Emily Stone Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin
EXPLORE WISCONSIN
15TH ANNUAL BIRDATHON BY THE NUMBERS
284
$132,736
660+
RAISED FOR BIRD CONSERVATION
BIRDERS FROM ACROSS WISCONSIN
83 TEAMS
SPECIES SPOTTED
TRUMPETER SWAN BIRD OF THE YEAR
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— Jenny Bardeen, Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
CO URTESY OF JENNY BARDEEN
Some people talk about passing the torch to the next generation, but we prefer to pass the binocs!
The Great Wisconsin Birdathon supported 18 projects this year. Proceeds from a previous Birdathon sent 24 curious young birders to the Milwaukee Zoo to learn how to use binoculars and identify local bird species with guides from local partner groups. The Hawthorne Elementary School student pictured above was delighted to learn new birds with Rita Flores Wiskowski of the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin.
LIGHTS OUT FLIGHTS OUT Here’s an easy way to help birds at home, especially during migration! Do a quick lighting audit to make sure your home isn’t contributing to light pollution. Opt for low-impact lighting including downward facing lights and 2200 Kelvin or lower color temperature lights, use timers and dimmers, and turn off non-essential lights when not in use.
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IT’S PHOTO CONTEST TIME
JESSICA CURNING-KUENZI
Help inspire others to protect our state’s lands, waters, and wildlife! Submit your best photos of nature in Wisconsin, now through November 1: WisConservation.org/ Photo-Contest
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Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin
LOVE WISCONSIN
Cabin by the Bay
Nature’s Read-me File
YOU’RE HELPING PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES ENJOY NATURE
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WISCONSIN’S COZY SEASON
By Jess Heumann “It really gives an opportunity for people to get out and get that kind of traditional camping experience, being in a campground with other campers, but within a facility that’s better equipped to accommodate their needs.” — Erin Stender, Property Supervisor at Potawatomi State Park Along the Door Peninsula, amidst rolling forested terrain and steep limestone cliffs overlooking Sturgeon Bay, lies Potawatomi State Park. Dense forests provide habitat for a wide variety of wildlife species across the 1200-acre property. It also offers recreational opportunities for thousands of visitors each year. This popular destination is one of 10 state parks in Wisconsin that provides a fully accessible cabin for the exclusive use of visitors with disabilities.
COURTESY OF WISCONSIN DNR
This “Cabin by the Bay” was constructed in 1995 with help from an NRF grant of $25,000. It was NRF’s first time significantly supporting an accessibility project. The cabin was designed according to ADA building codes and with the help of a committee of people with disabilities to make it a usable space for all. Accessible features include adjustable beds, a lift for transfer between areas, a roll-in shower, and appropriately positioned amenities like light switches and countertops. Visitors have been enjoying the beloved cabin for over 30 years.
Contours: A Literary Landscape an anthology of work rooted in the Driftless Region of the upper Midwest
Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers & Why They Matter by Ben Goldfarb
There’s a Hair in my Dirt by Gary Larson
Afield: Portraits of Wisconsin Naturalists Empowering Leopold’s Legacy by Sumner Matteson
Birds of the Great Lakes by Dexter Patterson
Incredible Wild Edibles by Samuel Thayer
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
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JIM HUDGINS USFWS
At a medium security prison in central Wisconsin, incarcerated people are helping monarch butterflies through a new program supported by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. In return, the monarchs are giving the inmates a renewed sense of meaning.
METAMORPHOSIS
INMATES SAVING MONARCHS FIND PURPOSE AND HOPE There are a lot more monarchs flying around one of Wisconsin’s prisons these days.
often-overlooked population in environmental efforts — to help protect the declining monarch butterfly.
Redgranite Correctional Institution in central Wisconsin houses approximately 1,000 men who’ve been convicted of a broad range of crimes, from drunk driving to murder. Some have years left on their sentences, and some are serving life. The facility offers a variety of education programs and courses for the people in their care so that the inmates can make good use of their time.
“I was looking for activities for our older and less active population. I heard about raising monarchs and planting pollinator gardens, and I figured if they could do it in schools, we could do it too,” said Jahnke.
Officially, Carrie Jahnke’s title at Redgranite is Recreation Leader, so it’s her job to provide these enrichment programs. Unofficially though, she’s the “Butterfly Lady.”
Caring for the larvae was just one part of a thoughtfully designed five-day-a-week curriculum that also included growing native milkweed and other pollinator-friendly plants, watching educational videos, reading conservation materials, and classroom discussions.
In 2025, Jahnke started a new program for inmates at Redgranite to contribute to monarch conservation. This unique program empowers incarcerated people — an 8
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Jahnke and a group of inmates put monarch caterpillars into enclosures* and began feeding them, cleaning up after them, and keeping them safe as they developed.
The participants watched every stage of the hatching Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin
PROTECT WISCONSIN
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I’ve been amazed at how much natural habitat has been lost since I was born in 1970…I find it extremely rewarding how our program can have a positive benefit beyond our prison, and I’m proud to tell others I’ve played a small role in it. — Inmate S.S.
and development process with magnifying glasses. “It was cool to see these big guys crowded around to look, fascinated by the cute little caterpillars,” added Jahnke. “They were very protective of them.” After researching which plants could help the monarchs thrive, Jahnke and the prison’s lead gardener (an inmate with a green thumb) netted a “monarch area” in an existing garden and started planting nectar plants and milkweed. They also began protecting food sources for monarchs that were already growing naturally on the prison grounds. Previously, wild milkweed was always weed-whacked. “We had to put up signs telling everyone to leave the milkweed alone,” Jahnke explained. Throughout Redgranite, the staff and inmates became deeply invested in the program, supporting it not just logistically but emotionally.
“It blew up. Everyone was willing to help,” she added. “Guys who weren’t even participating in the program would say to me ‘Ms. Jahnke, I saw 15 monarchs today!’ There was a lot of excitement.”
more just outside its door to give the monarchs an easy first meal as they exit. Tagging was added to the program so that the inmates could contribute to the scientific monitoring of monarch populations through Project Monarch Watch. And in 2026, two large new garden beds were planted to help the monarchs fuel up as they get on their way. The inmates themselves often tell Jahnke that they are honored to help the monarchs. Participants gain not only ecological knowledge but also a renewed sense of meaning and connection. Inmate A.D. expressed how the project allowed him to “give back something beautiful in a world where I brought ugliness.” Many participants are planning to continue helping monarchs when they are released. Others have encouraged friends and family back home to plant native plants to help monarchs survive. “They’re proud to be a part of something larger,” says Jahnke. *Monarch rearing is a great conservation education opportunity, but monarch experts often discourage raising monarchs on a very large scale. People who want to help monarchs are encouraged to focus their energy on improving conditions for wild monarchs, such as by planting native milkweed.
Jahnke’s plan going forward is to strengthen the program and create more habitat on the prison grounds for monarchs and other pollinators. NRF contributed a grant from the C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund to help purchase soil, seeds, and building supplies for a new protected shed for monarch rearing.
The “Monarch Mansion” has three protected pollinator planting areas inside it. There are several
CARRIE JAHNKE
“I call the new building the ‘Monarch Mansion’. The funds from NRF helped us build a safer place for the participants to maneuver around as they care for the butterflies,” said Jahnke. “Most of them are older, and some have mobility challenges.” The new “Monarch Mansion” at Redgranite Correctional Institution.
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UNDER CONTROL: BURNING LAKESHORE STATE PARK YOU’RE SUPPORTING PRESCRIBED BURNS AT KEY HABITATS By Eddee Daniel, Preseve Our Parks I’d been anticipating this day with excitement ever since learning of the plan for the first-ever prescribed burn at Lakeshore State Park. It’s not every day you get to watch an urban park go up in flames, especially with the city skyline for a backdrop! Garbed in fire-retardant uniforms and bearing a variety of fire-starting and fire-suppressing gear, the burn crew rolled into the park like a small infantry platoon. Starting downwind at the southern end of the park, the first spark ignited immediately. Drip torches helped spread the flames along the edge of each prescribed section. Water sprayers contained the blaze on the outside edges of each section. Before long a plume of smoke rose dramatically skyward that could be seen throughout Milwaukee’s lakefront. The purpose of prescribed burns like this one is to support healthy ecosystems for a variety of plants and 10
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animals that are native to Wisconsin. Historically, fire has been a habitat management tool used by Indigenous communities to remove dead vegetation and stimulate native plant propagation. Prescribed burns reduce hazardous organic fuels, improve foraging and nesting with revitalized vegetation, and stimulate the growth of root systems, which enhances their ability to store carbon. They also help reduce the prevalence of invasive plant species, which, unlike native species, have not adapted to survive fires. Thank you to Fund for Lake Michigan, the Wisconsin DNR, Friends of Lakeshore State Park, and NRF’s members for supporting the firstever prescribed burn of the prairie sections at Lakeshore State Park! This park provides critical habitat for wildlife like monarch butterflies, migratory birds, and more. A bumble bee visits some purple prairie clover at Lakeshore State Park several months after the prescribed burn. Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin
EDDEE DANIEL
PROTECT WISCONSIN
WELCOME, ANN!
MEET OUR NEW BOARD MEMBER, ANN REILLY
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Prior to retiring, Ann was responsible for USAA’s enterprisewide financial crimes program, spent several years at Citigroup leading the global anti-money laundering program for their consumer division, and had a similar role at GE Capital in Connecticut. She enjoys being back in her home state of Wisconsin where she received her undergraduate degree from UW-Madison before earning her Juris Doctor in Chicago. Since retiring, Ann held a board position with Friends of the Green Bay Trail and is a Wisconsin Master Naturalist and U CO Pollinator Steward.
WELCOME, TIM!
MEET OUR NEW SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN CONSERVATION COLLABORATIVE COORDINATOR, TIM VARGO
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LSON
Tim joined NRF this spring to guide partners and community members towards collective conservation impact in the globally significant Southeast Glacial Plains region of Wisconsin. His education and early career as an ornithologist took him all over the world before bringing him back to Wisconsin, where he spent the last two decades as Director of Research with the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, where he grew up. He lives near Washington Park with his wife, two children, and dog. His family’s favorite places in the Kettle Moraine region are the effervescent pools of Scuppernong and EL SH Paradise Springs.
WELCOME, JAMIE!
MEET OUR NEW COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, JAMIE KOLLMAN
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Jamie is excited to bring her passion for environmental storytelling to NRF’s communications, focusing on social media, videography, and photography. She graduated in 2025 from UW-Milwaukee in Environmental Ethics, Policy & Science with a minor in Film. In 2024, she was one of NRF’s Diversity in Conservation interns, working primarily with geese and ducks with the Wisconsin DNR. She previously worked in sustainability communications and recycling at UW-Milwaukee’s Office of Sustainability, in land management, and in EN ED environmental education. JA
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dave Adam Board Chair Michael Williamson Vice Chair Kris Euclide Secretary Marty Henert Treasurer James Bennett Beckie Gaskill Rebecca Haefner Jaimes Johnson Kristine Krause Ann Reilly Scott Valitchka David Zeug FOUNDATION STAFF David Clutter Executive Director Michaela Daly Grant Writer and Tech Coordinator Naomi Hadley Donor Relations Coordinator Shari Henning Administrative Director Marie Jensen Conservation Program Specialist Alex Kaspar Gifts and Grants Administrator Jamie Kollman Communications Coordinator Kim Kreitinger Field Trip Coordinator Natasha Norman Administrative Assistant Jane Nicholson Annual Giving Manager Chris Ott Major Gift Officer Emma Schatz Digital Communications Coordinator Ben Strand Director of Philanthropy Christine Tanzer Field Trip Director Shelly Torkelson Communications Director Tim Vargo SE Wisconsin Conservation Collaborative Coordinator Marcy West Landscape Initiatives Advisor Caitlin Williamson Director of Conservation BRIDGES I FALL 2026
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211 S Paterson St, Suite 100, Madison, WI 53703 (608) 409-3122 | WisConservation.org
MANY THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS
THOMAS D . WIENSCH
ARE YOU 73 YEARS YOUNG?
Your required minimum distribution can make a big impact. People over age 73 may be eligible for a tax benefit if they donate to NRF directly from their retirement accounts. Ask your tax professional how the SECURE 2.0 Act affects you.
WisConservation.org/IRA