On Sunday, September 13, Team Knowles Nelson and The Friends of Wisconsin State Parks hosted a tailgate ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers’ Wisconsin State Parks Fundraiser game. Every ticket purchased for the game helped support Wisconsin’s state park system. For us, it was also a chance to talk with park lovers about the program that has helped build that system for more than three decades.
Knowles-Nelson has helped protect and expand state parks across Wisconsin since 1989. Earlier this year, it helped add 100 acres to Devil’s Lake State Park, one of the most popular parks in the state. But the program lapsed in June, and new projects like that are now on hold. Without Knowles-Nelson, there’s no dedicated funding to grow our parks, trails, and public lands for the next generation.
Friends groups know what’s at stake better than anyone. Every year, Knowles-Nelson sets aside $500,000 in grants to help Friends groups improve facilities, build new recreation projects, and restore habitat on state properties. Those grants make possible projects like the new accessible kayak launch at Ottawa Lake in the Kettle Moraine State Forest and the amphitheater at Kohler-Andrae State Park. With the program lapsed, that funding is on hold too.
The Brewers came up short on the field, but the day was still a win. Over brats and cupcakes, we talked about what’s next for Knowles-Nelson and how we can make the case together for getting it funded again in 2027. The celebration is over, but the work continues, and we’re glad to have so many friends beside us as we keep going to bat for the places that make Wisconsin special.
