Landscape Conservation

Wildlife knows no borders. Plants and animals only see habitat.

To meet Wisconsin’s growing conservation needs, NRF is committing to conservation work at a larger scale. Our forests, prairies, wetlands, and other habitats need connectivity in order for our natural world to thrive. 

Landscape-scale conservation protects biodiversity across big, varied landscapes rather than focusing on individual species or small sites in isolation. This highly collaborative strategy acknowledges the interconnectedness of ecosystems and considers wildlife, plants, ecological processes, and human communities together.

Landscape-scale conservation:

• protects large, ecologically meaningful areas
• is community-based and highly collaborative with voluntary
  participation on both public and private lands
• connects fragmented habitats so wildlife, plants and ecosystems
  can better adapt and thrive in a changing world

Landscape-scale conservation initiatives in Wisconsin

NRF is bringing this strategy to Wisconsin in a big way. We’re piloting collaborative landscape projects in our state’s priority regions: the most biodiverse places, and the ones at highest risk of being lost.

We can bring awareness, investment and guidance in these regions to build more capacity for agencies, organizations and landowners to do good conservation work. Protecting remnant habitats, expanding the use of prescribed fire and focusing on partnerships within the communities are key. 

Our approach

We are currently building and supporting alliances in two priority areas for conservation in Wisconsin: the Driftless and the Southern Kettle Moraine regions. Recognizing the great work already being done by existing groups, we are focusing on identifying and removing barriers. We prioritize capacity building efforts and foster meaningful relationships with local groups, landowners and community leaders. We provide educational opportunities, honor the regions’ rich histories, and find innovative ways to work with neighbors who share our goals for healthy ecosystems.

We have many neighbors in and around these unique landscapes. Indigenous communities, whose roots go back for millennia, continue to steward land, water and wildlife. Farmers and foresters, families and communities have lived and worked in these regions for generations and also have deep connections to this place. We seek to be collaborative, share the land and its stories, and have a positive economic, cultural, and environmental impact.

Join us to protect Wisconsin’s landscapes

Wisconsinites love our landscapes. From the hills and valleys to the lakes and forests, we are fortunate to live near diverse habitats that provide joy through recreation, productivity, and beauty.

Conserving Wisconsin’s amazing landscapes for the long run means working together. We hope you’ll join us and help protect Wisconsin’s precious and biodiverse landscapes.

Banner photo by Laura Anderson

Box photos by Sharon Fandel, Joshua Mayer, courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and DZ Johnson