Friends of the Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum

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Friends of the Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum

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Check out one of Fond du Lac's best-kept secrets! Come experience this beautiful County Park for yourself!

The Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum is a vibrant living museum of over 50 acres of diverse restored ecosystems. 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. He was a major force behind the project's initiation and development. 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.

10/28/2026

If anyone lost a key, ear buds, or a doggie rabies tag at the Gottfried’s luminary hike this past weekend, please email us at [email protected]. Describe what you lost & we will reconnect you with lost item. Thank you!

10/25/2026

WOW!!! We had the biggest turnout EVER for our annual luminary hike at the Gottfried! The weather was perfect & the bonfire with s’mores was a hit! It was wonderful to see so many new people discover the Gottfried! THANK YOU so much to all who attended & donated to help support free environmental events such as the luminary hike.

10/24/2026

Getting setup for luminary hike. It will be a beautiful night for a hike!

10/19/2026

Great turnout for our annual seed collection event! Thank you Shannon from the Wild Ones Fox Valley Area Chapter for co-leading!

10/10/2026

Gorgeous morning to walk the prairie during our monthly tour to find cool native seed heads & a few flowers blooming plus grasses & colored leaves gently moving in the breeze.

09/26/2026

5 DAYS LEFT! Sale Ends: October 1, 2026

Have you picked out your native trees, shrubs, or plants to plant this fall yet?

Just a friendly reminder that only 5 days remain for the Gottfried Fall Tree/Shrub/Perennial Sale!

If you or someone you know wants to take advantage of this opportunity to buy natives from Johnson’s Nursery without driving to Menomonee Falls, now is the time.

The best part? 15% of all sales through Johnson's Nursery will directly fund future events and enhancements at the Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum.

Planting in the fall gives your new trees and shrubs a head start, allowing their roots to establish themselves before the stress of summer heat and drought. It's a win-win for your garden and our community!

Simply click on the following link to Johnson's Nursery Online Plant Sales: https://www.jniplants.com/online-plant-sales.
-Click the Shop Now button for the Friends of the Gottfried to order.
-Select the native trees, shrubs, or plants you want.
-At checkout, in the “Shipping” section, type in Friends of the Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum in the shipping address. Type in City, State, Zip of Fond du Lac WI 54935. Unclick my billing address is the same as my shipping address. Then the Friends of the Gottfried as the drop-off site should show up on the bottom before you move on to billing.
Sale Ends: October 1, 2026
Pick-up Day: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Pick-up Time: 8:30am – noon
Pick-up Location: Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum
400 University Dr, Fond du Lac, WI 54935 (FCC Maintenance Shop Area)
On pick-up day, join us for our monthly Tour of the Parade nature hike at 9am and a tree planting demo at 10:30 am. Complimentary coffee and beverages served.

Address

400 University Drive
Fond Du Lac, WI
54935

Website

http://www.gottfriedprairie.org/, https://www.youtube.com/@FriendsoftheGottfriedPrairieAr

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