Day of the Badger 2023 – March 28–29
We’re excited to once again participate in UW–Madison’s annual day of giving. Your donation to one or more of our participating program funds will help enhance and expand natural resources education and programming across the state. Thank you for your support!
Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center
Did you know…?
- In 2022, Upham Woods provided outdoor experiences to over 5,760 people.
- Upham Woods works with over 50 local organizations connecting people to nature.
- Upham Woods has over 317 acres of forested land including a 210-acre State Natural Area.
What will your donation support?
Your gift will ensure that Upham Woods can continue to provide quality outdoor educational experiences that connect youth with nature. This year we are focusing on facility and grounds improvements that bring smiles to young faces! Trails need maintenance—from replacing boardwalks to removing hazardous trees—and your support would help keep kids safe.
Triple your impact!
This year, Upham Woods is offering TWO gift matches! Thanks to the generosity of Robin C. Buerki and an anonymous donor, every $1 you donate will become $3. Gifts will be matched up to $5000.
Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program
Did you know…?
- Over the past 10 years, more than one million people have been reached through educational programming supported by Master Naturalists.
- Master Naturalists have provided volunteer service in every county in the state.
- Master Naturalists have reported more than 230,000 volunteer hours in service to environmental education, stewardship and citizen science.
What will your donation support?
Your gift will support expanding the delivery methods for Master Naturalist trainings to include hybrid options, which will create relevant, accessible and flexible Master Naturalist trainings for more audiences.
Water Action Volunteers (WAV) Program
Did you know…?
- WAV volunteers monitor over 500 stream and river sites across Wisconsin each year.
- WAV provides training, equipment and educational resources to 47 partner organizations across the state, expanding outdoor and science-based learning opportunities for youth and adults in more communities.
- With over 45,000 miles of wadeable streams and rivers in Wisconsin, WAV volunteers play a critical role by expanding on the work of professional biologists, ensuring that more of our waters can be regularly monitored and protected.
What will your donation support?
Donations will help expand volunteer stream monitoring from 55 counties to all 72 counties in Wisconsin by funding training, equipment and educational materials for new groups in underserved regions of the state. In 2023 alone, WAV is launching five new stream monitoring groups with local partner organizations that will monitor and advocate for the water quality of their local streams and rivers for years to come.
Your $75 gift will support five existing volunteer teams for 2 years, and a $400 gift will fund the purchase of a full stream monitoring kit that can be used for many years.
Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS)
Did you know…?
- WGNHS has been mapping and researching Wisconsin’s geology and groundwater for over 125 years!
- Even though the main office is in Madison, WGNHS scientists work on projects all over the state.
- You can download 700+ maps and publications for free on the WGNHS website.
- Each year, WGNHS employs at least a dozen students (often more), giving them valuable real-world geoscience experience.
What will your donation support?
Your generous donations will help support our annual summer mapping internship, currently in its second year. This internship program provides a paid, full-time opportunity for an undergraduate student to learn geologic mapping and GIS by completing a summer mapping project with mentorship from WGNHS staff.
Your gifts will also help our work have an even broader impact—we are continuously working to expand our online offerings so that people can access and learn from our science and data from anywhere. Offerings include digital databases, interactive maps, digitized archival material and more!
Other NRI Funds
While they’re not officially part of the Day of the Badger event, you can always donate to the funds below.
Natural Resources Institute General Fund
Your gift of support to the NRI Fund provides resources for leadership, education and research to address the challenging environmental issues of our time, including access to plentiful, sustainably managed sources of food, water and energy. Please use the link below to submit a donation via our giving partner, UW Foundation.
Here are some examples of the projects NRI staff and affiliates are working on throughout the state and region: NRI Crossroads Report
Lake Superior Reserve
Your gift to the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve will directly support our mission to improve the understanding of Lake Superior’s coasts and estuaries through research, education, outreach and stewardship. Your gift will be put to use in growing and strengthening regional scientific partnerships, expanding access to our Rivers2Lake education program, providing more high-quality internships and expanding student exchange opportunities through the NERR System, broadening our Coastal Training Program’s reach to coastal decision makers and installing state-of-the-art scientific equipment to monitor changes in the coastal environment.
Please submit your Lake Superior Reserve donation via the button below.
UW Urban Canid Project
Your gift will help to purchase equipment like radio collars, hire field technicians, and ultimately help us continue to learn more about urban canids.
Please submit your Canid Project donation via the button below.
