2015Annual Report

Connecting generations to the wonders of Wisconsin's lands, waters and wildlife through conservation,

education, engagement and giving.

Josh

May

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4,000Members as of 12.13.15

I’m ambling through the beginnings of a prairie restoration, nestled in the moraine hills of our beautiful state. As I wander, I reflect on how the past seasons—the past decades!—have shaped what this field will become. Similarly, I reflect on how the past decades of the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin have shaped us today, as we celebrate highlights from 2015.

Natural wonders, special places and special species are reasons why you continue to support the Foundation. In 2015 you contributed over four hundred thousand dollars to conservation needs of the greatest importance. Your support makes it possible to care for wildlife and wild lands across the state.

Field trips continued to play a large role in Wisconsin’s conservation legacy. Birdathon activities, including twelve Birdathon Tours, raised $57,000. Our core field trip program had more benefit trips than ever, raising over $25,000 for other conservation groups and endowments.

Hopefully you heard more about the Foundation in 2015 than ever before through our Heron Haiku contest, the Osa Costa Rica postcard campaign, The Big Day competition and turtle dogs live tweets. In the fall, the I Heart Wisconsin: River Trip generated an amazing number of print, television and radio stories with its positive message of what we can all do to forward the conservation legacy of our state.

You have given in so many ways: through memberships, by creating endowments and by making designated gifts for lands, waters and animal species. Thank you!

Diane Humphrey Lueck Chair of the Foundation’s board of directors

2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dave Adam - Franklin James P. Bennett - Madison Linda Bochert - Madison Bruce Braun - Madison Scott Craven - Oregon Rebecca Haefner - MilwaukeeRita Hayen - River Hills Martin Henert - De Forest Jim Hubing - Belgium Diane Humphrey Lueck - FriendshipKristine Krause - Rhinelander

Mark LaBarbera - Hazel GreenWilliam Lunney - Sun Prairie Peg Mallery - Mosinee Jim Matras - Lodi Tom Olson - Madison Ron Semmann - Sun Prairie William Smith - Shell Lake Michael Williamson - Madison

2015 FOUNDATION STAFF

Barb Barzen Grants Coordinator

Lisa Charron Communications Fellow

John Kraniak Membership Director

Michelle Milford Outreach Coordinator

Ruth Oppedahl Executive Director

Lindsay Renick Mayer Director of Communications

Christine Seeley O ce Manager

Christine Tanzer Field Trip Coordinator

Caitlin Williamson Grants Administrator

Camille Zanoni Director of Development

"Your support makes it possible to care for wildlife and wild lands

across the state."

Mic

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Milf

ord

Josh May er

Ry

an Brady

Josh May er

Barb Barzen

2015 Use of Program Funds:$607, 747

34%

16%

36%

34%

State natural areas & public landsRare & endangered speciesConservation education & outreachSustainable support & endowment

2015 Use of Total Funds:$998,782

60%

27%

13%

All programs AdministrationFundraising

2015 Sources of Funding: $1,380,202

$583,656

$583,832

$116,149

$84,100

$40,535

$17,269

$-45,339

Individuals

Agencies, corporations &foundations

Program fees

Government

In-kind donations

Other

Market gains & losses

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200000

400000

600000

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From the goat prairies of the Mississippi bluffs to the forests of Oneida County to the Kettle Moraine savannas, you helped manage 14,000 acres of Wisconsin’s highest quality natural communities at 30 state natural areas. From the 2,400-acre Avoca Prairie to the 22-acre Berlin Fen, your donations supported invasive plant surveys and removal, prescribed burns and other management needed to restore and maintain these important natural treasures, some of which are globally significant. Your planned gifts and endowment proceeds supported campground improvements, trail maintenance and habitat restoration at more than 20 parks, forests and trails.

The Foundation conserves Wisconsin's most vulnerable public natural resources statewide by working in three key program areas:

Public land conservation

Endangered species protection & recovery

Outreach & education

More than 700 of you bird enthusiasts, plus several foundations, put $109,000 to work for Wisconsin’s birds. From monitoring rare and declining species and enhancing migratory stopover habitat to educating urbanites about preventing window strikes and mapping breeding birds through Wisconsin’s largest-ever citizen science project, you improved the welfare of thousands of birds for years to come. You also helped turtles in northern rivers survive and thrive through a habitat improvement project in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. Rare plants remained a focus, as you supported efforts to conserve lichens.

To keep up with your voracious appetite for outdoor education and adventure, we o ered 151 eld trips across Wisconsin, and 2,078 of you, including 193 young explorers, joined us in the

eld. Another adventurous bunch of you traveled to Belize and New Zealand. At eight schools, our Teachers' Outdoor Environmental Education Fund supported prairie restorations, school gardens and Project Green Teen’s week-long field trip from Madison to the Kickapoo River, where students got their feet wet in stream ecology. You also helped the Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program reorganize to enhance training for its 300 certi ed volunteers.

You invested

$67,908You invested

$115,852You invested

$162,083

DNR

Michelle Milford Michelle Milford

state natural areas

$106,192f o r m a n a g i n g 3 0 o f o u r b e l o v e d

Sustainable Support for Conservation

IV

70permanent endowment funds held by the Foundation

representing over $5 million in

sustainable conservation funding

for Wisconsin

A closer look at 2015

Turtles Fish Lichens Birds

Species of Focus

55,093for conservation efforts throughout the state

By attending

you raised

$

174 field trips

These endowed funds contributed more than $167,600 in grants to support:

Quiet trails and accessibility atstate parks

Invasive species removal andhabitat restoration at statenatural areas

8schoolsreceived funds to incorporate

environmental education and

hands-on learning activities

28

Bird conservation at criticalmigratory and breedinghabitats

Capacity building for fellowconservation organizationsstatewide

Rare plant preservation

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Endowme nt Fund

New funds created

4

You invested

$763,787in conservation

endowments

Thousands of DNR license purchasers made a big difference in a small way, contributing over

$93,000 through individual donations of $2 or more to grow our Cherish Wisconsin Outdoors

Fund for public land management.

C.D. Besadny Conservation Grants provided $27,311 to 28 differerent

grassroots, community conservation & education projects

Barbara ThorpThrivent Financial for LutheransMarc & Marilyn ThwaitsTom & Jane TreglowneMichael & Margaret UihleinLinda VogenVirgil & Margaret WagnerJerome WeberKatherine Wegner & Bob AndrewsLyman & Lyn WibleElizabeth Zimmerman & John FergusonRebecca & Jeff Zuhlke

$250 to $499Anonymous (5)Annemarie AdsenRichard AlbertGeorge & Linda AlbrightAmerican Bird ConservancyRussell & Vicki AndersonAssociation of Retired ConservationistsGeorge & Shirley AustinShelley & Kevin BakerBruce & Kathleen BartelSteven BetchkalDr. Charles BoardmanMarilyn BontlyScott & Laura BorskiBostikMarcia BradleyEdmund & Lois BrickKristine BurgarinoMyrna BuriPatrick Caffrey & Margaret ZappenDale Callaham & Susan LancelleMarsha & Peter CannonCapital BreweryMary Jo & Thomas ClarkPeter ClarkGroff & Lila CollettMary CullenAlan DaleyLynn DeuserMarco & Judith DottiJohn & Monica DyarGary & Judith ErtelTheresa & Martin EvansonKathleen FlatoffCarol FleishauerJanet Flynn & Gregory TiedtTerri Ann FlynnMike & Yvonne FortDonna FreemanJames FriedrichFriends of Dodge County ParksFriends of Pike LakeMary GarrettLisa GaumnitzDr. Donald & Marge GibsonWilliam & Sally GieseMarion GieseckeLynn GillesSandra & John GogginDonald & Karen GradeSusan Groshong & Robert DillardKim GrvelesDavid Hall & Marjorie DevereauxVicki HalversonJim & Marilyn HamptonGuy & Carole HansenJan HansenPamela HeaneyDarcy & Gary Hess V

Donor Giving Levels

With gratitude to our supporters, who gave so generously in 2015

James & Virginia CoburnCommunity Foundation for the Fox Valley Eleanor DavidsaverJames & Ann DeLineDerse FoundationNeil & Katherine DeupreeDuluth-Superior Area Community FoundationEagle OpticsElizabeth FennemaJohn J. Frautschi Family FoundationDr. Rebecca HaefnerRobert & Elke Hagge, Jr.Kathleen Hawkins & Charles MarnRita Hayen & Walter BoeshaarRick HeinritzMartin & Ellen HenertTod Highsmith & Joan BrauneJames & Sharel HubingJeffrey & Erin HuebschmanDiane Humphrey Lueck & Gary LueckGerry & Barbara HussinKettle Moraine Natural History AssociationMary & Terry KohlerMary KrallCraig KurthKristi LundWilliam Lunney & Judie PfeiferRichard LuthinNancy McGillMedtronicDavid & LaVonne MiddletonCharles & Carolyn MowbrayNoel J Cutright Bird ClubLorain OlsenTom & Barbara OlsonOshkosh Area Community FoundationPheasants Forever Iowa County Chapter 538Peter & Constance RoopKurt & Laurie SchmudeRichard & Carlile SchneiderCarl & Barbara SchwartzR Tod ScottDr. John ShillinglawWilliam & Jacqueline SmithCyrus & Joanne SpurlinoKurt & Susan SrokaMark & Christine TroudtRoger & Lynn Van VreedePeter & Lynne WeilWisconsin Environmental Education FoundationDr. John Bryant WymanCaryl Zaar

$500 to $999Anonymous (1)Scott AllenJane BarnettHolly & Dr. Jack BartholmaiSarah Bennett & Christopher AlfeldKent & Linda BergemannMerle & Nancy BigginBrookby FoundationClare & Matthew CarlsonLaura CarlsonThe Community Foundation of Western North Carolina

$100,000 to $299,999The Nature ConservancySociety of Tympanuchus Cupido PinnatusWisconsin Department of Natural Resources $25,000 to $49,999Friends of the Cedarburg BogMark & Coni LaBarberaFrank & Mariana Weinhold $10,000 to $24,999Anonymous (1)Bayfield Regional ConservancyDr. James BennettJohn C. Bock FoundationNeal & Carla ButenhoffCaerus FoundationDouglas & Sherry CavesDan & Jan ChabotBarry & Barbara DeBoerCathy HalpinMary Mowbray & Roland SchroederPeter OstlindMary Kay RingLuida Sanders**We Energies FoundationJoyce & David Weizenicker $5,000 to $9,999Anonymous (1)Antonia FoundationBruce & Nancy BraunCabela's Outdoor FundFriends of Cherokee MarshFriends of Wisconsin State ParksJohn & Marlen KaiserBill & Lisa KeenKristine Krause & Scott PatulskiLux FoundationJim MatrasNeenah Paper Inc.Michael & Erica SanDrettoJudith & James SchwarzmeierRonald & Ann SemmannDrs. Penelope & Gary ShackelfordSingle Step FoundationMichael Williamson

$1,000 to $4,999 Anonymous (2)David & Kathryn AdamAlliant Energy FoundationAmerican Transmission CompanyAssociated BankMike & Karen AustadValerie Bailey-Rihn & David RihnDarrell BazzellPatricia BeckerBarbara BesadnySarah Besadny & James MeiersLinda Bochert & David HansonJeff & Freya BowenJanet BrandtHugh & Helena Brogan FoundationDr. Laurits & Bea ChristensenDr. Martha Christensen

Scott & Candace CravenDr. Robert & Diane DempseyBrian Doverspike & Becky AndersonCatherine Drexler & Wade MuellerJane EdsonKaren Etter Hale & Jim HaleKristine Euclide & Douglas SteegeJohanna FabkeMary Lou Findley & L.J. BurlingameSusan Ford-HoffertRandall & Kay FreemanFriends of Horicon Marsh International Education CenterGaylord Nelson Audubon SocietyRebecca Gilman & Charles HarmonHeidi & Sunil GopalanKathleen GruentzelRichard HansenJulie HastreiterSam & Sue HendricksonMichael & Kim HerroAlexander & Anukriti HittleMichael & Marcia HittleGil HomstadMichael & Nora JamesonJewish Community Foundation of MilwaukeeMaggie JonesMargaret JonesTrudy KarlsonKikkoman Foods FoundationKurt & Renee KnutsonTimothy KohlJames & Rebecca KurtzEric Larson and Susan LewisJean & Mark LedmanRoma LenehanMicaela Levine & Thomas St. JohnMarilynn & Jim LovingMary & Douglas LovingMarklein Auto BodyColleen Marsden & Holly AndersonPatrick McGranahanBeth Meyerand & Chad MoritzMGE FoundationJim Milford & Karen Narloch-MilfordKari & Chad MogenRobert & Barbara MortimoreUrsula & Gerd MuehllehnerDrs. Thomas Nash, III & Corinna GriesNatural Heritage Land TrustMariette & David NowakKaren & L Patrick O'HaganRuth OppedahlMyron & Holly PetersonAlan & Carol PohlMarsha ReaJoe & Mary Jane RecerKathleen RedmondPaul RegnierRonda Richards & Robert LeyBarbara Roeber & Larry BlackChristopher RogersDoris RuschPaul & Thea SagerDaniel & Samantha ScheimanThomas Schwabe & Ann Jesse-SchwabeJames & Kathleen ShurtsMarcia & Dan SmithTimothy Staats**Joseph & Jamie SteuerNancy Thomas & Michael Samuel

VI

Natural Heritage Circle Members

As a result, Wisconsin's conservation legacy continues to thrive

Estate Endowments

In-Kind DonorsTASCWells Print and Digital

Wisconsin Conservation

Endowment Creators

Conservation Steward Society Members

Corporate Conservation Sponsors

Anonymous (13)David Adam George & Linda AlbrightRobert AlexanderCandye Andrus Mike & Karen Austad David Bange James BennettLinda Bochert & Dave Hanson Paul Brandt**Daniel & Margaret Brown**Suzanne CovoloskieJohn Dolen Dee**Roy & Becky DiverDale Druckrey**Jane EdsonDaniel T. Flaherty**Philip & Dale Grimm Cathy Halpin & Robert Halpin**Mary Hamel Rita Hayen & Walter Boeshaar Rick Heinritz Thomas JerowRobert Jostes Bill & Lisa Keen James KobiskeJohn & Mary Koeppe Mary Krall Holly Kuusinen Jerry & Barbara Larson Karen LawrenceKristi Lund Charles LuthinJim MatrasV.E. Nicholas** Arthur & Cora Oehmcke**Ruth OppedahlMary Oster Charles & Linda PilsMary Ann Pittner**Sandra Raby**Dave Redell**Mary Kay RingPeter & Constance RoopDoris Rusch Richard & Carlile Schneider Rebecca Schroeder Penelope & Gary Shackelford David Simonsmeier Timothy Staats**Sarah Stoll**Mark & Christine Troudt Anne Wandler John & Leslie WatschkeFrank & Marianna WeinholdDavid & Joyce Weizenicker Jane WileyNash Williams**

Friends of Horicon Marsh International Education Center Friends of Kohler-Andrae State Park Friends of Pike Lake Friends of Wisconsin State Parks Friends of Wyalusing State Park Cathy Halpin & Robert Halpin**James & Sharel Hubing Gerry & Barbara Hussin Jefferson County Parks Department Chris & Patricia Jeffords Robert Jostes John & Marlen Kaiser Bill & Lisa KeenMark & Coni LaBarbera Pauline Langsdorf Mark & Laurie Luthin David & Patricia Luthin Charles Luthin Richard Luthin John & Ann Molinaro Jim & Judy Olson Tom & Barbara Olson Peter Ostlind Ozaukee Washington Land TrustDave Redell** Mary Kay Ring Helen Ritter**River Alliance of WisconsinPeter & Constance Roop Luida Sanders**Michael & Erica SanDretto Beverly Schwabe Penelope & Gary Shackelford Society of Tympanuchus Cupido PinnatusRoger & Karen Sullivan James & Debra Tenorio Pat Tenorio Paul & Brenda Tenorio Tom & Kristin Tenorio Mark Tenorio Rita Tenorio & Mike Trokan Frank Tenorio**The Nature Conservancy Frank Hornberg Chapter, Trout Unlimited John Van Altena & Constance BrouilletteFrank & Marianna Weinhold David & Joyce Weizenicker Lisa Wilson Wisconsin Society for Ornithology

Anonymous (2) David & Kathryn AdamMike & Karen Austad Valerie Bailey-Rihn & David RihnJane Barnett Dr. James Bennett Linda Bochert & Dave HansonJeff & Freya Bowen Bruce & Nancy Braun Douglas & Sherry Caves Dr. Laurits & Bea Christensen Dr. Martha Christensen Elizabeth Fennema Dr. Rebecca Haefner Robert & Elke Hagge, Jr. Rita Hayen & Walter BoeshaarRick HeinritzMartin & Ellen Henert Diane Humphrey Lueck & Gary LueckWilliam Lunney & Judie PfeiferMary Krall Mark & Coni LaBarberaRichard Emmons Luthin Tuck & Peggy Mallery James Matras David & LaVonne MiddletonCharles & Carolyn Mowbray Mary Mowbray & Roland Schroeder Lorain OlsenTom & Barbara Olson Peter Ostlind Kurt & Laurie SchmudeCarl & Barbara Schwartz Ronald & Ann SemmannWilliam & Jacqueline SmithFrank & Marianna Weinhold Michael WilliamsonDr. John Bryant Wyman

Judith Huff Kristine JensenThomas Jerow & Steve SchreierMary & Thomas JohnsonRobert JostesChristine KisielewskiKirsten Koegel & Jim O'KeaneRobert & Jackie KoehlerHerbert H. Kohl CharitiesJanice KraneRichard & Marsha KruegerJeanne LaBoreDale & Sandra LandgrenDiane LembckRita LloydAlan & Rona LukazewskiAlfred Lustig & Janice WatsonMike & Barb MaddenAnn Marsh-Meigs & Eric MeigsGerald & Dorothea MatsonJoshua MayerMary McCann & Ernst CornielsenJim, Anne & Dan McComasSarah McGowanKatherine MehlsJill Metcoff-Jahns & Jeff JahnsDavid & Sharon MiddletonClint & Patricia MillerRobert & Rebecca MoczulewskiGrace MorlockJan Morlock & David HeemsbergenEarl Morren & Vera Ming WongPaul & Annie MuellerNancy NabakPatty & Ed NeumuellerNorthwest Illinois Audubon SocietyMichael O'ConnellWilliam O'Connor & Krista RoysRichard & Christine OurenMaryellen PaudlerSandra PendellDebra PetersenTom & Laurie PfiffnerMarty & Rosanne PoeAudrey ReineckJean Romback-BartelsDr. Diane Rosner & Bill O'NeillJudy SchwenkerMary ShanahanBill & Judy ShirleyJudith Siers-PoissonJohn SippelDr. Arthur SonnelandMichael Spencer & Patricia LenzPatrick StevensPatricia StockdalePatricia StockingJames & Debra TenorioDoris ThompsonDonald & Elizabeth TillsSteve & Jeanie TomaskoDeborah & Patrick TurskiCheryl Van LearCarol WaggenerMichael WangerTim & Maryanne WeyenbergWayne & Barbara WilliamsonAnita WilsonJerry & Pam WilsonJulie & John WoodcockDevan ZammutoLinda ZetterbergBrent & Karen ZimmermanDr. Albert Zuska

Anonymous (1)George & Linda AlbrightJames BennettMary HamelMarilyn HamptonMary & John KoeppePhillip & Dale GrimmChuck & Linda PilsSandra Raby**

Alliant Energy FoundationAmerican Transmission CompanyAssociated BankCabela’s Outdoor FundNeenah PaperWe Energies FoundationWells Print and DigitalXcel Energy Foundation

Anonymous (3)Lynette Anderson Patricia Anderson Jake & Kristin Barnes Bayfield Regional Conservancy James Bennett Lee Binkley Botanical Club of WisconsinPaul Brandt**Margery Buckeridge**Neal & Carla Butenhoff Cedar Grove Ornithological Research Station Dane County Conservation League Dale Druckrey**Doug & Laura Dufford Dunn County Fish & Game Association Jane Edson Kristine Euclide & Douglas Steege Friends of Brule River and Forest Friends of the Cedarburg Bog Friends of Cherokee Marsh Friends of Devil’s Lake State Park Friends of Dodge County Parks Friends of Governor Dodge State ParkFriends of Havenwoods **Denotes individuals

who are deceased

Barb B

arzen Take heart my friends, Our mission stands As it has stood before To help and save Our woods and lands From bluffs to great lake shores Be not dismayed Though times have changed Through this we will endure So to that end Take heart my friends Our future is assured Camille Zanoni Foundation Development Director

P.O Box 2317 Madison, WI 53701

866-264-4096

W I S C O N S E R V A T I O N . O R G

Wisconsin’s parks, conservation education and endangered resources

experienced significant and unprecedented state funding reductions in 2015,

jeopardizing some of the things Wisconsinites love most about this state: its lands,

waters and wildlife. These cuts included the loss of an $84,000 capacity grant that the

Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin has received annually since 2000. In

response to these developments, Foundation Executive Director Ruth Oppedahl

embarked on an 18-day kayaking trip down the Wisconsin River from source to mouth.

The initiative, called the “I Heart Wisconsin: River Trip” represented Ruth’s effort to

celebrate the state’s cherished outdoors and inspire others to do what they can to help.

Ruth's I Heart Wisconsin: River Trip

“If I can paddle the Wisconsin River as one person, I am certain that

every person can make a difference for our natural resources. We

want to inspire others to find their river, find their prairie, find their

forest. And then to help our state by becoming a steward of a state

natural area, volunteering as a citizen scientist, encouraging kids to

get outside and voting in line with their conservation values.

Despite the challenges this year, we have so much to celebrate,

and so much that we can each do as individuals.” –Ruth Oppedahl VII

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