Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

Planning to explore Wisconsin's outdoors this weekend? Check out our recently updated tool to explore public lands around the state. The Public Access Lands tool, designed for desktop and mobile devices, makes it easy to locate a state park, county forest or lake for hiking, hunting or fishing. The tool also provides up-to-date property information, including maps, restricted areas and links to webpages, if available. To find specific spots, such as fishing waters or hunting zones, select the layer that interests you in the menu on the left side, and the tool will display the corresponding areas on the map. You can also search by theme, choosing from things like "Public Lands" or "Boat and Fishing," by clicking on the blue “I want to” box at the top right of the map. To try out the tool, visit: https://lnkd.in/g_k5mnby

Do your summer plans include job hunting? Stop by wisc.jobs and see what opportunities could be right for you at the Wisconsin DNR. Click Search by Agency and choose Dept of Natural Resources to find all of our current openings.

Horicon Marsh was carved out by a continental glacier thousands of years ago, creating a 33,000-acre wetland and a migratory bird paradise. Effigy mounds and artifacts are reminders of the first humans who occupied the marsh to hunt and utilize the marsh’s abundant resources. When settlers arrived, the marsh was dammed for a sawmill then dredged and drained for farming. After decades of hard restoration work, the marsh was designated a Wetland of International Importance in the 1990s. Today, the marsh is co-managed by the Wisconsin DNR (Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Horicon National Wildlife Refuge). Management of the wetland is principally directed toward enhancing habitat for migratory waterfowl and waterbirds. During spring and fall, hundreds of thousands of ducks, including mallard, green-winged teal, northern pintail and gadwall, along with tens of thousands of Canada geese and sandhill cranes, migrate through Horicon Marsh. This seasonal abundance of waterfowl provides great opportunities for wildlife viewing and hunting. Make plans to visit Horicon Marsh this summer and learn even more about its history through the interactive displays in the Explorium, located in the education and visitor center. Head to our website for more info: https://lnkd.in/g9WdHhvX

The application period for a DNR Urban Forestry Grant is now open! Cities, villages, towns, counties, tribes and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in or conducting their project in Wisconsin can apply for a regular or startup 2025 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Urban Forestry Grant. The grants range from $1,000 to $25,000, and grant recipients must match each grant dollar for dollar. A startup grant of up to $5,000 is available for communities that want to start or restart a community forestry program. Grants are awarded to projects that align with state and national goals for increasing the urban forest canopy and its benefits. In total, $559,680 is currently available in regular and startup grant funding for 2025. The application deadline is Oct. 1, 2024. Find more information on our Urban Forestry Grants webpage: https://lnkd.in/gSe-Q433

Public service can be a true calling. It is for Erin Cox, a water management specialist for the Wisconsin DNR and a petty officer in the U.S. Coast Guard. “When I was doing pushups in boot camp, one of the things that kept me really motivated was wanting to be in a position to help people, especially when a disaster happens,” Erin said. When the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland collapsed earlier this year, Erin was quickly on the scene, working on public affairs in the Joint Information Center. Her duties included fielding questions from the media and the public, and collaborating with all of the agencies involved to ensure that the information being shared on the incident was accurate and clear. “We set up a community relations section to make sure we were reaching out to people within the community who were impacted to let them know what we were doing,” she said. When Erin was off-duty, she heard people in the community talking about how they’d lost their jobs because of the bridge collapse. Seeing the disaster’s ripple effect reiterated to her just how important her role was. “It felt really good to be involved in a mission where we were able to give families information and assistance and to reopen a port with so much economic importance,” she said. In total, Erin worked on the bridge collapse for 31 days, returning home in May and getting right back to her role in the water program at the DNR. “I got home just in time for my daughter’s fourth birthday,” she said. Photo Credit: Petty Officer 2nd Class Ronald Hodges - US Coast Guard

Want to know about the current job openings we have here at the DNR? Sign up for our weekly jobs newsletter to get a list of open positions right in your inbox: https://lnkd.in/gV5-_k6J

“Growing up, there was this strip of woods behind my house,” reminisces Erin Morrison, a DNR Research Scientist specializing in large carnivores, “I would go into that all the time and spend hours back there in the summer.” Morrison grew up in the suburbs of Virginia Beach, Virginia where she says, though her options were limited, she always found ways to be outside. Today, she lives in Wisconsin where she can be found hiking, paddling, backpacking and, oh yeah, come wintertime, occasionally waist-deep in a bear den! Morrison is a part of the Black Bear Litter and Diet Survey, an ongoing DNR study that aims to inform bear management throughout Wisconsin by providing zone-specific reproductive information on the species. “Part of my role in the project is to lead the field efforts,” Morrison shares, “and we investigate a lot of potential black bear den reports.” While most of us are nowhere near ready to start thinking about winter, Morrison mentions that keeping bears on the brain can only help when it comes time for their fall and winter den reports. “We rely on public knowledge to get the majority of our bear dens, that’s how we put new collars out and get new bears into the study.” This past field season, the bear research team successfully collared 16 new sows, putting them right on track with project goals. However, behind those 16 success stories were over 100 den reports, which emphasize just how crucial public involvement is to the study's success. “We are looking for more dens, always,” Morrison confirms. “I would especially love to get more southern bears and expand our sample size down south.” As long as warm weather reigns, however, Morrison’s day-to-day work features a lot of behind-the-scenes data analysis, which she says is just as important. “It’s very rewarding, knowing that the work I put in on a day-to-day basis, both on the analysis side and fieldwork side, is all going to directly influence the species I’m working on. The fact that my work has meaning to it is what drives me forward.” Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/gqEP6smc

Looking for a place near La Crosse to explore the outdoors, enjoy beautiful vistas and avoid crowds? Rush Creek State Natural Area is the perfect spot. The site is often called one of the “crown jewels” of state natural areas because of its unique habitats and incredible biodiversity. As soon as you start exploring, you’ll see why Rush Creek was chosen for an innovative conservation project, a partnership between the DNR and the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. The project aims to restore and reconnect nearly 1,000 acres at the site and reimagine habitat management to align with climate change projections. Learn more about Rush Creek and "Conservation Innovation" in the summer issue of the Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine: https://lnkd.in/gFzZ2S3C

We're hiring an Employee Engagement Advisor to lead efforts to support employee engagement and retention and promote a culture of belonging for all DNR employees. In this role, you'll be responsible for assessing department culture, identifying organizational, systemic or divisional issues or opportunities and effectively guiding and influencing the culture of the department to engage and retain talent. This includes developing agency-wide strategies to improve engagement, and designing, developing and implementing programs aimed at creating a positive workplace environment. If you want to use your leadership and data analysis experience to support a positive work culture for dedicated public servants, apply today! Head to wisc.jobs and search for job ID 14815. The deadline to apply is July 24, 2024.

Wisconsin has a lot of natural resources, but one of our most essential resources often goes unnoticed and underappreciated: Wisconsin's grasslands. Also known as prairies, grasslands were once abundant in the Midwest, but their footprint keeps shrinking despite being essential areas for habitat, clean water, recreation and more. Efforts such as conservation grazing are helping to change that. Find out more about what’s “Good for Grasslands” in the summer issue of the Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine: https://lnkd.in/gtAN2Hhk Photo Credit: Randy Jackson