About Us

Conserving Wisconsin’s natural legacy for everyone...forever.

Photo: Devil’s Punchbowl Preserve, Menomonie, WI

Conservation Easements

Acres Conserved

Projects With Public Access

Landmark is a non-profit conservation organization serving 20 counties in western and northwestern Wisconsin. We work primarily with private landowners who wish to conserve their land in perpetuity. Conservancy staff evaluates and select potential projects based on notable conservation values. We also work with local municipalities, state, and federal entities to create public preserves and trails for all to enjoy. Our primary tools for land protection are conservation easements and land acquisition.

Our Mission

Our mission is to conserve Wisconsin’s natural legacy for everyone…forever.

Our Vision

As we look to the future of:

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Wisconsin

We see a landscape with wild and scenic places conserved and accessible to people for generations to come.

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Our Community

We see a network of sustainable programs working together with our partners, private and public landowners, and passionate, engaged citizens to preserve the natural world and wild and scenic places we cherish.

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Landmark Conservancy

We see a respected land trust building a community of stewardship for special places in our perpetual care.

2022 project map showing private, public, and nature preserves

Click to view larger image.

Our Progress

Reviewing our annual reports is a great way to see our mission and vision in action. Read about our accomplishments, goals and plans for the future.

Strategic Plan 2021-2024

Audited Financial Statements
June 30, 2020 and 2019

2021-2022 Impact Report

2020-2021 Impact Report

2019-2020 Impact Report

2019-2020 Form 990

2018-2019 Form 990

A group of people with binoculars watching the sky for birds

Our History

Landmark Conservancy was born of a merger between two nationally accredited land trusts: West Wisconsin Land Trust and Bayfield Regional Conservancy.

West Wisconsin Land Trust (WWLT) was founded in 1988 with a focus on farmland protection. By the time Wisconsin Farmland Conservancy had changed its name to West Wisconsin Land Trust in 2002, over 4,500 acres of farms, forests and open space had been protected. As the momentum for private land protection grew, so grew the area in which WWLT worked, stretching from the Black River to the south, the banks of the Mississippi to the west, and the shores of Lake Superior to the north.

WWLT helped protect more than 25,000 acres of land and held 177 conservation easements. These easements protect approximately 20,000 acres. WWLT also owned six small preserves totaling over 500 acres. The organization assisted with a number of other projects where land was conveyed to the ownership of another conservation partner, such as an outdoor sports club, a habitat organization, or a government agency.

Bayfield Regional Conservancy (BRC) was incorporated in 1996 with the mission of protecting the lands of the Bayfield Peninsula. Early work included the establishment of the Brownstone Trail in Bayfield, collaborating with the Town of Bell to permanently conserve shore land near Cornucopia, and the completion of the Big Ravine Trail. In the ensuing years, BRC conserved over 5,000 acres, holding over 30 conservation easements and two forested preserves.

Working in Ashland, Douglas, Sawyer, and Bayfield Counties, BRC’s service area included Wisconsin’s entire Lake Superior drainage basin as well as the incredibly rich and diverse lakes region in Sawyer County. Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands were also included in the service area. BRC had a proud history of community-based conservation initiatives to preserve Wisconsin’s northwestern region.

The two organizations had been longtime partners, collaborating on a number of projects in recent years. After two years of careful deliberation, we determined that our commitment to conservation required a unified and more robust organization for greater impact. Our integrated staff of conservation and advancement professionals will help ensure the quality, visibility, and permanence of our work. The merger was complete in the spring of 2018 .

Our Team

Staff

Lindsey Ketchel

Executive Director

Bio

Angie Anderson

Administrative Associate

Bio

Katie Hahn

Stewardship Specialist

Bio

Charly Kearns

Conservation Assistant

Bio

Erika Lang

Conservation Manager

Bio

Andrew Norman

Stewardship Manager

Bio

Sara Norman

Community Outreach Coordinator

Bio

Rick Remington

Conservation Director

Bio

Kristin Thompson

Advancement Director

Bio

Michelle Von Ruden

Operations Director

Bio

Zaria Whitacre

Communications Specialist

Bio

Board of Directors

Interested in learning more about joining the Board of Directors?

Read the article by former Board Member Judy Aldrian! For more information contact Executive Director Lindsey Ketchel at:

(715) 235-8850 or at lindsey@landmarkwi.org.

Read Article

Executive Committee

Bruce Siebold – Board Chair
Menomonie, WI
President and Owner, Rusk Prairie Consulting, LLC

Greg Hilding – Board Vice Chair
Minnetonka, MN
Retired, Group President, Bremer Bank

Genevieve Johnson – Board Secretary
Minneapolis, MN
Retired, Architect

Bill Butsic – Treasurer
Menomonie, WI
Retired, ConAgra

Members At-Large

Sue Aiken – Bayfield, WI
Registered Nurse

Chuck Bomar – Chippewa Falls, WI
Retired Dean, UW-Stout, College of STEMM

Andy Buccanero – Wyoming, MN
Lead Trader and Investment Associate, JNBA Financial Advisors

Susan DeNuccio – Minneapolis, MN
Retired, Vice President, Target Corporation

Carol Heinrich – Hayward, WI
Retired, Educator

Mary Hemshrot – Shell Lake, WI
Environmental Educator

John March – Edina, MN
Retired, Cargill Corporation

Katherine Merrill – Herbster, WI
Retired, Vice President, Regis Corporation

Richard (Rick) Neville – Eden Prairie, MN
Retired, Executive VP, World Fuel Services

Laurel Sukup – Madison, WI
Chief, Sustainability & Business Support, WI Department of Natural Resources

Geary Searfoss – Ojibwa, WI
Chief Schroom, BearPaw Brook Farms LLC

Landmark Conservancy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

500 East Main Street, Suite 307 Menomonie, Wisconsin 54751

715-235-8850 (All Offices)

Donate

Lindsey Ketchel

Executive Director

Lindsey began her tenure as Executive Director at Landmark Conservancy in June of 2018. With over 15 years of experience leading environmental and land-use non-profits, she brings a breadth of knowledge and a passion for our mission, along with a unique skill set in restructuring, climate resiliency, and coalition development. Lindsey served as Executive Director at both the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council and, most recently, Leech Lake Area Waters.

Email Lindsey

Angie Anderson

Administrative Associate

Angie grew up in a small Wisconsin town along the Mississippi River and has always been amazed at the diverse beauty this state has to offer, especially throughout the four seasons. She joined the Landmark team as Administrative Associate in November 2021 in order to play a supportive role in preserving this beauty for generations to come. She loves to spend time with her partner, Brian, especially when they are working on the restoring the old barn on their property or visiting their 6 children.

Email Angie

Katie Hahn

Stewardship Specialist

Katie grew up in Eau Claire, but found her love of the natural world by working for conservation crews and the DNR in Utah. After earning a BS in Conservation from UW – River Falls, she restored habitat as a conservation biologist for the Wisconsin DNR in La Crosse. Now, she returns to the Chippewa Valley by joining the Landmark team as Stewardship Specialist, where she looks forward to conducting easement administration and monitoring, and exploring more of Wisconsin’s natural beauty.

Email Katie

Charly Kearns

Conservation Assistant

Charly was introduced to the Northwoods of Wisconsin when he left his family’s farm in Indiana in order to attend Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. He fell in love with Lake Superior and the wild lands surrounding it. He has guided canoe trips in the Boundary Waters, researched loons and sampled water quality at Voyageur’s and Isle Royale National Parks, surveyed spotted owls in California, and protected nesting sea turtles in Costa Rica. For most of the past decade, Charly has worked with the Nisqually Land Trust and the Grays Harbor Conservation District in Western Washington. He is very excited to return to Wisconsin, and to join the great team at Landmark Conservancy.

Email Charly

Erika Lang

Conservation Manager

After receiving her BS in Zoology from Ohio State University, Erika served in Peace Corps Bulgaria Environmental Program. She then completed a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources Management from the University of Minnesota. Since receiving her degree, she has worked as a community organizer in Montana and as a landowner partnership coordinator in Oregon. Erika develops land conservation projects throughout our northern service area. She enjoys hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, paddling, swimming, biking, and bird watching. She works from our Bayfield office.

Email Erika

Andrew Norman

Stewardship Manager

Andrew is a Resource Management graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. He manages our preserves, as well as our annual monitoring program for our conservation easements. He has dedicated his professional career to improving the ecological health of Wisconsin’s public and private lands. Before joining the West Wisconsin Land Trust staff, Andrew worked for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and in the private sector. In his free time, Andrew stays active by hiking, cross country skiing, and playing disc golf. Andrew works throughout our service area and is based at our Menomonie office.

Email Andrew

Sara Norman

Community Outreach Coordinator

Sara grew up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and is passionate about the natural landscape here. She has a BS in Geography-Resource Management from University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and a MA in Landscape Architecture from University of Wisconsin - Madison. She previously worked with the organization as a Conservation Intern and as Accreditation Coordinator, and joined the staff as Community Outreach Coordinator in 2019. Sara enjoys doing yoga and loves staying active outdoors by kayaking, hiking, and exploring with her pup Meadow.

Email Sara

Rick Remington

Conservation Director

Rick is a native of central Wisconsin, and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Rick worked throughout the Midwest, Maine, and Kentucky in land management, restoration, and protection before joining the land trust staff in 2002. In his spare time, Rick enjoys a variety silent sports, gardening, and spending time outdoors with his wife Heather and daughter, Amber. Rick leads our conservation team from the Menomonie office.

Email Rick

Kristin Thompson

Advancement Director

Kristin Thompson joined the Landmark staff as Advancement Director in May 2019. She has degrees from Gustavus Adolphus College and Hamline University, and brings over 15 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations. Kristin provides leadership for fund development to support new and ongoing conservation initiatives. She has lived in the St. Croix Valley since 2010 and enjoys gardening, kayaking, cross-country skiing, and exploring the Northwoods with her family -- husband Chris, daughter Sydney, and son Jonah.

Email Kristin

Michelle Von Ruden

Operations Manager

Michelle Von Ruden joined us in August 2021 as the Operations Manager. She completed her undergrad in Finance and received her MBA with a focus in Management & Leadership from the University of Kansas. She has over 10+ years’ experience in the accounting/finance world. She loves being outside and hopes to one day finish the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin, a journey she began in 2020 with her husband Mike, son Hunter, and daughter Emily.

Email Michelle

Zaria Whitacre

Communications Specialist

Zaria grew up in the Chippewa Valley and has always had an affinity for the abundance of lakes and streams in Wisconsin. She graduated in 2022 from Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin with an associate degree in Digital Marketing and Grant Writing. While studying her degree, she interned at The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce and worked on the production team at WEAU 13 News. These experiences, along with her passion for the outdoors, led her to seek a career that prioritized communities and their natural resources. Zaria loves cooking, listening to podcasts, traveling, and film photography.

Email Zaria

Join the Landmark Conservancy Board!

Written by Judy Aldrian

Want to renew your spirit in the Natural World? How about becoming a new Board member at Landmark Conservancy? You’ll get a real appreciation for what an organization can accomplish while working with an extraordinary dedicated Staff and Board. Landmark Conservancy is in recruitment mode and interested in seating new Board members.

At first, you may have apprehension and even feel like a cub scout in need of a den mother! It takes a while to learn and understand the dynamics, but we have an orientation process in place and assistance from staff and mentors to help you get started. Along with your enthusiasm and experience, skills and talents that are helpful are in the fields of conservation/ environment, financial/fundraising, community and organizational engagement, legal and non-profit experience - just to name a few.

We have 6 meetings per year and although our preference is to attend in person, you have the option to join via phone or computer when you cannot do so. We also ask Board members to serve on various Committees – Conservation, Governance, Advancement, Finance & Audit and Executive. These Committees are where the challenges and enjoyment begin and where you can share your expertise.

Landmark works in a 20-county area in northwest Wisconsin. Over the years, we’ve conserved 30,000 acres of beautiful tracts of land in perpetuity, some that front and/or include natural waterways. We are an accredited organization with the Land Trust Alliance and our practices, policies and procedures adhere to the guidelines of this national organization. In April of 2018, we officially hired our new Executive Director, Lindsey Ketchel replacing our retiring Executive Director. She eagerly stepped into her new role and has been working very hard to keep Landmark a premier conservancy.

I am retiring from the Board after seven years of service because of hitting that 80-year milestone and the need to cut back on activities. I truly enjoyed the work and challenges that arose during my tenure that began under West Wisconsin Land Trust in January of 2012. During that time, I served on three committees and two sub-committees including the Merger Task Force and Chairing the Search Committee for our new Executive Director. Although my husband and I now live in Eau Claire, we formerly owned 310 acres in the Southwest corner of Sawyer County in the beautiful kettle moraine wild lakes area near Birchwood. We began purchasing parcels in 1974 and conserved them with a land easement with West Wisconsin Land Trust.

The property allowed us to experience nature first hand. A bear built a den in a hillside across the lake from our home where we enjoyed watching the mom train four cubs to climb by pushing them up a tree with her nose, nurse them individually, and keep them from wandering too far from the den while they played in the snow. They left the den in April, but we saw them several times while hiking and yes, we retreated in the opposite direction. She had to slow down because one of the cubs was tiny and couldn’t keep up with the rest. We’ve found a fawn hiding in the leaves next to a trail and a grouse sitting on her nest as we walked by. Nature fills our souls and it is so important to preserve these special places forever for all humanity.

Come join us at Landmark Conservancy– renew your spirit in the natural world!

To learn more about serving on Landmark Conservancy's Board, call or email: Lindsey Ketchel

(715) 235-8850
lindsey@landmarkwi.org