Visit KnowlesNelson.org to take action to support the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program! If the Wisconsin governor and the legislature don’t act to renew the program in the next state budget, we’ll lose the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
The Stewardship Program has helped make Wisconsin a leader in protecting a state’s natural resources. For the past 30 years, the Stewardship Program has provided funding to the state DNR, local governments and non-profit conservation partners, such as Groundswell, to preserve valuable natural areas and wildlife habitat, to protect water quality and fisheries, and to expand opportunities for outdoor recreation in our parks, wildlife areas and forests. Stewardship is an investment that directly supports Wisconsin’s $12 billion outdoor recreation industry—including a $4 billion hunting and fishing industry—and the state’s $20 billion forestry industry.
Groundswell received the first grant to a non-profit organization for the purchase of conservation easements ever awarded by the Stewardship Program. We received this $1,980 grant in 1993 to help purchase a conservation easement on Token Creek in Dane County. Since that humble beginning, Groundswell has received 65 more Stewardship Program grants, totaling almost $20,000,000. We have used that money to help protect almost 6,000 acres of land and water at great places like Cherokee Marsh, Black Earth Creek, and the Sugar River. See the list below of places we were able to protect with grants from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
Groundswell has matched each $1 provided by the Stewardship Program with an additional $1.30, more than doubling the buying power of the Stewardship Program. This has been thanks to the generosity of landowners as well other sources of conservation funds including the Dane County Conservation Fund, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, local foundations, and private contributions.
This wise investment pays off every day for the communities we serve, helping to make sure everyone has parks, trails, and natural areas close to where they live so that everyone has the chance to hike in a natural area, catch a fish, run and play, hunt, and enjoy being outside. It is no surprise that healthy communities have convenient, nearby spaces for recreation and outdoor fun, and the Stewardship Program plays a large role in making that happen.
These are some of the special places protected with grants from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program:
Allen Creek Wetlands State Natural Area
Avon Bottoms State Wildlife Area
Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park
Empire Prairies State Natural Area
Kingsley Bend, Wisconsin River
Lower Wisconsin State Riverway
Patrick Marsh Natural Resource Area
Waubesa Wetlands State Natural Area
Conservation was your priority on GivingTuesday
More than 60 people (all listed below in alphabetical order) donated $26,123 for local conservation on GivingTuesday. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
A generous, anonymous donor has given $2 for every $1 donated. That means you gave $26,123, the matching donor gave $52,246, for a combined total of $78,369!
Your generosity makes the protection and management of our special places possible – with lasting effect. Together we are creating more places for people to connect with land and passing on our appreciation for the natural world to the next generation.
Our vision is a world filled with green places where communities thrive. We are so grateful you are a part of this vision and are our partner in conservation where you live.
| Anonymous (3) | Kirsten Koegel and Jim O’Keane |
| Becky Abel | Mary Anne Koos and Will Abberger |
| Scott and Rebecca Allen | Ed Krois |
| Nicole Anzia and Michael Davies | Sheila Leary |
| Patricia Arndorfer | Pat and Phil Leavenworth |
| Sandy Bennett | Herbert Ley |
| Lois Bergerson | Joe Lusson and Aleen Tierney |
| Jennifer Bevars | Saverio and Lori Maglio |
| Curt Bjurlin and Alexandra Wells | Mary Maher and Eileen Maher |
| Boyden Financial, Inc | Kate and Tom McMahan |
| Carrie Breunig | Carson Mettel |
| Carol Buelow | Deb and Al Nemeth |
| Joe and Kathy Chase | Jason Oswald |
| Gary Coenen | Connie and Mark Pelton |
| Lizzie Condon | Joe Rausch |
| Greg Delwiche | Jamie Richardson |
| Glenda Denniston | Harry and Ann Ripp |
| Ruth and Cal DeWitt | Mark and Dana Roffers |
| John Evenson | David Sample |
| Joanna Fanney and Dale Fanney | Gary Schwager |
| Don Ferber | Mary and Jerry Schwoch |
| Cameron and Kate Field | Mark Smith and Dan Rigney |
| Karen and Andy Grimmer | Mary Spike |
| Susan Gruber | William Taylor |
| Karl Gutknecht and Susan Hunt | William Van Haren |
| Justin Gutoski | Jim Welsh |
| Julie Hayward | Carla Wright |
| Peter and Beth Kaseman-Wold | Lynda and Dick Wright |
| Darcy Kind and Marc Vitale | Rich and Andrea Zietko |
Norm’s wife, Peggy Anderson, and a few people who had worked with Norm during his years of service on the board, shared remembrances with Heidi Habeger of Groundswell.
Heidi Habeger: Where did Norm’s passion for conservation came from?
Peggy Anderson: Norm spent his childhood in a very industrial part of Indiana. His aunt and uncle had a cottage next door to the Davidson (Harley Davidson) cottage on Lake Ripley, so every summer his family drove to Wisconsin to visit the relatives. He loved every moment in Wisconsin. He told me that the happiest day of the year was driving to Lake Ripley and the saddest day was leaving for Indiana. The contrast between the terrains was prominent to him even as a very small child.
Heidi Habeger: What inspired Norm to get involved with the establishment of Groundswell?
Peggy Anderson: Norm was a great admirer of Aldo Leopold and purchased land in one of the sand counties where he worked in the woods, trout fished, hunted and just enjoyed the tranquility of the marsh. His love of our natural resources led him, very naturally, to work on the establishment of what is now Groundswell.
Heidi Habeger: What motivated Norm to make a gift to Groundswell Conservancy in his will?
Peggy Anderson: Norm frequently spoke of a conversation he had with Gaylord Nelson many years ago. Gaylord had just returned from a trip to California and he told Norm “I have seen the future and it won’t work”. We can’t cover the country with concrete, asphalt and cars and expect clean air, water and terrain. Norm fully realized the value of the fertile ground in Dane County and urgent need to protect as much as possible. Establishing land trusts is a perfect way to protect resources and preserve open spaces in an ever expanding urbanization.
A Few Words About Norman Anderson, by Bill O’Connor:
Norm Anderson was a champion of the environmental movement before it had a name. Years before the first Earth Day dawned or the 1970s Environmental Decade stirred to life, Norm was writing – and passing – laws that made Wisconsin a model of wise state conservation policy. Studying in UW’S Institute for Environmental Studies, I learned from Professors like Bud Jordahl and Steve Born about the far-reaching Navigable Waters Protection Act (to this day a landmark law critical to the fate of our lakes and streams) and other conservation laws brought to life by Norm in the 1960s. As a legislator Norm was a work horse, not a showboat . . . always on the lookout for new and better ways to preserve the spectacular land and water resources of his adopted home state.
When Mayor Joe Sensenbrenner empaneled a Blue-Ribbon Committee in 1983 to look for a way to “Save Eagle Heights” woods, it was natural for him to ask Norm to serve as chair. He brought deep experience and assured leadership to the task, recognizing immediately how a “land trust” could complement the work of public agencies to protect critical lands. I worked closely with Norm and the committee as a young lawyer whose main credential was familiarity with land trusts and what they could do. That committee chartered the Dane County Natural Heritage Foundation and Saved the Woods, too! For the fledgling non-profit’s first 5 years, Norm ably chaired the Foundation’s Board.
About the time Norm stepped down from the Foundation’s leadership, he asked me to join his law firm. We worked together on conservation and other matters until he retired some 30 years later. For me, Norm was a wise, devoted mentor and friend. As a private lawyer, he was a model of positive civic engagement. As a Groundswell founder, he set the bar high for integrity and practical conservation results. We are lucky to be able to carry on Norm Anderson’s legacy.
Bill Lunney, former board president of Groundswell and served on the board with Norm:
Norm Anderson’s leadership as the Dane County Natural Heritage Foundation’s first President was critical to the early success of the organization (now Groundswell Conservancy). His status as Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly, and a long time local environmental leader provided instant credibility to our fledgling organization and opened the doors for success.
As the Foundation’s first President, he guided us with a steady hand through the many early challenges and helped establish the framework for our enduring success. Of note, he was one of the recipients of the Foundation’s first Stewardship Awards, joining leaders like Owen Gromme, and Walter Frautschi.
The application period has ended. We are no longer accepting new applications for this position.
Development and Outreach Coordinator
Groundswell Conservancy is a nonprofit land-protection organization based in Madison, WI. Our mission is to protect special places, forever, in the Dane County, Wisconsin region. We are a results-oriented organization. Since our inception in 1983, we have permanently protected more than 12,000 acres of important land and water. We accomplish our work by:
- purchasing land that has already been identified for conservation through public planning efforts and opening it to the public for hiking, bird watching, fishing, and other nature-based activities;
- collaborating with interested landowners to develop conservation easements that permanently protect valued natural resources on private land;
- partnering with schools and urban farmers to connect students with nature and provide permanent land for growing food;
- managing and monitoring protected land;
- informing the public and our supporters about our work;
- maintaining a strong, effective, and fiscally sound organization.
Position Summary:
The Development and Outreach Coordinator works as a team member under the guidance of the Director of Major and Planned Gifts to create, renew, and strengthen relationships with financial supporters of Groundswell Conservancy. Community support is critical in making conservation possible. This position plays a crucial role in effective stewardship of our supporters and is a rewarding part of our work.
Primary Responsibilities:
Annual Giving (70%)
- Build and maintain relationships with new and existing annual supporters, focusing on those giving up to $500 annually
- Plan and implement annual renewal mailings and acknowledgements four times per year
- Plan and implement year-end appeals, spring appeals, and new member solicitations
- Maintain records in donor database (Little Green Light), prepare mailing lists, run queries and analyses from database, and maintain database manual
- Track and analyze results of renewal and retention strategies and use data to seek innovations that improve results and increase efficiencies
- Develop and implement eight field trips annually, solicit financial sponsors to underwrite costs, and promote through print and digital means
- Assist with logistics for special donor events
- Research giving potential of annual supporters and share results with Direct of Major and Planned Gifts
- Participate in timely donor acknowledgements, including thank you letters and phone calls
- Assist with logging contributions in LGL and enter monthly online gift report in QuickBooks
- Supervise office volunteers responsible for entering donor contributions, preparing written acknowledgement of financial gifts, and preparing mailings
- Maintain eligibility in Earthshare, a workplace giving program, and participate in promotional opportunities
- Engage in civic organizations to build relationships with prospects, supporters, and peers
- Manage vendor relationships and maintain materials for recruitment, renewal, and retention activities
Communications (25%)
- Create and manage email communications to supporters, partners and prospects (using MailChimp)
- Regularly update social media accounts and website per communications plan to increase engagement and support fundraising appeals
- Supervise communication intern(s) hired to write stories, create video content, and assist with social media management
- Work with volunteer photographers to expand library of photos of supporters enjoying the places they help protect
Office Management (5%)
- Process invoices and prepare checks to pay bills (using QuickBooks)
- Provide administrative support to Executive Director, including scheduling meetings, answering phones, and sorting mail
- File financial statements
- Maintain and update organizational procedures on Nuclino, our internal Wiki
Minimum Qualifications:
- 1-2 years related experience
- Enthusiasm for the environment and land protection
- Collaborative team player
- Strong oral and written communication skills
- Excellent organizational skills, thoroughness, and attention to detail
- Strong computer skills, and experience with a donor database is preferred
- Ability to take initiative and follow through on projects
- Ability to multitask and prioritize tasks
- Comfortable representing and promoting the goals of Groundswell Conservancy
Salary and Benefits:
This is a full-time (40 hours/week) position in our office at 303 S. Paterson Street, Madison, WI 53703. The salary range is $40,000 to $43,000 annually depending upon qualifications. Paid benefits include health and dental insurance, annual and sick leave, and retirement. Groundswell is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
This position requires occasional weekend and evening work.
To Apply:
Please email resume and cover letter to Heidi Habeger, Director of Major and Planned Gifts, Groundswell Conservancy, heidi@groundswellwisconsin.org. The application deadline is Friday, June 5, 2020.
January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2024
Approved by Board of Directors November 20, 2019
Our Purpose and Vision
We protect special places forever. We want everyone to live in a world filled with green places where communities thrive. We believe that land is essential for people’s physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness. If we don’t protect undeveloped land now, it may be lost forever.
Our Strengths
Since Groundswell’s founding in 1983, we have permanently protected more than 12,000 acres of important land and water that provide for a high quality of life in southern Wisconsin. Our record of success includes protecting cherished landscapes like Cherokee Marsh and the Black Earth Creek valley, valuable agricultural areas like the Town of Dunn, vital wetlands that help maintain water quality in the Yahara Chain of Lakes, and nearby places where kids can fall in love with nature and where food is grown for local markets.
Our nature preserves are community centers with vibrant outdoor volunteering programs and exciting community engagement initiatives like the bird-inspired wildlife overlook at Patrick Marsh and our partnership with Waunakee High School students at Westport Prairie. Our robust conservation easement program helps many landowners and communities provide public benefits from private lands. We are a valued partner of the DNR, Dane County, local governments, and conservation-minded landowners. Our staff, board, and supporters have built strong relationships with partners and communities, and we are a trusted conservation resource for many.
Every year more people contribute more time and money to our cause and more people have included us in their estate plans. Landowners and supporters tell wonderful stories about our work, and our events and field trips are popular ways to build community.
Our Plans
Over the next five years, we will provide lasting and significant benefits to our communities and to the environment. We aspire to achieve the promise of permanence in our work. We will continue to innovate because we work in a rapidly growing region where people are spending less time outside and forging fewer connections to nature, and because land is in high demand and not accessible to many people in the communities Groundswell serves. Further, in our increasingly diverse communities people have new and different needs for land and nature.
Community Benefits
Protecting Land
We will permanently protect at least 3,000 acres of land in Dane County and the surrounding areas with an equitable approach to saving open spaces for nature and public enjoyment, meeting the diverse needs of all of our communities, and protecting high-quality farmland from development.
Community Preserves
We will make our preserves more welcoming to all people (and make more people aware of our properties) so that they will be more valued by all of our communities thanks to the recreation, conservation, mental, physical, and emotional health benefits they provide. Groundswell will provide more opportunities for young people to engage, learn, explore, and have fun in nature.
Equitable Access to Land and Nature
We will provide more places for people to grow food for local consumption, including by people who may benefit from the therapeutic value of growing food. We will improve land tenure and success for the immigrant and minority farmers at our Westport and Pasley’s Swan Creek Farms. Working with teams of parents and teachers, we will create more “green school yards” at community schools in Madison where all children can explore and have fun in nature right at their own schools. We will improve access at our nature preserves for people of different abilities.
Environmental Benefits
Climate Crisis
We will create community resiliency against flooding by protecting and managing wetlands around the Yahara chain of lakes and other important watersheds. We will explore reducing our carbon footprint by installing solar panels on our buildings at Westport Prairie. We will consider other climate crisis mitigation strategies as appropriate.
Wildlife
We will manage our preserves to improve wildlife habitat, reduce soil erosion, and improve soil health. Groundswell will plant an additional 25 acres of native prairie habitat at Patrick Marsh and 20 acres at Westport Prairie. We will reduce the amount of herbicide we use to restore and manage our prairies and savannas.
Water Quality
We will permanently protect and manage land to improve water quality in lakes and streams, focusing on wetland protection to reduce flooding and create clean water.
Permanence
Funding for Perpetuity
Our Easement Enforcement Endowment will increase to cover 100% of the stewardship and defense needs of our conservation easements (from the current level of ~90%).
Leadership
We will have a seamless transition to a new executive director in 2022. We will renew our accreditation with the Land Trust Alliance in 2020 and we will be well-prepared to apply for renewal in 2024.
Broad Base of Support
Our board, staff, volunteers, and event participants will be more representative of the communities we serve. More people will join us to protect special places forever.
Groundswell’s highest priority is the health and well-being of our staff, volunteers, and community during the rapidly evolving health concern of the Coronavirus/COVID-19.
We are monitoring the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic and using information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and Safer-At-Home order issued by Governor Evers to inform and develop policies to protect our community and help prevent the spread of the virus.
Staff Schedules and Availability to the Public
Our office in Madison is closed, as Groundswell staff is working from home. During this time we remain committed to our mission, to protect special places forever. We are still available to you via email, phone, zoom conferencing, and social media (Facebook, Instagram). Any message left on the office phone (608-258-9797) will be forwarded to staff at home automatically. They will return your call. View a staff list here.
Please visit our events calendar for information on rescheduled and adapted monthly field trips..
Outdoor volunteering is cancelled for the month of March and April. Please check our Outdoor Volunteering page for future updates or to be added to that email list.
We thank you for your trust, understanding and patience. In the meantime, we are as passionate as ever about what we can accomplish together.
Do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Additional Resources
Safer-At-Home order issued by Governor Evers
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources statement regarding the status of state parks.
Groundswell Conservancy will be applying in May 2020 for renewed accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, our national trade association.
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs. “Maintaining our accreditation ensures our supporters and partners that Groundswell Conservancy meets the highest ethical and stewardship standards,” said Greg Hyer, Board President.
The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how Groundswell Conservancy complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. Click here for the full list of standards.
To learn more about the accreditation program, visit Land Trust Accreditation Commission. You may email your comment to info@landtrustaccreditation.org or mail them to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments, 36 Phila Street, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
Comments on Groundswell Conservancy’s application will be most useful by June 19, 2020.
Many of you may remember the excitement and sense of accomplishment when a group of people came together in the early 1980s to protect a few acres of woodland on Lake Mendota. The creation of Wally Bauman Woods started a conservation movement that has saved many wonderful local landscapes of farmland, wetlands, woods and prairies, and has provided public places to hike, hunt, fish, and play in and around Dane County.
Our movement is now 34 years old, and our accomplishments have really added up. Since we got started as Dane County Natural Heritage Foundation and later became Natural Heritage Land Trust, we have permanently protected more than 11,000 acres of our beautiful landscape.
Protecting more land and serving more people is more important than ever. As our community grows and becomes more diverse, we continue to need land for good health and vibrant communities. But the competition for land gets stiffer every year. So what do we do?
Our core purpose is unwavering—to protect special places forever—but we are re-dedicating our work to the broader community so that we can protect even more places that are important in all our lives.
Our new name—Groundswell Conservancy—represents everything Natural Heritage Land Trust is and does. The name creates a powerful identity that will help us enlarge our wonderful base of friends, supporters, and partners. With it, we can connect with young families, college students, urban youth, and environmentally conscious consumers with limited outdoor recreation experience—the conservation heroes that we will surely need tomorrow and in the years to come.
We may have a new name, but we have the same purpose as when we started in the 1980’s – to protect special places, forever.
Groundswell Conservancy also helps tell how your impact goes beyond “acres saved” to “lives changed.” We are using our own experience in land protection to give disconnected youth important work experience on our preserves, helping students at Lake View Elementary School learn outside in an enlarged outdoor classroom, and securing land for local food production by immigrant farmers.
Conservation of cherished places—Cherokee Marsh, Black Earth Creek, Westport Drumlin, Patrick Marsh, Town of Dunn farmland— doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because our community comes together to make it happen. We look forward to all we will accomplish together in the coming years.
Video Credits: Videography and music by Michael Bryant; photography by Mario Quintana, Angie Banks and Roberta Herschleb; Patrick Marsh drone video by Jason Sromosvsky.
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017, a bill was introduced that proposes significant cuts to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
Bill (LRB-1803/1) proposes to cut 78% from the Knowles-Nelson grants to counties for land acquisition and 43% from the Knowles-Nelson grants to non-profit conservation organizations, such as Groundswell, for land acquisition. This proposal takes this money from the highly popular and successful stewardship program and requires the DNR to purchase land that the state already owns. We don’t even know if the DNR wants this land, and the legislature has already directed the DNR to dispose of 10,000 acres of state owned land.
To learn more read this article from Wisconsin State Journal.
The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program is a highly successful public-private partnership that currently provides $33 million annually to secure critical wildlife habitat, conserve the best of outdoor Wisconsin and provide consistent world class outdoor recreation opportunities. It has played a key role in the success of land trusts throughout Wisconsin.
Groundswell received the first grant to non-profit organizations ever awarded by the Stewardship Program. We received this $1,980 grant in 1993 to help purchase a conservation easement on Token Creek in Dane County. Since that humble beginning, Groundswell has received 53 more Stewardship Program grants, totaling $16,137,569. We have used that money to help protect 5,195 acres of land and water at great places like Cherokee Marsh, Black Earth Creek, and the Sugar River.
Groundswell has matched each $1 provided by the Stewardship Program with an additional $1.30, more than doubling the buying power of the Stewardship Program. This has been thanks to the generosity of landowners as well other sources of conservation funds including the Dane County Conservation Fund, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, local foundations, and private contributions. This wise investment pays off every day for the communities we serve, helping to make sure everyone has parks, trails, and natural areas close to where they live so that everyone has the chance to hike in a natural area, catch a fish, run and play, hunt, and enjoy being outside. It is no surprise that healthy communities have convenient, nearby spaces for recreation and outdoor fun, and the Stewardship Program plays a large role in making that happen.
Please contact your legislators and urge them not to sign on as co-sponsors and to vote against the bill if it comes up for vote either in committee or on the floor. Conservation where we live is made possible because of strong and active people who care.
For over 45 years Bill Lunney has held leadership roles in land conservation across Wisconsin and we’ve all benefited from the impact of his extraordinary dedication. We are thrilled that he has been selected to receive Gathering Waters: Wisconsin’s Alliance for Land Trusts’ Bud Jordahl Land Conservation Leadership Award for 2016.
We’re honored to have played a role in the nomination of Bill for this award. Bill spoke at the first Earth Day in 1970 and was one of the key players in our inaugural conservation success, Wally Bauman Woods, and the formation of our organization, then known as Dane County Natural Heritage Foundation. He has chaired the Dane County Parks Commission for twenty eight years, was president of Groundswell, Board Chair of The Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin, and president of the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks. He has served on the board of Gathering Waters and is serving his 15th year on the Natural Resources Foundation board. He traces this all back to his days as a law student where he was influenced by Stuart Udall and became aware of social and environmental issues.
Bill Lunney and his wife Judie Pfeifer are truly champions for the environment and local land conservation and we thank everyone who supported Bill’s nomination for this distinguished award with a letter of support: Jim Hubing; Howard Mead; R. Waldo Peterson; Gail Shea; Rick Eilertson, Friends of Capital Springs Recreation Area; Mary Jean Huston, The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin; Laura Hicklin and Darren Marsh, Dane County Parks; and Camille Zanoni, Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. As a former winner of the same award Howard Mead said in his nomination of Bill, ” in the past 40 years, few in Wisconsin have accomplished more for the environment.. . he has been an articulate spokesman for the wise use of our natural resources in the tradition of Aldo Leopold and Bud Jordahl.”