Friends of Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
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Mission Statement
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center conserves our land’s diverse habitats on Lake Michigan and provides meaningful experiences and environmental education for all.
About This Cause
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center is an organization built on a conservation legacy that protects the last undeveloped stretch of lakefront in Wisconsin’s Milwaukee County. We offer various environmental educational programs to the community, reaching 159,000 people annually through on-site visits and programs for people of all ages and abilities. Located north of the city of Milwaukee and immediately adjacent to Lake Michigan, Schlitz Audubon once functioned as an agricultural property, used to rest the draft horses of Schlitz Brewery. Following the development boom of the 1950s, the Schlitz Foundation discussed turning the land into a men’s-only private golf course or family residences. Fortunately, nearby residents blocked the required zoning change for this development. After years of negotiations and an alliance with the National Audubon Society, the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center became established officially in 1971 by people with a great love of nature and a strong conservation ethic. The Dorothy K. Vallier Environmental Learning Center opened in May 2003, and the Center received a prestigious national LEED award for the building’s sustainability. A premier Nature Preschool, integrated with the new building, became one of the first in the nation. In addition to our preschool classes, we offer environmental education programming for up to 20,000 preschool-K12 students from across Milwaukee County. Annually, up to 5,000 of those students come from schools where an average 85% of families live in socio-economically disadvantaged communities. These students receive our programming and are provided appropriate weather gear for free through educational scholarships. We also offer numerous adult and family programs tailored to people with visual, cognitive, auditory, and other impairments. One popular example of Schlitz Audubon’s accessible offerings is SPARK!, a program designed for individuals with Alzheimer's, or other forms of memory loss, and their caregivers. During such programs, guests can feel the texture of turtle shells, examine the differences between feathers of different bird species, or smell summer flowers during a sensory hike. Our SPARK! program is filled with joy and laughter, music and song, learning and sharing. Our beloved raptor program is also housed on Center grounds. The most comprehensive raptor program in all of Southeastern Wisconsin, our 14 birds of prey (including owls, hawks, bald eagles, kestrels, falcons, a vulture, and a crow) serve as interactive educators, providing unique, up-close learning experiences both at the Center and in the community through school visits and local events. In a typical year, our raptors reach more than 50,000 people of all ages onsite, throughout the Greater Milwaukee area, and beyond. Our raptor staff and 35 active volunteers—a dedicated group that logged 3,385 hours of service in the last year—provide the daily care of our birds and assist in programming. In addition to our various educational program offerings, the Center features six miles of trails that take visitors through 185 acres of forests, wetlands, prairies, ravines, bluffs, and shoreline. Currently, nearly 1.25 miles of our trails are fully accessible to those with wheelchairs, strollers, or another form of mobility device. The land is central to our diverse and interactive programs: sparking a love of nature for all those involved with the Center. Our intention is to ensure that every one of our visitors have the capability to explore our trails and form strong connections to nature. Schlitz Audubon Nature Center is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. We depend on you – our donors, members, and grantors. Thank you!