In March 2021, the North Central Conservancy Trust (NCCT) launched a fundraiser to fund the purchase of a new solar power array for their Land Conservation Center, located in the Village of Whiting, Stevens Point, WI. By the end of May, NCCT was able to successfully secure the $13,380 needed to purchase and install the system, which was entirely manufactured in the USA. The system was installed by Northwind Solar (located in Amherst, WI) on June 22, 2021.
The fundraiser kicked off with a generous $5,000 matching contribution from an Anonymous Donor, and the goal was expeditiously met with funds received from individual donations from the community, a Northwind Solar donation, a grant awarded to NCCT through RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good initiative, and a Focus on Energy financial incentive. NCCT Executive Director, Chris Radford, states, “We are forever grateful for all of the ongoing support for NCCT from our members, supporters and the community. The installation of this renewable and sustainable energy source to power our building underscores our conservation mission, and we hope that it inspires others to do the same. Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible.”
The North Central Conservancy Trust has been this region’s local land trust for the past 26 years and continues to conserve land in Central Wisconsin. Throughout the 8-county area NCCT serves, (Adams, Clark, Lincoln, Marathon, Portage, Taylor, Waushara, and Wood), they have managed to protect over 4,400 acres of land, primarily through conservation easements. NCCT takes pride in working with landowners, the community, and others to conserve land in Central Wisconsin and protect the area’s natural resources.
NCCT was fortunate enough to acquire the old Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Ranger station in Upper Whiting Park thanks to the help of the Wisconsin DNR and the Village of Whiting. NCCT took ownership of the 60-year-old building in October 2019 and, after hundreds of hours of volunteer work and successful fundraising initiatives, the organization has been able to successfully renovate the office building to become the NCCT Land Conservation Center.
The future is bright for NCCT, and they believe the Land Conservation Center serving as a headquarters is imperative to the organization’s growth and for carrying out their mission to conserve the natural heritage of Central Wisconsin through the protection of land. NCCT is a Wisconsin 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that relies on financial support through donations to carry out their important land protection work.
For questions or to learn how you can get involved with the North Central Conservancy Trust, please contact:
Chris Radford, NCCT Executive Director
Email: edncct@gmail.com
Office Phone: (715) 344-1910