Events Calendar
Learn, hike and volunteer with the Conservancy
Want to learn to identify native and invasive plants, manage your own property, or just feel good about helping make a difference for local wildlife and community members? Looking for ways to join like-minded folks to learn more about the world we live in?
Join us for an upcoming Linked to the Land educational event or a Volunteer for the Wild work party to expand your horizons and gain a sense of satisfaction for helping wildlife in your community.
View the 2026 Linked to the Land AND Volunteer for the Wild schedule.
Read more about the options below. Sign-up available online a few months prior to each event.
Events
Trail Trek Challenge is a free year-round hike/walk program on the nature preserves you've helped protect in Wisconsin's Driftless Area. Challenge yourself to hike at least five of the 19 designated trails to discover nature's treasures and learn what makes these places so valuable for everyone who lives, works, and plays here.
COMPLETE THE CHALLENGE AND WE WILL SEND YOU A WATER BOTTLE STICKER to commemorate your accomplishment! Add the kids' names to your Trail Guide, and we will send one for each of the kids, too!
When you sign up, you'll receive a confirmation email with a link to your downloadable Trail Guide & Hike Log with hike descriptions and a place to record your hikes throughout the year. Downloadable trail maps, an interactive map, and driving directions to each hike location are available from the Nature Preserves section of our website.
Registration kicks off at Earth Fair on April 26, 2026 with a guided marsh hike at Myrick part at 11am, and you can register at any time throughout the year.
Thank you to our sponsors, whose support helps us
- Protect trees, prairies, and clean water for plants, animals and YOU!
- Teach the value of nature through outdoor recreation and land restoration projects.
- Clear trails and provide free places for people to hike on over 7,000 acres in 9 counties.
- Inspire community members to unplug and spend more time outdoors.
2026-2025 Sponsors:
SIGN UP
Missed the native seed harvests earlier this season? Today is your last chance to collect seeds at the scenic Sugar Creek Bluff State Natural Area! The prairies at Sugar Creek Bluff are some of the most healthy and beautiful prairies in western Wisconsin. Don't miss your chance to help restore the bluffs above the Mississippi River.
All ages and skill levels are welcome – dress appropriately for the weather, bring a water bottle and sturdy footwear and clothing to protect from brush. Together, we can make a big difference in a short amount of time! Events may involve full body movement on uneven ground and sometimes steep slopes. Expert instruction, protective gear, tools, and snacks will be provided.
Terrain difficulty rating: STEEP
Work difficulty rating: LIGHT
Registration confirmation will be sent by email. Additional details are emailed two days prior to the event.
Questions? Email payton@mississippivalleyconservancy.org or call (608) 817-8373.
A wise man once said "Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant". Wow. That young man went on to be Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of Treasure Island. Much like protagonist Jim Hawkins in the 1883 novel, we will travel across a vast ocean (of invasive plants) to an island (of native prairie plants) in search of treasure (seeds). Scallywags and peglegs encouraged to attend. LOL
All ages and skill levels are welcome – dress appropriately for the weather, bring a water bottle and sturdy footwear and clothing to protect from brush. Events may involve full body movement on uneven ground and sometimes steep slopes. Expert instruction, protective gear, tools, and snacks will be provided. Together, we can make a big difference in a short amount of time!
Work difficulty rating: LIGHT
Terrain difficulty rating: FLAT TERRAIN
Registration confirmation will be sent by email. Additional details are emailed two days prior to the event. Questions? Email payton@mississippivalleyconservancy.org or call (608) 817-8373. (Photo by Genesis Gordon)
This year's Fall Fundraiser is a celebration of the wild and scenic natural areas that make the Driftless Area so unique. The prairies, forests, rivers and wildlife that surround us every day provide homes for wildlife, help keep our water clean, and give us places to become one with nature. Together, we'll ensure that the places we cherish close to home remain protected, healthy and resilient for generations to come.
This year, our Fall Fundraiser will be held on THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5th beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Radisson in La Crosse.
Click below to view our menu or download the ticket order form:
You can download the invitation to reserve your tickets by mail, scan the QR code below, or CLICK HERE to PURCHASE TICKETS. Tickets are $75 each through October 22, then will increase to $85. Seating is limited. Dietary restrictions can be indicated when purchasing your tickets, but only accommodated if purchased by October 27. Be sure to purchase your tickets early.
Checks should be mailed to: Mississippi Valley Conservancy, P.O. Box 2611, La Crosse, WI 54602 with an attached invitation form.
Thanks to many generous donors, this year's auction is loaded with treasures and fun. The program and auction list will be emailed the week before the event to our members.
We thank the Radisson Hotel in La Crosse, and all our Conservation Partners for making this event possible. AND YOU, our supporters, will make this a night to remember as we come together to fund the future of conservation close to home.
With any questions, contact Tiffany at 608-784-3606, ext. 1 or by email at Tiffany@MississippiValleyConservancy.org.
Over the river and through the woods, to Tunnelville Cliffs we go! The team knows the way, to make it a day, to foster nature to grow. Happy Thanksgiving! Come outside and join us at Tunnelville Cliffs State Natural Area for a day of prescribed fire preparation. We will be preparing our prescribed fire units for upcoming burns in the winter and spring!
All skill levels are welcome – dress appropriately for the weather, bring a water bottle, sturdy footwear. Long pants and a long-sleeved shirt to protect from the parsnip. Events may involve full body movement on uneven ground and sometimes steep slopes. Expert instruction, protective gear, tools, and snacks will be provided. Together, we can make a big difference in a short amount of time!
Terrain difficulty rating: ROLLING
Work difficulty rating: MODERATE
Registration confirmation will be sent by email. Additional details are emailed two days prior to the event. Questions? Email payton@mississippivalleyconservancy.org or call (608) 817-8373.
It's Christmas season! And what better symbol of the season than the vibrant cardinal? On Tuesday, December 8, join the land management team to make Cardinal Bluff as vibrant as it's namesake bird. We'll be removing brush, clearing cedar, and building community at this scenic nature preserve in the middle of De Soto, Wisconsin.
All ages and skill levels are welcome – dress appropriately for the weather and bring sturdy footwear and clothing to protect from brush. Join us in caring for this priceless preserve! If you can safely operate a chainsaw or if you can just pull brush, we have a place for you at this work party!
Terrain: Steep
Work difficulty: Moderate
Directions will be emailed a few days before the event, or if you have questions, please reach out to Restoration Coordinator Payton Lott at Payton@MississippiValleyConservancy.org
Mississippi Valley Conservancy is thankful for you and all of the amazing volunteers who help us conserve and restore the Driftless Area. We could not do it without you.
Planning some ice fishing this week? First come help the Conservancy Land Management team out at Trempealeau Lakes on Saturday, December 19th. We'll be continuing our invasive removal project at this site, which is perfect to explore after the lakes and wetlands have frozen over. Bring a thermos because we'll be sipping on coffee and hot chocolate! By removing this invasive brush, we will give these young trees a fighting chance to survive!
All ages and skill levels are welcome – dress appropriately for the weather, bring a water bottle and sturdy footwear and clothing to protect from brush. Events may involve full body movement on uneven ground and sometimes steep slopes. Expert instruction, protective gear, tools, and snacks will be provided. Together, we can make a big difference in a short amount of time!
Work difficulty rating: MODERATE DIFFICULTY
Terrain difficulty rating: FLAT
Registration confirmation will be sent by email. Additional details are emailed two days prior to the event. Questions? Email payton@mississippivalleyconservancy.org or call (608) 817-8373.