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Mississippi Valley Conservancy

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Mississippi Valley Conservancy

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Conserving native habitats and farmlands in SW Wisconsin for current and future generations.

The mission of Mississippi Valley Conservancy is to conserve native habitats and farmlands for the current and future health and well-being of the Driftless Area.

11/05/2026

We're Hiring!!

--Two Seasonal Habitat Technicians--

Love working outdoors and making a difference for Wisconsin’s natural landscapes? Mississippi Valley Conservancy is hiring two part-time, seasonal Habitat Technicians to join our Land Management Team!

Help restore and care for more than 5,500 acres of nature preserves across the Driftless Area. Work will include invasive species control, brush removal, prescribed burns, timber stand improvement and leading summer restoration crews.

Position details:
- January–August 27, 2027
- Approximately 25–30 hours/week
- $18/hour
- Based in the La Crosse area, working throughout our nine-county service region.

If you're hardworking, enjoy hands-on conservation work and want to make a lasting difference for the land, we'd love to hear from you!

Apply by reading the job description (see comments below), then email a cover letter, resume and three references in a single PDF to Levi Plath at [email protected].

Applications accepted until positions are filled.

Help us keep the Driftless wild and healthy!

11/03/2026

Thank you to Greg Watson of the Driftless Drifters who shared this recent hiking experience:

Nineteen La Crescent-Hokah Community Education Driftless Drifters went hiking on the Crown Trail in the La Crosse Blufflands-Juniper property in October. This property is owned by the City of La Crosse and more than 20 years ago, it was protected with an easement by Mississippi Valley Conservancy to ensure that it could be enjoyed by the public for years to come.

Our hike started out chilly and socked in with fog at Springbrook Park in La Crosse where we parked and then hiked up to the trailhead because of limited parking at the trailhead.

On our way up, and there were a lot of ups, we passed by a Zombie Giant Puffball getting ready for Halloween. When we arrived at the first overlook, we had plenty of sun, while the river valley was cloaked in fog.

On our way to another overlook, the trail was blocked by a fallen giant, an oak tree. The intrepid Drifters did find a way around the tree and continued our way to the overlook. Underneath a rock outcropping we stopped to ‘roast marshmallows’ over the firepit.

One of the Drifters found the perfect spot on a tree to sit and look out over the Mississippi River Valley still cloaked in fog.

On our back down to the trailhead, we spotted a mushroom sporting a bowtie, and further down the trail, we saw some Little Nest Polypore fungi. It was another gorgeous day exploring all the Driftless has to offer!

(Photos by Greg Watson)

11/02/2026

Here is your Silent Auction SNEAK PEEK!

Take a look at just a few of the amazing items that will be featured in the Silent Auction at our upcoming Fall Fundraiser!

Haven’t purchased your tickets yet? There’s still time, but quantities are limited! Purchase your tickets today by visiting the Events Calendar page on our website.

We can’t wait to see you this Thursday at the Radisson for an evening of celebrating conservation, enjoying delicious food, and coming together to raise funds to help care for the Driftless!

11/02/2026

PRESENTATION: THE WORLD’S LARGEST TROPICAL WETLANDS

Patrick Wilson, an acclaimed conservationist from La Crosse and former president of Mississippi Valley Conservancy, will present a program on the Pantanal Wetland in Brazil for the Winona Bird Club on Wednesday, November 4, 7 PM, Sobieski Lodge. Pat and his wife Bobbie visited the wild home of jaguars, tapirs, giant river otters, 469 bird species and 236 mammal species. The Pantanal comprises the tropical world’s largest tropical wetland and the largest flooded grasslands. Pat will discuss the wetlands’ spectacular wildlife and the ongoing threats to this critical habitat.

Pat says “A ‘flying river’ of water v***r from the Amazon Basin rains down in the Pantanal each year during the rainy season, creating a wetland the size of the state of Wisconsin. The Pantanal is preferred habitat for jaguars because they are strong swimmers who desire areas near rivers, swamps and dense cover. The jaguars and other abundant and easily viewed wildlife attract visitors to the Pantanal from around the world, which in turn supports the regional economy and encourages conservation.”

The Wisconsin Chapter of Sierra Club honored Pat with its highest award in 2022, the JJ and Pat Werner Award, for his “longtime leadership” and “decades of dedication.” He recently received the Inspiring Sustainability Award from La Crosse’s Sustainability Institute, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Mississippi Valley Conservancy. Pat has served as a president for Mississippi Valley Conservancy, the Bluffland Coalition, Friends of the Blufflands, Sierra Club’s Coulee Region Group and Wisconsin River Touring Section, Friends of Hixon Forest Nature Center and the Coulee Region Audubon.

All Winona Bird Club meetings are free, open to the public. Dues to support the Winona Bird Club are $20 Individual, $30 Family. They can be paid at meetings or sent to Winona Bird Club c/o Mara Bell 319 West Mill Winona MN 55987. Coffee and treats are served after programs. More info about the bird club is at Winona Bird Club/page

10/31/2026

12 months of homemade desserts, made just for you!

Satisfy your sweet tooth with a homemade dessert delivered to the Conservancy office each month for 12 delicious months. Board and Committee member Sue Dillenbeck, along with Shane Drey and Carol Abrahamzon, will take turns putting their baking talents to work to create these delectable treats for you to pick up and enjoy.

The sweetness starts at the Fall Fundraiser, where you can take home your first dessert... an Autumn Spice Cake with Sticky Coconut Pecan Filling!

Ready for an entire year of homemade goodness? Purchase tickets to our Fall Fundraiser by visiting the Events Calendar page on our website, but hurry, there are limited tickets left!

Photo: One of Carol's delicious desserts!

10/30/2026

The Driftless Region is one of Wisconsin's greatest treasures, but have you ever experienced the hidden beauty that lies beneath its rolling bluffs and winding waterways?

This is your opportunity to visit a special cave system right here in the Driftless! Bring your group of 8 to a privately guided tour of Kickapoo Caverns – seasonal home of four rare bat species, an oak savannah habitat, and many birds and wild-flowers. Conservancy staff will guide the tour and provide light refreshments. This special guided tour is donated by the Conservancy staff.

You could win this unforgettable experience at our Fall Fundraiser! Purchase your tickets to our Fall Fundraiser today by visiting the Events Calendar page on our website.

10/30/2026

Carol had a chance to visit with a cyclist who was traveling the state to check out all of the projects which had been made possible due to Knowles-Nelson funding. While this funding was not renewed, there is still hope that by spreading the word about all of the ways the funding has helped our communities, legislators might come back to the table and support this type of funding again.

Check out the link to the blog in our comments!

10/29/2026

Discover the hidden wonders of the Driftless with Wisconsin’s 2026 Land Trust Professional of the Year, Abbie Church!

Abbie has an extraordinary gift for helping people discover the ecological richness of the land around them. Her knowledge of native plants, birds, wildlife habitat, and land conservation brings the landscape to life in ways few people ever get to experience.
Gather up to four curious nature lovers, aspiring naturalists, or landowners eager to learn more, and spend two hours exploring your own property through fresh eyes or joining Abbie for a walk through a nature preserve already protected by Mississippi Valley Conservancy.

As a special keepsake, Abbie can provide a personalized list of the plants, birds, and other species she identifies during your walk together.

This is your chance to spend time with someone who truly knows, and loves, the Driftless.

For your chance at this unforgettable experience, purchase tickets to our Fall Fundraiser by visiting the Events Calendar page on our website!

10/29/2026

Congratulations to all of these amazing people for their work in making the Driftless more resilient! You are all an inspiration to our community. Thank you for all you do!

10/29/2026

Over the past month, members of our team and local volunteers have spent more than 20 hours collecting seeds at four of our nature preserves. The goal has been to collect native seeds, dry them, and then later we will seed areas where restoration has taken place to help expand native plantings on those sites.

Native seeds are very expensive, so having the extra help from volunteers allows us to use the resources we already have on the land and redistribute a small percentage of those seeds in areas in need of more plants. Each seed holds the promise of new growth, new homes for the insects which the birds rely upon, and new cover for ground nesting birds. Each handful of seeds is like a handful of hope as we scatter the seeds and wait to see what comes up. Thank you to all of our volunteers who make this hope possible, including Wauzeka High School students, employees from local businesses, and others who just love to walk through the prairie collecting seeds!

Address

1309 Norplex Drive, Suite 9
La Crosse, WI
54601

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8am - 4:30pm
Friday	8am - 4:30pm

Website

http://www.mississippivalleyconservancy.org/

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