Nurturing Community – Friends of Crex
THE FRIENDS OF CREX
The Friends of Crex is a nonprofit organization with nearly 500 active members that supports the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area in Grantsburg, WI. Crex Meadows Wildlife Area consists of over 30,000 acres of state-owned land and is managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The wildlife area is open to a variety of recreational activities including hunting, trapping, birdwatching, hiking, and much more! Each year, the Friends of Crex provide hundreds of hours of volunteer support and thousands of dollars in financial support to Crex Meadows to enhance visitor experiences.
The Friends of Crex was formed in the mid-1980s to help further the educational program at Crex Meadows. Likely the largest and most well-known accomplishment of the group was the funding of the Crex Meadows Wildlife Education & Visitor Center. Fundraising for the visitor center was a massive undertaking, but with significant time and effort from volunteers, the group raised the necessary funds which were then donated to the DNR. In 2002, construction of the building was finished, although there was still lots to do! The existing educational displays were unveiled in 2007 and educational programming has occurred year-round in the visitor center since its completion. After the completion of the visitor center, a new project appeared on the horizon – replacing the old mess hall.
Anyone who has visited Crex Meadows for a banquet, pancake breakfast, or brat fry before 2020 would have enjoyed their meal in the “old” mess hall. The facility was used heavily over the years but needed serious updates to appropriately house events. Ultimately, the Friends of Crex raised enough money to support the construction of a new building now named the Crex Meadows Meeting & Gathering Hall. This hall now hosts a variety of events such as pancake breakfasts, school groups, DNR meetings, you name it!
While these two projects were a massive undertaking, the Friends of Crex have contributed so much more. From the annual Earth Day Clean-up event to greeting visitors in the visitor center, Friends of Crex provide all types of support to the DNR at Crex Meadows. This year, the Friends of Crex have already built new targets for the archery course behind the visitor center, removed trash from the wildlife area, sponsored numerous educational events, and more!
Friends of Crex encourages anyone interested in wildlife and the outdoors to get involved. Membership dues start as low as $15/year and support wildlife education and management activities at Crex Meadows. Membership does not obligate you to perform volunteer work, but many of our members are also volunteers. There’s a volunteer project for everyone, and we’d love to hear from you. Please call us at 715-463-2739 or email us at information@crexmeadows.org. You can also check out our upcoming events on our website at www.crexmeadows.org. Visit us at the Crex Meadow Wildlife Education and Visitors Center, 102 E Crex Ave, Grantsburg, WI.
The Northwest Alliance Community Foundation is an affiliate of the St. Croix Valley Foundation. We support our area nonprofits with educational opportunities and grants. Please consider joining us by making a donation. See our website nacommunityfoundation.org for more information or email nacf.hq@gmail.com.