where we work
The geographic boundary of the Upper Mississippi/Great Lakes Joint Venture (UMGL JV) encompasses 10 States – including all of Michigan and Wisconsin, plus parts of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska and Ohio.
Total acreage is approximately 260 million acres (105 million ha) which does not include the Great Lakes!
recent
news & events
A Window into the Secret Life of Chimney Swifts
Follow a Chimney Swift pair as they build a nest, incubate eggs, and raise their young - [...]
Buzz Into Pollinator Week: June 22-28, 2026!
Pollinator Week is here - time to celebrate the winged critters that keep our ecosystems - and [...]
Rediscover America’s Grasslands
Grasslands are found from the Pacific to Atlantic coasts - yet most Americans do not know they [...]
Ryan Brady is a Conservation Biologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation. He coordinates citizen-based monitoring programs for owls, nightjars, and secretive marsh birds; serves as Science Coordinator for Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II; and conducts a variety of communication and outreach activities related to birding and bird conservation.
partnerships
across the joint venture
Since 2007, JV partners have restored or enhanced 1,378,500 acres across the region. Also during this time, 167,800 acres of bird habitat were protected.
Learn more about the partnerships across the joint venture that work collectively to achieve habitat protection, restoration, and enhancement.