Friends of the Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum

Friends of the Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum Check out one of Fond du Lac's best kept secrets! He was a major force behind the project's initiation and development.

The beautiful Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum (GP&A) was created in 1991 adjacent to the UW Oshkosh, Fond du Lac Campus and is named in honor of Bradley Gottfried, former dean of UW Fond du Lac. Dean Gottfried's vision and persistence resulted in the restoration of a native prairie plus an arboretum for the Fond du Lac County park system. The Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum consists of:

-Over 50

acres of native prairie established with seed or remnants from some of the last remaining original prairie sites in Fond du Lac County. The diversity and scale of the site has attracted many species of invertebrates, birds, and small mammals that lived here at the time of early settlement.

-Nearly five and half acres of a formal arboretum representing several types of Wisconsin forest communities.

-One peaceful and beautiful pond which is home to many tadpoles, frogs and other wildlife.

-Over three miles of interpretive hiking trails including a gravel biking/hiking trail to immerse oneself with nature.

-A shelter that has an informational kiosk along with benches for relaxing or listening to environmental educational presentations.

-An Ellen Flood memorial garden with a stone council sitting area. Ellen Flood was a volunteer, former GP&A board president, and founder of our annual Prairie Fest event. This garden and council ring is a wonderful place for people to gather or to individually meditate and relax.

06/13/2026

Monthly morning walk in the prairie. I’ll be back out tomorrow, June 12 at 9am, for another walk if anyone would like to join me.

Come say Hi to the Gottfried board members at Saturday’s Farmers Market in downtown Fond du Lac. We’re giving away free...
05/30/2026

Come say Hi to the Gottfried board members at Saturday’s Farmers Market in downtown Fond du Lac. We’re giving away free Kentucky Coffee Tree seedlings & native plant coloring sheets for the kids!

Had an awesome volunteer night at the Gottfried on May 20th with the Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints church! Lots of ...
05/22/2026

Had an awesome volunteer night at the Gottfried on May 20th with the Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints church! Lots of mulching completed along with cleaning of our shelter and nature signs. Thank you so much for your assistance! If you have a group that would like to assist the Gottfried for community service, contact us at [email protected].

Beautiful morning for our May 9th Tour of the Prairie monthly hike. Found Prairie Smoke blooming by our shelter and a s...
05/10/2026

Beautiful morning for our May 9th Tour of the Prairie monthly hike. Found Prairie Smoke blooming by our shelter and a sea of Golden Alexander in the prairie next to the bike path. Also enjoyed a stroll around the new pond trail.

Check out our new and improved pond trail thanks to the County Hwy and County Parks departments. Walk the trail and si...
05/10/2026

Check out our new and improved pond trail thanks to the County Hwy and County Parks departments. Walk the trail and sit awhile to take in the beautiful nature around the pond.

Photo credits: Derek, County Parks Supervisor, and Fran, Friends of the Gottfried board member.

Thank you to all who participated in our Terra Luna luminary hike & Snipe hunt! Listening for the woodcocks was fun & i...
04/26/2026

Thank you to all who participated in our Terra Luna luminary hike & Snipe hunt! Listening for the woodcocks was fun & interesting.

Beautiful creations made Saturday at our annual holiday wreath & container making event! Thank you to everyone who atte...
12/06/2025

Beautiful creations made Saturday at our annual holiday wreath & container making event! Thank you to everyone who attended.

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400 University Drive
Fond Du Lac, WI
54935

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