Gathering Waters

09/04/2026

Will we see you at the game? Join us to support Team Knowles Nelson and Friends of Wisconsin State Parks!

Tickets are discounted and $5 from every ticket sold benefits the Wisconsin State Park System, supporting Wisconsin’s state parks, trails, forests, and recreation areas.

You don't need to go to the game to join the fun. All are welcome at the tailgate beforehand!

Step up to the plate for Wisconsin’s land & water while cheering on the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field! ⚾️

Kick things off at the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks & Team Knowles Nelson tailgate party, from 10:00am to 12:30pm at Pavilion #1 in Uecker Parking Lot, before the Brewers take on the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, September 13. Tailgate eats are graciously provided by Maurer’s Market in Wisconsin Dells and sweet treats are from Neat-O’s Bake Shoppe in Downtown Baraboo.

⏳ Don’t forget your Wisconsin State Parks Fundraiser Night tickets, on sale through September! $5 from every ticket sold benefits the Wisconsin State Park System, supporting Wisconsin’s state parks, trails, forests, and recreation areas.

🔗 Get tickets: https://www.gofevo.com/event/Wisconsinstatepark26

09/03/2026

For our staff shoutout series this week, we’re highlighting Amanda Sherer, Gathering Waters’ Donor Communications Manager! Amanda started at Gathering Waters this June and she supports our donor outreach and communication goals by developing stories of impact, creating new ways to reach current and potential donors and partners, and managing annual giving campaigns.

Amanda's favorite outdoor activity is foraging. Although she has been purchasing herbs and making her own tea blends for a while now, being able to identify and harvest some locally has been very satisfying! 🌱🌿

Amanda’s favorite part of Wisconsin is the Apostle Islands and Bayfield area. She has been there on a few different trips in winter and summer, but next she wants to go up to see the gales of November. 🌬

The best concert Amanda has ever been to was The Highwomen at The Gorge Amphitheater in Washington.🎶

Leave a 👋 in the comments and stay tuned for next week to learn about another one of our staff members!

08/31/2026

Happy first week of September!🌤️ There are no Land Trust Days events this week, so we're taking this time to highlight an exciting upcoming event series.

From September 8–13, Restoring Lands: A Wisconsin Land Trust is hosting Nature's Treasures Week: a series of free events in Ozaukee, Milwaukee, and Washington counties, highlighting the natural treasures of southeast Wisconsin.🌿

Check out the full list of Nature's Treasures Week events at restoringlands.org/events!

Stay tuned next week for more Wisconsin Land Trust Days events. Find more details at HaveFunOutside.org🌸

08/28/2026

Tell us about your Wisconsin Land Trust Days experience or a land trust property you visited for a chance to win a YETI cooler or tumbler!

Five winners will be selected in early October.

Enter the drawing at bit.ly/GWYETI26

08/27/2026

For our staff shoutout series this week, we’re highlighting Lily Butler, Gathering Waters’ Events and Outreach Coordinator! Lily has been at Gathering Waters for 2 years and coordinates Wisconsin Land Trust Days, organizes the annual Wisconsin Land Trust Conference, and provides support for the Land Conservation Leadership Awards, the Common Ground Project, and our Land Protection and Stewardship Peer Group.

Lily’s favorite part of her job is connecting with land trust staff across the state and helping to amplify their work. She also loves attending Land Trust Days events and is excited to host Gathering Waters’ new Conservation Book Club!📖📚

The most memorable land trust property that Lily has visited is The Nature Conservancy’s Spring Green Preserve in Sauk County. She was excited to find a desert landscape so close to home and always has a great time looking for tiger beetles and other critters there.🐞

When she’s not at work, Lily loves to read, hike, play video games, and volunteer. She is on the Advisory Board of Zero Waste Madison and is in charge of planning the group’s Repair Fairs in the Madison area!🛠♻

Lily has seen Young the Giant in concert four times! Her favorite concert of theirs was at the Orpheum in Madison during their “In the Open” tour, which was completely acoustic and stripped back compared to their normal shows.🎶

Say ‘hi’ to Lily in the comments and stay tuned for next Thursday to learn about another one of our staff members!

08/26/2026

August is National Make-A-Will Month. Your legacy can begin today when you help protect Wisconsin's land, water, and wildlife.

Making a will doesn't have to be a major undertaking. Gathering Waters has partnered with GivingDocs to offer a full suite of estate planning tools that are free, safe, and secure.

Learn more here: www.givingdocs.com/gatheringwaters

08/25/2026

On Friday, August 21, Gathering Waters presented Terrie Cooper with the 2025 Harold “Bud” Jordahl Lifetime Achievement Award. This award presentation, originally scheduled for 2025, was postponed.

Last year, Terrie retired after a 25-year tenure at Door County Land Trust. During her time there, she led or played a key role in 216 land acquisition projects in Door County, protecting critical wetlands, rare plant habitats, shorelines, and wildlife corridors across the Door Peninsula and its islands.

Terrie’s leadership was instrumental in expanding the land trust's protected areas from 800 acres to over 10,000 acres today. Terrie has also successfully co-authored over $30 million of state and federal land acquisition grants.

Terrie has inspired countless students and adults through field trips, Wisconsin Master Naturalist training sessions, graduate courses at UW-Stevens Point, and community outreach. Terrie continues to lead classes and hikes in retirement, sharing her deep love for Wisconsin's natural heritage.

Read more about Terrie in our latest blog post here: https://gatheringwaters.org/terrie-cooper-2025-lifetime-achievement-award/

08/24/2026

We can't believe it's the last week of August! Luckily, there's still one more month of Wisconsin Land Trust Days events to help you hold on to summer ☀🌳

There's just one event this week:
- August 30: Rewilding in Franklin hosted by Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy

To find more information about these events, visit HaveFunOutside.org!

08/21/2026

We're excited to welcome Lili Behm to the Gathering Waters team!

Lili started this week as our new Staff Attorney. She'll continue the work happening in the Law Program that aims to strengthen land trusts and ensure strong legal protections for conserved lands.

Lili most recently worked in the Wisconsin DOJ’s Office of Open Government and is familiar with land trusts and conservation easements through family land that is permanently protected in northern Wisconsin.

Please join us in giving Lili a warm welcome! Learn more about her here: gatheringwaters.org/lili-behm

08/20/2026

For our staff shoutout series this week, we’re highlighting Morgan Rusnak, Gathering Waters’ Advocacy Manager! Morgan has been at Gathering Waters for 2.5 years and she coordinates advocacy communications and grassroots outreach for Team Knowles Nelson, rallying people across the state to speak up for land conservation.📣

Morgan’s favorite part of her job is meeting people right where they are in relation to the outdoors. Not everyone is a policy wonk or hardcore outdoor adventure athlete, and there's something really rewarding about watching someone realize, in real time, that their favorite bike path, kayak launch, or hunting land exists because of Knowles-Nelson.🥾🎣🛶

Morgan’s favorite outdoor activities include backpacking, trail running, and ultrarunning. She said that “moving through a landscape under your own steam is one of the most intimate ways to experience the outdoors, and along the way you find out what your body and mind are capable of”.🌳

Morgan’s perfect Wisconsin day would be the farmer’s market in the morning, a long trail run that ends with ice cream, sunset on a paddleboard, and a fire with a good book and her dog, Leif, at a state park or national forest campsite to close it out.🌅⛺🐾

Leave a 👋 in the comments and stay tuned for next week to learn about another one of our staff members!