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Low-angle view of a towering yellow birch tree with textured, peeling bark, surrounded by a forest canopy of green, yellow, and orange autumn leaves. Sunlight filters through the foliage, and patches of bright blue sky are visible between the branches, emphasizing the tree’s height and the vibrant fall colors.
From the Smallest Beginnings The seed of this gigantic yellow birch at Tenderfoot Forest Reserve may have taken root more than 300 years ago. © Jim Schumaker
Stories in Wisconsin

Wisconsin: From Seed to Scale

Explore five conservation stories about how decades of work and partnership across the state are saving and restoring nature for generations to come.

October 12, 2026

From our first land protection project at Abraham’s Woods in Green County to our most recent acquisition in the Central Sands, The Nature Conservancy has a rich history in Wisconsin of protecting incredible places and planting project “seeds” that blossom into long-term outcomes for nature. 

This year (2026) marks the 75th anniversary of TNC's founding, and we are celebrating small acts, projects and ideas that have led to enduring benefits in Wisconsin, North America and across the globe. 

Our work is possible because of your partnership, generous donations, and tireless advocacy for nature. Together, we find a way.

A timelapse photo shows water rushing in a stream through a forest in fall colors of yellow, gold and orange.
Protecting Lands to Protect Water The Bad River starts at Caroline Lake, where the forest filters the clean, clear water that contributes to the high water quality of the Kakagon/Bad River Sloughs downstream. © Mario Quintana
A blue sky frames a grassy prairie hill dotted with purple and yellow flowers.
The Wisconsin Desert Protected and managed by TNC in Wisconsin, Spring Green Preserve is one of the state's most unique and rare habitats, providing home to prickly pear cactus, tiger beetles, lizards and other unique plant and animal life. © John Harrington

Creating A Conservation Legacy

Follow along over the next month as we release a new “seed” story each week, highlighting our conservation legacy in the state. See the story teasers below for descriptions and release dates. We hope you’ll ride along on this journey through the decades.

  • A blue and white songbird perches on a mossy rock against a blurred green background.

    The Hills Are Alive in Baraboo

    What started as an 80-acre land purchase in Hemlock Draw in 1964 has grown into 144,000 acres of protected forested hills that provide safe homes for hundreds of wildlife species. Live now! Journey through the Hills

  • A bright orange and black monarch butterfly drinking from pink common milkweed blooms among green milkweed leaves against a blurred green and brown background.

    Community Collaborations in the Southern Driftless

    TNC protected the first acres of this area in the early 1960s. Today, the conservation vision for the area spans more than 24,000 square miles. Live now! Visit the Driftless' grasslands.

  • A large black bear sits at the base of a tree while a small brownish cub reaches its nose up toward the larger one's nose. The bears are surrounded by diverse green plants and tree trunks.

    Coming October 29: A Legacy of Forest Conservation in the Northwoods

    In 1970, TNC began our journey to conserve one of Wisconsin's last great places—the Northwoods, to keep these iconic forests as forests and protect the wildlife that depends on them.

  • A small songbird with a yellow throat and belly and grey head, with speckles of grey and white along the sides of its breast perched on a dark knobbly branch among pine needs and young pine cones against a green blurred background.

    Coming Nov 5: Supporting Endangered/Threatened Species in the Central Sands

    The 2.2-million-acre Central Sands region is a rich mosaic of sandy plains, wetlands, fire-dependent oak and pine barrens, and scattered mesas and buttes supporting an extraordinary diversity of plants and wildlife.

  • A slender dragonfly with large green eyes perched on a thin, grey twig against a blurred green background.

    Coming November 12: Supporting Natural Treasures in Door County & Green Bay

    Together, the Door Peninsula and Green Bay watershed encompass hundreds of miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and millions of acres of diverse habitats vital to many wildlife and plant species.

Other Seeds and Celebrations

While you’re waiting for the next story release, check out these other inspiring seeds from across the Upper Midwest and Wisconsin.

Local Regreening Efforts Help Milwaukee Kids and Communities Blossom

Discover how Reflo transforms Milwaukee schoolyards into vibrant green spaces, tackling climate change and inspiring the next generation of environmental leaders.

Seed to Scale in the Midwest

Small, place-based efforts through land protection, partnerships, or innovation grow over time into solutions that shape entire systems and influence work far beyond the Midwest.

Tenderfoot Forest Reserve expanded in Wisconsin’s Northwoods

An additional 500 acres of Northwoods forest are permanently protected and open to the public as part of an expansion of The Nature Conservancy’s Tenderfoot Forest Reserve.

Nearly 1,000 Acres in Wisconsin’s Central Sands Protected

In a major boost for one of Wisconsin’s most ecologically significant regions, The Nature Conservancy has secured nearly 1,000 acres of jack pine-oak forest and wetlands in the Central Sands.