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| Friends of the Kettle Moraine | |
|---|---|
| Name | Friends of the Kettle Moraine |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin |
| Area served | Kettle Moraine region, Wisconsin |
| Mission | Protect and preserve the natural, scenic, recreational, and historical resources of the Kettle Moraine |
Friends of the Kettle Moraine
Friends of the Kettle Moraine is a Wisconsin nonprofit that supports land conservation, recreation, and historic preservation in the Kettle Moraine region near Kettle Moraine State Forest. The organization partners with state and local agencies, private landowners, and national organizations to protect glacial landscapes and manage trails, natural areas, and historic sites. It coordinates volunteer programs, educational outreach, land acquisition, and stewardship projects across southeastern and central Wisconsin counties.
Founded in 1999 amid regional conservation efforts around Kettle Moraine State Forest and adjacent public lands, the organization emerged from collaborations involving local chapters of The Nature Conservancy, county park systems such as Washington County, Wisconsin, and statewide advocates tied to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Early initiatives referenced conservation precedents including the establishment of Kettle Moraine State Forest (Southern Unit), land trusts like Ice Age Trail Alliance, and municipal open-space campaigns in communities near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin and Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. Friends of the Kettle Moraine built relationships with federal programs such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund and nonprofit donors including National Audubon Society affiliates and regional chapters of Sierra Club.
The group's stated mission emphasizes preservation of the Kettle Moraine's glacial geomorphology, scenic vistas, and cultural heritage found at sites like Merton, Wisconsin and West Bend, Wisconsin. Its activities span conservation easements with partners like Land Trust Alliance, trail maintenance aligned with the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, and historic site interpretation linked to local museums such as Old World Wisconsin and Pioneer Village (Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin). Collaborations include resource management guidance from the Wisconsin Historical Society, ecological assessments with researchers from University of Wisconsin–Madison, and recreation planning with county parks in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin.
Friends of the Kettle Moraine actively manages or stewards parcels adjacent to state and county holdings including tracts near Kettle Moraine State Forest (Northern Unit), segments of the Ice Age Trail, and local preserves in Waukesha County, Wisconsin and Walworth County, Wisconsin. The organization coordinates site care at access points near landmarks such as Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians and conservation parcels proximate to Black River Falls National Forest corridors. Management responsibilities often involve cooperation with entities like Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, county park systems, and nonprofit partners including The Conservation Fund.
Education programs target audiences ranging from school groups associated with University of Wisconsin–Extension to adult volunteers trained in habitat restoration by experts linked to Natural Resources Conservation Service. Outreach includes interpretive signage referencing glacial history taught in partnership with the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, public lectures co-hosted with Milwaukee Public Museum, guided hikes with the Ice Age Trail Alliance, and collaborative workshops with municipal governments such as those in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. The organization also contributes to curricular resources used by educators from institutions including Marquette University and Cardinal Stritch University.
Volunteer opportunities include trail workdays coordinated with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy-modeled volunteer systems, native-plant restorations in partnership with Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center affiliates, and annual fundraising events held alongside regional festivals in places like Sheboygan, Wisconsin and Kohler, Wisconsin. Signature events have mirrored formats used by groups such as The Nature Conservancy and Sierra Club chapters: community stewardship days, guided naturalist walks, and gala fundraisers attended by local officials from counties including Racine County, Wisconsin.
Conservation projects focus on restoring oak savanna, prairie, and wetland habitats characteristic of the Kettle Moraine, often informed by ecological research from Aldo Leopold Foundation proponents and restoration protocols used by The Nature Conservancy. Restoration initiatives have included invasive-species management referencing techniques promoted by United States Forest Service biologists, prairie reconstruction using seed mixes supplied through partnerships with Chicago Botanic Garden programs, and hydrological restoration informed by studies from United States Geological Survey scientists. Land protection efforts employ conservation easements modeled after practices of the Land Trust Alliance and acquisition strategies coordinated with state programs such as the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
Funding derives from private donations, grants from foundations like Joyce Foundation-style philanthropies, competitive grants from state agencies including the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and partnerships with national programs such as the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Governance follows a nonprofit board structure similar to models advocated by Independent Sector, with oversight from a board of directors composed of local conservation leaders, business representatives, and academic partners associated with institutions like University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Financial stewardship and nonprofit compliance align with standards promoted by GuideStar and accreditation best practices recognized by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.
Category:Environmental organizations based in Wisconsin