Wisconsin Chapter
Frequently Asked Questions

1. Q: Are Nature Conservancy preserves open to visitors?
   A: The majority of Conservancy preserves in Wisconsin are open to visitors for hiking, canoeing, cross-country skiing, bird watching, and photography.  A few preserves are generally closed to the public, either due to access or liability problems or because even limited use would destroy the natural features we seek to protect.
    
   Maps and directions to our preserves can be found in our preserve guide, The Places We Save.  You can also find descriptions and directions to many of these preserves in the Places We Protect section of this web site.
    
2. Q: Can I hunt on Nature Conservancy preserves?
   A: The Conservancy allows hunting of white-tailed deer on several of its preserves in Wisconsin to reduce the number of deer and the damage they cause to the native plants we are trying to conserve.  Follow this link for more information about our Deer Management Program.
   We also allow open hunting for wild turkey and pheasant at our Military Ridge preserves (Barneveld Prairie and Thomson Memorial Prairie), during the regular seasons.  You can find maps of these sites at the deer program link above.
    
3. Q: How can I find out about jobs at The Nature Conservancy?
   A: You can select the "Careers" link at the bottom of this page or call our 24-hour job information line at (703) 247-3721.
    
4. Q: Who should I talk to if I need to let you know that my address has changed or that I'm receiving duplicate mailings?
   A: You can e-mail our office directly at gvansluys@tnc.org.
    
5. Q: Who should I talk to if I own a piece of property or know of a piece of property that should be conserved in some way?
   A: Please visit our Land Conservation In Wisconsin page for more information.
    
6. Q: How can I learn more about the Conservancy's work?
   A: When you become a member you will receive a newsletter two times each year that talks about the Conservancy's work in Wisconsin. It also includes information about field trips, volunteer work parties, and special events like our field days at Nature Conservancy preserves in the spring and fall. You will also receive our Nature Conservancy magazine four times per year, which tells you about the Conservancy's work nationally and internationally.
    
7. Q: How can I become a member of The Nature Conservancy?
   A: Please follow this link to our Online Membership Form.  And thank you for your interest in becoming a member.
    
8. Q: Where does The Nature Conservancy's money come from and how is it used?
   A: A significant portion of the Conservancy's funding comes from individual donors--people who make contributions of $25, $100, $1,000 or several thousands of dollars. Other sources of income include bequests through peoples' estates, corporate and foundation donors, gifts of land, interest income from our endowments and other invested funds, and money from government grant programs like the state Stewardship Fund. Copies of our state and national annual reports are available to any interested individuals.
    
   About 98% of our spending in fiscal year 2007 went directly to program activities in areas such as land acquisition, protection, and stewardship. The combined categories of fund raising and general & administrative costs accounted for the other 2% of our spending.