Long-standing Milwaukee org. makes historic grant
Gone but still giving
Legacy Fund of dissolved Milwaukee-based nonprofit makes historic first disbursement.
[Madison, WI — April 11, 2017]
The Wisconsin Bird Fund, a legacy fund of the Society of Tympanuchus Cupido Pinnatus (prairie chicken), disbursed $8,000 to three bird conservation projects in Wisconsin this month.
The Wisconsin Bird Fund, held by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, was set up in 2015 with an initial contribution of $170,000 when the Society of Tympanuchus Cupido Pinnatus dissolved. The Fund was formed to support programs and projects that protect and conserve birds that breed, migrate, or winter in Wisconsin. The endowment fund’s annual disbursements will be used to support projects and programs that emphasize education, habitat restoration and research.
The Wisconsin Bird Fund made its initial disbursement this month, allocating $8,000 to bird conservation efforts around Wisconsin including:
- $1,000 to the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology for work on the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II;
- $4,000 to the Mequon Nature Preserve for a project converting agricultural land to bird-friendly habitat;
- $3,000 to the Aldo Leopold Foundation to be used for bird surveys.
The Society of Tympanuchus Cupido Pinnatus, Ltd. was founded in 1961 and was based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before it dissolved in 2015, it was the oldest conservation organization dedicated to conserving and restoring native prairie grouse populations in Wisconsin. In recent years, the society had shifted to focus on prairie grouse populations across North America.
For Peter D. Ziegler, former president and director of the Society of Tympanuchus Cupido Pinnatus, the effort to protect birds and their habitat, is personal. “It goes back to my roots, from our family of duck and game bird hunters,” said Ziegler. And the Wisconsin Bird Fund has provided an opportunity for Ziegler and his fellow fund advisors to stay active in bird conservation in Wisconsin after the dissolution of the Society. “Without recognition for the need for habitat conservation and the population declines connected to habitat loss, I wouldn’t be able to hunt or to pass it to my sons or grandchildren. That’s a driving force for me to stay involved.”
The Wisconsin Bird Fund also offers a broader scope than the Society did. “We’re excited to spread our wings (no pun intended) in terms of helping both native and migratory birds in Wisconsin,” said Ziegler. “All species need habitat and protection,” Ziegler continued, “and this [Fund] is a great way to do good work for birds in Wisconsin.”
The Wisconsin Bird Fund accepts donations through the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. All donations to the Wisconsin Bird Fund are fully tax deductible and help to increase the principle of the endowment and, as a result, the amount of funding available to be granted out annually to important bird conservation projects.
To make a donation, go to WisConservation.org/Donate and designate your gift to The Wisconsin Bird Fund.
The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin was created in 1986 and connects generations to the wonders of Wisconsin’s lands, waters, and wildlife through conservation, education, engagement, and giving. Since 1986, the Foundation has contributed nearly $7 million to public and private conservation efforts to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of Wisconsin, established the Wisconsin Conservation Endowment, which currently includes over 80 endowment funds and more than $6 million in assets that permanently conserve lands, protect wildlife, and promote conservation. The Foundation coordinates hundreds of Field Trips annually that are open to the public to explore significant sites and get behind-the-scenes tours of some of our state’s most important conservation projects. Additional the Foundation has supported more than 500 grassroots conservation projects in every Wisconsin county through our grant programs. Learn more at www.WisConservation.org.