The environmental issues facing our world have never been greater – our climate is changing, farmland is disappearing, not everyone has good access to land, wildlife habitat is vanishing, and people are losing their connections with the outdoors. Groundswell Conservancy is pushing back. With the help of our supporters, landowners, partners and volunteers, we are taking on big issues with focus and resolve. Acre by acre we are getting results.
With your help, we restore and care for our local natural landscapes for communities to enjoy and wildlife to thrive. No experience is necessary, and we provide the tools for the job.
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Take a breath. Let nature do the rest. 🌾💚
Wander through Westport Prairie — a hidden gem just outside Waunakee, WI. With 227 acres of open prairie, rolling drumlins, and peaceful trails.
Whether you`re here for the views, the solitude, or a moment to reset — this is your reminder to slow down and step outside.
📍 Westport Prairie, Town of Westport, Wisconsin
🎥 Follow for more peaceful places in Wisconsin.
#WisconsinNature #DiscoverWisconsin #WestportPrairie #Nature #GetOutside #ExploreWisconsin #Wisconsin #NatureTherapy #PrairieViews #WisconsinOutdoors #MindfulMoments #Outdoors #CalmInNature
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!
We hope you enjoy the holiday with friends and family. If the weather allows, try to get outside and smell the flowers as much as you can. Our offices are closed today, but we will reopen on Monday. Patrick Marsh and Westport Prairie remain accessible, especially on holidays.
Can you name all three flowers?
📸BJ Byers
Fireflies are lighting up the night sky, pelicans have returned to Patrick Marsh, and Eastern bluebird chicks are hatching in nest boxes near you. Summer is here, and there’s so much to experience outdoors right now (if you can handle the heat)! But if the high temperatures have kept you inside, let’s take a quick virtual tour of nature as it’s happening.
Groundswell`s Land Management Director BJ Byers shows you the natural world through his eyes in the most recent edition of Nature Now. You can see the cutest baby vole and subscribe to get BJ`s Nature Now emails direct into your inbox by visiting the link in our bio. #Bumblebees #Wildflowers #Pollinators #Outdoors #Conservation #Wisconsin #Nature
Trout need extremely clean water to survive and thrive. This little guy was caught on a stream in Iowa County back in May when the temperatures were much cooler.
We are pushing for conservation where you live, and fighting for trout, with a lot of work in the Black Earth Creek watershed. We buy and protect land near the creek, and push for responsible land use to keep runoff from carrying pollution into the water. It keeps the streams and trout like this one happy and healthy. #BlackEarthCreek #TroutFishing #CleanWater #TroutHabitat #StreamConservation
While out on some field work at Westport Prairie we came across this fresh piece of art on a picnic table near the drumlin. We always appreciate when people gather together any litter they find, and this presentation was extra special because of how the artist used their found materials to make such a lovely display for us.
Westport Prairie can be a particularly inspirational spot for aspiring artists. Its views from atop the drumlin and nearby hills, the diverse native species of plants, the bird songs, and clean air all weave together into its own meaningful presentation.
If you do head out to Westport Prairie soon (and you should), feel free to help us keep the place clean and practice a little (nondestructive) self expression while you do so.
#WestportPrairie #ArtInNature #NatureLovers
Most places don’t come with a sticker showing how they were protected — but maybe they should.
This is the third post in our series about the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, Wisconsin’s most important conservation tool. Right now, it’s at risk — and state lawmakers aren’t giving it the support it needs.
This beautiful photo was taken by one of our amazing volunteer photographers at Cherokee Marsh, one of the best places in Dane County to spot local birds and wildlife. The marsh provides vital habitat for countless animals — both furry and feathered.
Over the years, Groundswell has helped protect more land around Cherokee Marsh, thanks in large part to Knowles-Nelson funding. Without this support, projects like these would be much harder — or even impossible.
📣 Lawmakers are making decisions right now about the future of this program. If you love places like Cherokee Marsh, now is the time to speak up. It only takes a minute to make a real impact thanks to help from @gatheringwaters.
👉 Tap the link in our bio to send a message to the lawmakers who need to hear from you.
📸 Scott Mauer
🌼🐝 It’s Pollinator Week! 🐝🌼
This bee, dusted in golden pollen and hard at work on a vibrant yellow flower, is doing what pollinators do best—keeping ecosystems thriving. 🐝💛 We’re committed to conservation where you live that protects and restores habitats that make this kind of magic possible.
One special place where this happens is Westport Prairie, just north of Madison. Once farmland, this land is being lovingly restored to native prairie, where many flowers are in bloom right now—and where pollinators like bees, butterflies, and beetles find the food and shelter they need.
Every buzz, every bloom, every seed carried by the wind is a sign that we’re moving toward a healthier, more biodiverse future. And we couldn’t do it without your support.
If you want to visit Westport Prairie and see the flowers for yourself, it`s free! https://groundswellconservancy.org/special-place/westport-prairie/
#PollinatorWeek #MadisonWI #Conservation #Outdoors #Nature #WestportPrairie #SaveTheBees #PrairieRestoration #PollinatorHabitat #NativePlants
📸BJ Byers
Most places don’t come with a sticker that says how they were protected — but maybe they should.
This is our second post in a series on how Wisconsin`s best tool for land conservation — the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program — is in danger. State lawmakers aren`t showing the level of support needed to protect special places like Lodi Marsh, pictured here.
If you’ve been to Lodi Marsh, you know how special it is. Walk the trails on any day, and you’ll find people soaking in the views, exploring wetlands, and enjoying the rolling hills.
Thanks to Knowles-Nelson, Groundswell has been able to help protect land around the marsh. Without this program, it will be much harder to protect similar places in the future.
📣 Your voice can help save it. Lawmakers are deciding now whether to keep funding the program. Speak up for the lands you love — it only takes one minute thanks to the help of @gatheringwaters.
👉 Tap the link in our bio to send a message to all of the lawmakers who need to hear from you right now.
📸 Ben Jones
