Natural Areas

The Cofrin Center for Biodiversity manages the Cofrin Memorial Arboretum, which we acknowledge is located on the ancestral homelands of the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. In light of this week’s police presence at the Arboretum, we would like to share our continued commitment to keeping the Arboretum a safe and welcoming place for everyone. We have been assured that this is an isolated incident and the public is not in danger. Still, we believe it’s important to emphasize to the UWGB community that we have been and are in the process of taking steps to maintain and improve safety in general in the arboretum.

The Arboretum is meant to protect natural communities and habitat, and to promote the appreciation and study of natural resources. We appreciate and honor that the Arboretum is also a vital resource to our community for recreation and wellness.

Some of the steps we are taking to ensure the Arboretum is safe and welcoming are:

• We meet monthly with Facilities and UWGB Police to share information and discuss infrastructure and safety issues.
• We work closely with Facilities to maintain trail surfaces and clear hazards such as downed trees.
• We are working with Facilities to replace the bridges, likely in the next few weeks.
• We recently competed for strategic funding to make trails more user-friendly and inviting, with new kiosks, and improved trail marker, trail distance, “you are-here,” and interpretive signage. We are now seeking private support from the community and getting closer to being able to bring these ideas to fruition.
• We are diverting parking from the sides of busy roads to established parking areas on campus and will eventually include trailheads and signage for these areas.
• We have made efforts to maintain communication with and are committed to promoting involvement by Athletics, University Recreation, First Nations Studies, Inclusive Excellence, the Center for Civic Engagement, and others as we pursue trail safety and improvement projects.
• We recently began volunteer workdays as a pilot project that we hope can develop into an Arboretum friends group.

Building relationships and communication with the surrounding community is one of our ongoing priorities for Arboretum management.

If you have questions, concerns, or are interested in volunteering, you may contact CCB staff. For volunteer opportunities, you can also visit us at CueGB. If you are interested in donating, visit our secure giving page. We thank you for supporting the Arboretum and being a part of this community.