Protecting Wisconsin's Lands, Waters, and Wildlife

1. What do you want WAEE members to know about NRF? Tell us what NRF does.

The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin (NRF) protects our state’s lands, waters, and wildlife by providing funding, leading partnerships, and connecting all people with nature. Founded nearly 40 years ago to bridge private sector support for Wisconsin’s public natural resources, today NRF invests over $1 million each year into conservation and environmental education efforts, and leads several diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for Wisconsin’s conservation community. NRF also helps people explore the outdoors by coordinating 250+ expert-led Field Trips for adults and families each year to Wisconsin’s most special places, and hosts the Great Wisconsin Birdathon, the state’s largest fundraiser for bird conservation.

2. What relationships does NRF have with environmental education?

Environmental education has always been central to our mission and who we are as an organization. Some of our very first grants back in the late 1980’s supported environmental education, such as the through the creation of the Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center and the Willow River State Park Nature Center. We know that conservation success relies on the ability of people to connect, explore, and engage with our natural world, so environmental education is an important part of our work. For decades, our grantmaking has encompassed environmental education, including providing grants to schools to support outdoor, nature-based learning, while we’ve also provided critical support for programs such as the Wisconsin Master Naturalist program and numerous volunteer citizen science programs. In 2017, after the dissolution of key statewide environmental education groups including the Wisconsin Environmental Education Foundation and the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board, NRF committed to helping fill the gap by providing taking over the Go Outside Fund, and convening partners to work collaboratively on statewide environmental education needs. Today, our Go Outside Fund annually supports more than 50 environmental education projects for schools and nonprofits across the state, we facilitate the statewide Environmental Education Collaborative, and we hold the Wisconsin Environmental Education Fund, a permanent endowment created to support environmental education efforts across the state.

3. Why do you engage in this work? Why is EE important to NRF?

We believe everyone deserves to get outdoors and enjoy the natural world, and be welcomed into conservation efforts, too. Outdoor experiences in childhood can influence what we value after we've grown up, which creates the next generation of conservationists. Having a personal, hands-on connection to nature is also important for human health and happiness. At NRF, we are committed to connecting people to nature, by investing in education programs that have a significant impact and provide meaningful experiences for children to connect to Wisconsin’s great outdoors. One of the primary ways we do this is through our Go Outside Fund, which provides support for nature-based learning experiences. These grants often fund field supplies, transportation, or educator costs. We are also deeply committed to supporting equitable access to the outdoors and do so by providing accessibility grants for Wisconsin State Parks, supporting the work of organizations like Color in the Outdoors, coordinating the Diversity in Conservation Internship Program, and facilitating the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Community of Practice for Wisconsin Conservation. We know that by providing opportunities for people to have safe, equitable access to Wisconsin’s natural world, they in turn will help to care and steward our lands, waters, and wildlife for generations to come.

4. What do you hope is an outcome of our work at WAEE?

WAEE is a fantastic partner and does critical work to support environmental education organizations across the state, filling a hugely important role. We hope that WAEE continues to build sustainable support for the organization, so that it can focus on doing even more of that good work, such as gathering environmental educators at the annual conference, providing resources and opportunities to members, and advocating for environmental education. We need more people than ever helping to facilitate environmental education for all, and WAEE plays an important role in supporting its member organizations to do so. We love WAEE!

5. How can WAEE members connect with and support NRF?

The best way to be a part of NRF is to become a member. Memberships help support conservation and environmental education, and members also get to attend NRF's highly popular Field Trips. If you're a young adult, you can also join our Wayfarers group which coordinates fun group outdoor experiences. To help make a difference for Wisconsin’s birds, you can join us for the Great Wisconsin Birdathon - classroom teams are welcome, too! WAEE members can also join our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Community of Practice, which meets on a bimonthly basis, and consider applying for an environmental education grant through our Go Outside Fund. Another critical way to help is to make a donation to NRF’s Wisconsin Environmental Education Fund, which provides sustainable, permanent funding for statewide environmental education needs. Whether you make a one-time $25 donation, a monthly recurring donation, or consider a major gift or legacy gift, every bit helps make a difference!