I’m very happy to report that the long-awaited 2020 Lakeshore Nature Preserve Strategic Plan is complete and available on our website.
The strategic planning process took a bit longer than originally planned, but we all wanted to make sure it was done well and that the final product would be a long-standing guide for protecting this amazing resource as the largest outdoor laboratory on campus. Please take time to read through the report in detail and look for ways that you can help provide support to our Preserve staff team moving forward. This inclusive, transparent and robust planning process was funded fully with gift funds. We continue to be thankful for the many private donors that help provide financial support to ensure we have the resources needed to maintain the Preserve as a living laboratory for research, teaching and outreach, as well as a place of respite and well-being here on campus.
The six strategic priorities recommended in the plan are included below. Please find all the detailed action plans and information on each in the final document.
- Consolidate and clarify our vision & mission statements (Done! See below)
- Develop and implement a communications plan (in progress)
- Grow resources to support our mission (in progress)
- Building our strategic partnerships (in progress)
- Continue on-going process improvement initiatives (in progress)
- Update the 2006 Preserve Master Plan (in progress)
The Preserve has a new mission and vision statement, as approved by the Preserve Committee at their November 2019 meeting:
Our Mission: The Lakeshore Nature Preserve shelters natural environments and cultural resources through active learning, research, and outreach in a place of respite and well-being
Our Vision: To foster biodiversity on campus and cultivate lifelong environmental engagement.
Thanks to the Preserve staff and our many stakeholders who provided key information to the process, including the Lakeshore Nature Preserve Committee, the UW-Madison Office of Strategic Consulting, the Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve, and the many other numerous stakeholders involved. I also want to extend our thanks to our editors and collaborators on the final documents including Preserve Committee Chair Sara Hotchkiss, committee members Janet Batzli and Robert Beattie, and long-time Preserve friend and emerita Ann Burgess. This was an amazing effort by all involved and for that, I am truly thankful.
If you have any questions about the details or recommendations in the plan, please reach out to Gary Brown or Laura Wyatt.
Thank you and stay well!
Gary Brown
Director, Lakeshore Nature Preserve