The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources awarded The Friends of Lapham Peak, the "Friends Group of the Year" for 2023!
An informal, impromptu ceremony was held on December 15, with a number of the Friends Members, as we received the award on behalf of the Friends Group. We've enjoyed a wonderful year of progress on many of our projects and efforts, with an anticipated 13,000-15,000 hours of volunteer time being recorded this calendar year. (We'll update this figure once the year completes!)
People visiting Lapham Peak have noticed our work! And we are grateful for the generous donations that have enabled us to provide the park with many projects and services this year, including:
- making snow for skiers (and all that goes with making snow)
- managing events for skiers, such as the ski series and Loppet
- managing events to help raise funds for projects, such as Colorama, Feel the Burn, Friday the 13th, and Fright Hike
- endless planning and designing the details for the new Lapham Lodge - soon to going out to contractors for the bidding process, and then construction this spring!
- clearing invasives; transforming the park back to its natural state; you can once again see the kettles, moraines, the old oaks and other hardwoods, and the beautiful prairie flowers
- tending to and enhancing the spectacular butterfly garden
- managing our memorial brick pathway through our butterfly garden
- providing nature programs with the revitalized Nature Center
- offering park related merchandise
- offering firewood as a way to raise funds to help pay for prairie and woodland management services
- providing the park with new equipment to manage and maintain trails and paths
- maintaining memorial benches
- adding boardwalks
- and so much more that goes on behind the scenes!
