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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Groundswell is proud to join @cleanlakesalliance`s Renew the Blue Council, a collaborative effort advancing cleaner lakes and beaches across the Yahara Watershed!
Last month, Groundswell Executive Director Heidi Habeger and Senior Director of Conservation Tony Abate participated in the council’s inaugural kickoff as part of a group (pictured above) of 45 nonprofit, governmental, and municipal partners. The gathering marked an important step forward as members explored the council’s goals and discussed how each organization can help advance the 12 highest-impact actions outlined in Renew the Blue: A Community Guide for Cleaner Lakes and Beaches in the Yahara Watershed. The council will meet four more times this year to build momentum and accelerate progress toward improved water quality across the watershed.
For Groundswell, this work is deeply connected to our mission. Protecting land means protecting water. The Yahara watershed spans 27 municipalities and two counties, and includes a wide network of conservation partners stewarding land and natural resources. Because watershed boundaries don’t follow political lines, meaningful progress depends on collaboration across communities, sectors, and landscapes.
We`re excited to contribute our land conservation expertise, strengthen partnerships, and help advance solutions that protect and restore the lakes and streams that define our region.
#RenewtheBlue #cleanlakesalliance #groundswellconservancy #conservationwhereyoulive
Sam, our Farm & Land Management Specialist, recently wrote in his monthly blog about Groundswell`s completion of a major multiyear project to help HMoob farmers access important resources. "Strengthening Support Systems for Wisconsin HMoob Farmers" was the first program of its kind in Wisconsin. We connected HMoob farmers with government programs, training, and technical assistance, breaking down barriers that stood in the way.
The work was led by Groundswell Community Director Yimmuaj Yang, in partnership with @fairsharecsa and the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension.
Read Sam`s blog post at the link in our bio for more about the program, which built relationships with nearly 300 HMoob farmers across Wisconsin and Minnesota—more than three times the goal!
#hmoobfarmers #equitableaccesstoland #groundswellconservancy #conservationwhereyoulive
Sometimes the stars align in the best ways ✨
While visiting her daughter in Georgia, Amy — Groundswell Conservancy’s Director of Major & Planned Gifts — just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Her daughter, who works with @concretejungleath, was coordinating a volunteer opportunity … at a land trust!
Amy and her husband Adam joined a crew at @athenslandtrust`s Williams Farm, just north of downtown Athens. They spent the morning weeding garden beds and supporting the farm`s efforts to address food insecurity by growing fresh, healthy food for the community.
Connecting with fellow land trusts strengthens our shared commitment to conservation, community, and access to nature. We love when worlds collide like this, and we’re grateful for the chance to see the inspiring work happening in Athens!
Here`s the Groundswell crew working on annual planning last week. A big thanks to @dreambankmsn for allowing us to use your wonderful meeting space. We have so much exciting work in the coming months we can`t wait to share with you!
#conservation #landtrust #teamworkmakesthedreamwork
⚠️KNOWLES-NELSON update: Your voice matters more than ever. Hunters, anglers, conservationists, and outdoor recreation advocates ALL want adequate land acquisition funding. The Senate is expected to take floor action next week, please speak up for Knowles-Nelson funding for land acquisition. Click the link in our bio to tell your Senator a bipartisan compromise must include adequate land acquisition funding, and to tell your Assembly Rep the how important land acquisition funding is for conservation, access and habitat management. The decisions being made now shape what comes next for Wisconsin’s land and water.
#conservation #landprotection #knowlesnelsonstewardshipprogram
50 people + 9 acres = 1 magical morning! Sending a big thanks to our intrepid volunteers for their time to plant a new swath of prairie. You all came smiling and excited and helped complete a huge planting in record time. We finished the event with a bonfire, hot cider, and hot dogs on the grill.
We also want to thank @marioquintanaphotography for braving slick roads to capture photos (coming soon!) and our event sponsors @spencerrealestategroup and @quercuslandstewardship 💥 and @jimwelshmadison for keeping the fires 🔥
#conservation #groundswellconservancy #prairierestoration #danecounty #landtrust
Before we leave 2025 behind us forever, we`d like to recognize the 80th anniversary of the Brooklyn State Wildlife Area!
This special place is located in southern Dane and northern Green counties between the villages of Oregon, Brooklyn, and Belleville. Initiated in 1945 by the former Wisconsin Conservation Department to help meet the growing demands of returning WWII veterans for outdoor recreation, the project is managed by @wi_dnr and provides nearly 4,000 acres of land for wildlife habitat and public recreation—all less than an hour`s drive from Madison.
Historically inhabited by the Ho-Chunk peoples, these lands were subsequently made available for habitat and public use due to the generosity of local farm families. Many of these farms still buffer the wildlife area from encroaching development under agricultural conservation easements funded by the state`s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and various USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service grants.
With 3.5+ miles of Ice Age Trail corridor and nearly 5 miles of Story Creek trout stream frontage, Groundswell Conservancy is proud to have partnered with the DNR in helping to permanently protect this beautiful property. Happy 80th Anniversary, Brooklyn Wildlife Area!
#brooklynwildlifearea #wisconsindnr #groundswellconservancy #landprotection #conservation
Farmland sustains us all. We must protect it. 😍 Here`s the brand new sign that celebrates the visionary efforts of Brian and Renee Bjugstad to protect 189 acres of prime farmland on their multi-generational family farm in Rock County. This easement ensures the land will remain undeveloped, preserving it for farming while also allowing public access for hunting, hiking, and other nature-based outdoor activities.
Help ensure farmers can keep growing food in Wisconsin with a year-end gift to Groundswell at the link in our bio or on our website at: groundswellconservancy.org/donate
Partners in this project include Groundswell, Rock County Land Conservation Department, the Wisconsin DNR, the Rock River Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, & American Farmland Trust. A special shoutout to Mike Foy, Land Protection Volunteer at Groundswell, and Brian Buenzow (Rock River Valley Pheasants Forever) pictured above.
