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A pale blue sky with clouds is reflected in a still lake that is bordered by trees.
Mink River The Mink River Estuary provides critical habitat for wildlife. © Jason Whalen/Fauna Creative
Stories in Wisconsin

Our History of Conservation in Wisconsin

From the Northwoods forests to city blocks in Milwaukee, TNC is working to sustain people and nature throughout the Badger State.

Explore both our history and our future conservation plans in Wisconsin.

In 1960, a small group of people who loved Wisconsin’s lands and waters and were concerned that they were disappearing came together to take action to protect them. They formed the Wisconsin chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

Today, they and those who followed in their footsteps have protected more than 242,000 acres of Wisconsin’s most beautiful and diverse native habitats.

A big shout out goes to these early TNC founders and supporters and to our members, donors, volunteers and the organizations and agencies with whom we collaborate today for that remarkable achievement. 

From climate change to degraded water, our natural world faces many challenges, and the time to address them is now. We'll focus on four vital priorities in the coming years, and you can help.

We're grateful for you and your efforts, and we invite you to continue to work with us and engage even more people to help solve these big challenges.

Headshot of Elizabeth Koehler, WI State Director.
Elizabeth Koehler Elizabeth Koehler is TNC's state director in Wisconsin. © Jim Schumaker

From our state director

What's Ahead for TNC in Wisconsin

It’s an exciting time to lead the work of the Wisconsin chapter of The Nature Conservancy! From a small but dedicated group of 38 members in 1960, we have grown to include more than 20,000 households who are helping protect the places in nature they care about.

The world has changed since our chapter's founding in 1960, and TNC continues to evolve as an organization to meet the conservation challenges we face today. I want to take this opportunity to share a little bit about our future direction and answer a few questions you might have about our conservation priorities.

A map of the places where TNC's conservation strategies are touching down in Wisconsin.
Where We Work See where our work to protect land and water, address climate change, build healthy cities and provide food and water sustainably touches down in Wisconsin. © TNC

Does TNC still protect land?

Yes! We have a 60-plus-year legacy of pioneering new and innovative ways of protecting some of Wisconsin’s most beautiful and diverse landscapes and waters. We are proud of the vast scope and scale of our land acquisition and restoration accomplishments and of the wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities they provide.

We continue to do that work and are focused on creating a network of connected lands and waters that are resilient in the face of climate change. We also know that nature can help solve problems like flooding and poor water quality, and we are working with communities, agencies and decision makers at all levels to invest in Wisconsin wetlands, forests and other natural lands to help address these challenges.

On the map above you can see all the places where we’ve protected land in Wisconsin (little acorns). Some of these lands have been transferred to other entities for long-term management and protection. You can also see the places where our other conservation strategies are touching down in Wisconsin. Download a larger version of the map showing our work in Wisconsin

What is TNC doing about climate change?

Climate change is the biggest challenge we face for so many reasons, including the fact that it exacerbates other major challenges like water pollution and flooding. It also puts all the lands and waters TNC has protected in our 60-plus-year history at risk.

Sadly, it has become such a polarizing issue in the U.S. that we find it difficult to talk about even with family and friends. But it’s imperative that we talk about climate change if we hope to find solutions.

In Wisconsin, with your support, TNC is working collaboratively with scientists, legislators, business leaders and communities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help natural and human communities adapt to the impacts of climate change. 

Globally, TNC is focused on making nature part of the solution to climate change, such as restoring forests from Brazil to Indonesia, and working to ensure a clean energy future. In Wisconsin, we are changing the way we manage our forests in northern Wisconsin and the Baraboo Hills, so they remain healthy and resilient even as the climate changes. 

Why is TNC working with agriculture?

With food demand expected to increase by more than 50% in just the next 30 years as the world’s population grows, farmers will be challenged to meet that need while protecting the health of our soil and keeping our water clean here in Wisconsin and nationwide.

We believe healthy soil is the key to both productive farming and clean water. In partnership with Farmers for Sustainable Food and DATCP’s Producer-led Watershed Protection Grant Program, we are working with farmer-led groups to improve soil health and water quality by using conservation practices like cover crops and reduced tillage.

The farmers in these groups are sharing what they learn with each other and neighboring farmers, and they are setting goals and tracking conservation outcomes annually.

Man in blue shirt giving a presentation on soil health.
Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance TNC is working with farmer-led groups in Wisconsin like the Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance to improve soil health and water quality by using conservation practices like cover crops and reduced tillage. © Jajuan Lyons/TNC

TNC is doing more work in cities now. Why is that?

By 2050, two of every three people on Earth will live in a city. To protect nature, cities can no longer be an afterthought. Cities, and the people who bring them to life, can be the solution to many of the environmental challenges we face.

TNC has joined the effort to address urban conservation challenges in Milwaukee and support and amplify the inspiring conservation efforts already underway.

Through a yearlong planning process, which included conversations with many Milwaukee stakeholders, we identified three focus areas—water quality and flooding, habitat quality and climate resilience—where we are helping to address critical conservation challenges by building partnerships to amplify and complement the work of others.

A woman leans over a long table with a box of white seed packets, brochures and an open laptop with a nature photo on it.
Escuela Verde Students TNC is collaborating with organizations like Escuela Verde (EV) to bring the benefits of nature to more people in Milwaukee; EV students are shown here sharing their prairie seed collection project with their community. © Gary Porter
Aerial view of autumn forests around Caroline Lake and the start of the Bad River.
Caroline Lake Preserve The Bad River has its beginning at Caroline Lake. © Robert A. Kleppin

For the Love of Wisconsin

Together, we can ensure that our world is a place where people and nature can thrive!

Donate Today

Together We Are Stronger

The Nature Conservancy has ambitious goals for the coming decade, and you, as part of the TNC family, are more important today than ever. The challenges we face are urgent and complex. It will take science, innovation and a diversity of voices and perspectives to find solutions. We all have a role to play in creating a more sustainable future for ourselves and for our planet, and together we are stronger.

Beautiful clear blue lake with rocky shoreline in foreground, green forest and wetlands in distance with blue sky and puffy clouds.
Pine Lake TNC will continue to build on its 60-year legacy of conservation in Wisconsin, creating a network of connected lands and waters that are resilient in the face of climate change. © Jim Brekke