Gathering Waters

06/18/2026

Gathering Waters welcomes Amanda Sherer as our Donor Communications Manager!

We're excited to have Amanda join the team. She'll craft donor communications and manage annual giving campaigns, among many other things.

Amanda previously worked for the Friends of Schumacher Farm as their Event and Program Coordinator, and did administrative and communications work for smaller organizations such as YogAutism and Wisconsin for Environmental Justice.

Learn more about Amanda here: gatheringwaters.org/amanda-sherer

06/17/2026

Organized by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Invasive Species Awareness Weekend is happening this June 20-21. Learn and take action on slowing the spread of invasive species in Wisconsin through this series of 30 events.

A big thank you to the following participating land trusts for sharing their knowledge and being part of this collective effort to control invasive species: Groundswell Conservancy, the Ice Age Trail Alliance, and Mississippi Valley Conservancy.

06/16/2026

Last week, we joined State Senator Mark Spreitzer at Fair Meadows Sanctuary, a stunning Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance property with decades of active habitat restoration behind it.

We heard from sanctuary managers and former landowners Penny and Gary Shackelford, land steward Chris Kaplan, and SoWBA Executive Director Matt Reetz about what it takes to protect and restore a place like this... and how the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program makes it possible.

Thank you, Sen. Spreitzer, for making time to see this work firsthand and for your commitment to making Knowles Nelson a Day 1 priority next session!

06/11/2026

Join Gathering Waters on Thursday, July 2 at 6 pm for a magical butterfly release event to celebrate the launch of 2026 Wisconsin Land Trust Days!

Each attendee will have the chance to release their very own Painted Lady butterfly. As these beautiful creatures take wing, so does a season packed with adventures across Wisconsin’s prairies, forests, wetlands, and waters.

Butterfly inspired treats will be available for all to enjoy after the butterflies fly off.

We hope you join us and gather with others in the conservation community for this Land Trust Days kick-off event!

Learn more at: gatheringwaters.org/event/wings-wild-places/

06/09/2026

Recently, Gathering Waters was honored to accept a Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology - WSO at their annual convention, recognizing our advocacy work to reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.

WSO has championed bird conservation in Wisconsin since 1939, and this recognition means a great deal to our team. Protecting land protects birds, wildlife, and the places we all love!

Thank you, WSO. Onward!

06/05/2026

The first weekend every June is the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Free Fun Weekend!

On June 6-7, 2026, you can experience it all for free because state park admission fees, fishing licenses, and trail passes are waived.

This is a great opportunity to explore a new place or try a new activity!

Learn more here: dnr.wisconsin.gov/adventure/freefun

06/03/2026

Join the Ice Age Trail Alliance this Saturday June 6, to recognize the importance of America’s trails and the value they add to our lives on National Trails Day!

National Trails Day is organized by the American Hiking Society and honors the importance of federal, state, and local trails for recreation, conservation, and community connection.

Check out their calendar of events at iceagetrail.org/events to find something along the Ice Age Trail near you!

05/27/2026

Good news for the North Country National Scenic Trail! The National Park Service acquired 213 acres in Iron County this spring from the Trust for Public Land. The purchase means about 3 miles of trail will be routed off the road in a more scenic area.

Read more here:

The National Park Service recently purchased more than 200 acres for the country’s longest national scenic trail along the south shore of Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin.

05/22/2026

Could Wisconsin have a new state insect soon? A campaign by the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society to make the rare Hine's emerald dragonfly Wisconsin's official state insect recently gained support in the Wisconsin Conservation Congress survey.

Once feared extinct, this federally endangered species was rediscovered in Door County in 1987. The Ridges Sanctuary, Inc. stewards one of the rarest and most vital habitats on earth for its survival.

Learn more here:

A campaign by the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society to name the rare Hine's emerald dragonfly the state's official insect is gaining ground.

05/19/2026

Our kudos go out to Groundswell Conservancy for their tireless efforts that are resulting in a conservation win. Read more below.

This weekend’s front-page Wisconsin State Journal story shines a spotlight on the Herro property along the Yahara River in the Town of Dunn—an extraordinary landscape with both ecological importance and deep cultural significance.

Groundswell Conservancy is proud to be part of the ongoing effort to ensure this land is permanently protected for future generations.

Read the story here: https://madison.com/article_61e12c0d-ec3b-5150-ba31-80df6446ff27.html

Image descriptions: A view of part of the land to be protected and donated to the Ho-Chunk Nation, looking east where the Yahara River meets Lower Mud Lake. Photo credit: Ben Jones