Who We Are
We Are Green Lake Conservancy
Green Lake Conservancy is the Green Lake Community’s all volunteer, 501(c)3 non-profit Land Trust. Since 1995, we have been a strategic lake partner, protecting special places like; Tichora, Mitchell Glen, Norwegian Bay Wetlands and many more. We provide lake and watershed protection through acquisition, gift and conservation easement. These efforts are funded by private donations, as well as support from partners such as Green Lake Sanitary District and the Wisconsin DNR.
Our Mission
The Green Lake Conservancy permanently and proactively protects and preserves special places, primarily in the Green Lake watershed and county by offering conservation expertise, strategies and legal tools for the benefit of humans, plants and wildlife.
Board of Directors
Board Officers
Melissa Curran
President
Bur Zeratsky
Vice President
Peter Vandervelde
Treasurer
Bill Toman
Secretary
Board Members
Mary Avery
Bob Burke
Marc Dosogne
Derek Huseboe
Diane Mockridge
Tom Schultz
Mike Streit
Debbie Zeratsky
GLC is a Land Trust
What is a Land Trust?
A land trust or land conservancy is a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving land. Wisconsin has more than 40 land trusts within the state–each as unique as the landscapes they work within. Some focus on conserving prairies, forests and wetlands, while others protect family farms or support the development of urban parks and trails.
No matter their size or scope, all of Wisconsin’s land trusts play a vital role in the protection of land, water and wildlife across the state and provide benefits to the entire community. Land trusts can own land outright, or can hold conservation easements.
Land owners who want their special places to be preserved in perpetuity can grant title or a conservation easement to the Green Lake Conservancy. The Conservancy partners with the Green Lake Sanitary District on many properties to ensure adequate resources are available for long-term property stewardship.
Founded in 1995
The History of the GLC
The Green Lake Conservancy was founded in 1995 during a time that many large Green Lake private estates were being subdivided. A group of home owners acquired Blackbird Point and realized they wanted the property to be preserved. At that time, members of the Green Lake Association were discussing setting up a land trust to protect Green Lake.
Marion Kuster, then Chair of the Green Lake Association presented a proposal for a land trust. Board member Bill Chapman agreed to do the legal work, while Chuck Lofgren and Tom Kimen volunteered to get the Trust up and running. The Green Lake Conservancy Foundation original board consisted of Dick Anderson, Pat Dobrinska, Tom Eddy, Fred Karsten, Patricia Francis, William Stott and Tom Kimen. The word “Foundation” was dropped from the title in 2010.
The partnership with the Green Lake Sanitary District was established early on, since they were able to hold and maintain the properties using best management practices. Charlie Marks, with the enthusiastic support of Jerry Specht, President of the Sanitary District, also wrote grant applications for the Wisconsin DNR, which helped to fund many of the earlier land acquisitions. Blackbird Point and the Lewis property were the first acquisitions of the partnership.
Fast forward 30 years, the Conservancy partnership preserves many properties critical to the health of the Lake, including 17 properties all around the lake that are available for public enjoyment.
Today, the Green Lake Conservancy is still “staffed” with hard working and dedicated volunteers who care about the natural world, and Green Lake in particular.