The eighth annual Wisconsin Land Trust Days celebration wrapped up on September 30, 2025. With 44 events hosted by 22 land trusts, we had so much fun these past three months!
Based on land trust attendance data, we know that at least 2,200 people attended these events, many of whom were new to the land trust community! Read on for an overview of the events that were part of 2025 Land Trust Days.
Land Trust Days kicked off on July 3 this year with Geneva Lake Conservancy’s Family Day. They hosted over 100 people for a presentation and walk at the Helen Rohner Children’s Fishing Preserve in Williams Bay.
Geneva Lake Conservancy stayed active throughout Land Trust Days, hosting kid-friendly events like Children’s Fishing Park summer classes and a small nature photo contest.
Tall Pines Conservancy hosted the biggest event of Land Trust Days with over 500 cyclists joining their 17th Annual Ride to the Barns. The event included stops at local farms and fundraised for conservation in Lake Country.
Green Lake Conservancy had a big year too, celebrating their 30th anniversary with over 350 guests joining an open house at the new Spaulding Hill Wetlands Conservancy!
North Central Conservancy Trust once again welcomed a crowd to their Annual Harvest Dinner in late September to enjoy live music, food, and more.
Caledonia Conservancy hosted the Mane Event, their iconic scavenger hunt on horseback. Riders followed a marked trail and took pictures of scavenger hunt items.
Restoring Lands hosted a hike at the Estabrook Falls Fish Passage along with their popular Treasures of Oz Eco-Tour, showcasing special places in Ozaukee County.
Landmark Conservancy led a guided trip to waterfalls in the Lake Superior basin, sharing geology facts along the way. They also hosted a paddle on the Chippewa River.
Kettle Moraine Land Trust hosted a fall nature art workshop, a monarch butterfly talk, and an Oaktoberfest celebration.
Seno K/RLT Conservancy also hosted a monarch-themed event where participants could build monarch rearing boxes.
Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance led small groups on guided tours of prairies near Madison at Goose Pond Sanctuary and Faville Grove.
Groundswell Conservancy gave tours of Vitruvian Farms and Kingsley Bend Mounds, where local farms and Ho-Chunk tradition were celebrated.
Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy taught visitors how to identify and age trees in Fitzsimmons Woods.
Driftless Area Land Conservancy shared information about an ongoing oak savanna restoration project at the Wild Oaks Preserve.
Baird Creek Preservation Foundation hosted a relaxing Sunset Meadow Mingle where guests spent time enjoying food, good company, and birdsong at the gazebo.
Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation held an owl event that highlighted their special night hunting adaptations. They also hosted a presentation by Aldo Leopold Foundation’s Executive Director, Buddy Huffaker, about conservation’s past, present, and future.
The Ice Age Trail Alliance coordinated volunteer trail-building opportunities on the Blue Hills and Straightriver Segments of the Ice Age Trail. They also hosted a Trailtessa event where women and girls could geek out and dive into the wonders of glaciation at the Blue Hills Felsenmeer.
Glacial Lakes Conservancy hosted some soothing outdoor opportunities, including nature journaling, sunset yoga, and a wildflower walk.
Northwoods Land Trust led paddles at Gile Flowage and Yawkey Forest Preserve, and a bog investigation where hikers could learn about plants and their unique adaptations to their environment.
Mississippi Valley Conservancy hosted a bat ecology tour at Kickapoo Caverns, a prairie walk, and a scouting event that prepared participants for managing invasives on their properties.
The Prairie Enthusiasts led tours of Alexander Oak Savanna, Badertscher Preserve, and the Mukwonago River Barrens.
Door County Land Trust invited guests to discover the Bay Shore Blufflands and Three Springs Nature Preserves.
Star Prairie Land Preservation Trust shared ice cream at their Scoops and Stewardship event at McMurtrie Preserve.
Gathering Waters staff attended as many events as we could. Here is a story from our Donor Relations Manager, Pat McMurtrie, who attended the Scoops and Stewardship event at McMurtrie Preserve:
I attended Scoops and Stewardship at the McMurtrie Preserve in Star Prairie, Wisconsin. It was a beautiful place, 63 acres with 1,400 feet of shoreline on Cedar Lake. Guests of all ages were invited to tour the property, view display tables, and talk to experts, while enjoying ice cream, coffee, and water. One table displayed a collection of skulls from nearly every native Wisconsin animal, and another featured live specimens brought by the “bug” lady from St. Paul, who shared a wealth of information on bugs, bees, and butterflies.
Star Prairie Land Preservation Trust, a small but mighty, all-volunteer land trust, has developed a relationship with local scouting groups that use the Preserve for outings. The scouts have also built and installed bat houses, which are home to all types of native bats, including the endangered species.
We are so grateful to all the land trusts that hosted and welcomed people to their properties to #HaveFunOutside! Thank you to the dedicated staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly over the past few months to make these events so successful.
And thanks to everyone who attended an event or visited a land trust property during Land Trust Days. We hope you had fun and learned a little bit more about land trusts and the important work they do. Just because Land Trust Days is over doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. Many land trust properties are open to the public and host events year-round. Find a list of land trust events on our website here.