Home - Central Conservation

Together, we will unify
the conservation movement.

The future depends on collective action. Every acre restored, trail built, invasive species treated, and connection formed through a personal relationship with the land relies on our ability to provide opportunities for stewardship.

With that goal in mind, our services are designed to build the infrastructure and provide the dedicated administrative support that makes this work possible. Behind every successful conservation effort is a strong foundation — one that allows organizations and the people within them to focus on the work that matters most.

By sharing resources and strengthening operational support, we help conservation partners work more efficiently while ensuring the organizations we care about — and the people doing this important work — remain one step closer to the future we all envision.

How We Help

HR & PAYROLL

hiring, onboarding, benefits, PTO, and payroll

COMMUNICATIONS & FUNDRAISING

storytelling, branding, and donor strategy

ACCOUNTING  & REPORTING

invoicing, data entry, budget management, and financial reporting

INSURANCE & COMPLIANCE

liability, worker’s comp, and insurance paperwork

Our Impact

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Million people impacted by conservation projects in the Midwest Region

Unique partnerships with local nonprofits, state and federal agencies, and public land managers

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Volunteer Service Hours across our partnership network

Acres of Public Lands restored through stewardship

Combined Impact

Read our full 2025 Impact Report to learn more about how shared resources results in organizational growth for each of our divisions.

We're Hiring!

We’re looking for an Administrative Coordinator to join our team to assists with accounting support functions including preparing bills for payment, deposits, filing, and data entry.

This is a part time, in-office position located in La Crosse, WI.

Our Story

2009 | Wisconsin Youth Conservation Corps, Inc. non-profit founded

2014 | WisCorps, Inc. moves to the former Myrick Hixon EcoPark, La Crosse, WI.

2023 |The Nature Place is designated as a division and branded as an environmental education center.

2024 | Central Conservation, Inc. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization is fully branded supporting its divisions, The Nature Place and WisCorps.

Unity is the way forward.

Each division of Central Conservation holds meaningful opportunities for people to build community and strengthen personal relationships with our Earth.

WisCorps engages the next generation of environmental leaders through guided, hands-on service opportunities that benefit public lands across our region. Its conservation corps program serves the Upper Midwest, complemented by an individual placement program that partners with like-minded organizations throughout the region.

The Nature Place is a nature-focused community center in La Crosse, Wisconsin, dedicated to cultivating meaningful connections between people and nature, for the benefit of both.

Meet Our Team

Emily Post

Interim Executive Director

Emily grew up camping with her family all over Wisconsin, which sparked a lifelong love of the outdoors. She moved to La Crosse in 2009 to attend UW-La Crosse and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Environmental Studies. After college, Emily did an SCA AmeriCorps Term with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge. Then, Emily spent two summers working as a ranger for the U.S. National Park Service in Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Parks before starting working for WisCorps in 2015.

Kristy Brown

Administrative Manager

Kristy grew up in Southern WI but spent summers at her grandparents dairy farm in the Driftless Area. She developed a passion for the outdoors, land stewardship and conservation. She attended the UW Madison and moved Sparta. She has a farm and raises llamas and has been installing prairie strips along with woodland management for forest production and wildlife habitat. She enjoys hiking, often with her llamas, and has done sections of the Continental Divide Trail in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. She also enjoys hunting and foraging for mushrooms.

Mary Freybler

Director of Development

Mary grew up in central Wisconsin and attended UW-La Crosse earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation Management. Her resume includes: Director of Parks & Recreation, Development Director for the Boy Scouts of America, and Major & Planned Giving Specialist for a medical foundation. These incredible professional experiences have shaped her career in philanthropy and enhanced her desire to build stronger communities.

Matthew Brantner

Development Officer

Bio coming soon.

Paige Manges

Marketing & Communications Manager

After ten+ years in the agency world, Paige hung up her Commercial Production hat to find an outdoors-focused organization that would align with her core values, beliefs, and passion for environmental causes. Her goal has always been to use her creativity, connections, and collaborative energy to raise awareness around important causes and initiatives she believes in.

Maddie Kostka

UW-L Creative Communications Fellow

Maddie grew up in southeastern Wisconsin and spent her summers exploring campgrounds across the state—fishing, biking, swimming, and soaking in everything nature has to offer. She’s currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, majoring in Marketing with a minor in Business Analytics. Working at The Nature Place allows Maddie to blend her love for the outdoors with her passion for marketing. Outside of work, she enjoys playing pickleball, getting lost in a good book, learning new card games, and spending time in the sun.

Natalie Koestler

UW-L Development Fellow

Natalie grew up driving through La Crosse to visit her extended family in Minnesota. The beautiful scenery from the river to the bluffs quickly became a drawing point to the area for her. So, as she attends UW-La Crosse for Sociology with a Business Administration minor, working to fundraise for conservation in the area was an easy choice.

Meet Our Board

Barbara Thompson

Board Member

My husband and I moved to West Salem in 1980. When the first of our three children entered kindergarten we were pleasantly surprised to find that the district owned a school forest. When our oldest was in first grade her teacher asked for parent volunteers to help out during their school forest trip. I had never heard of such a thing as a school forest and…..I was hooked! I have a BS in Forest Management from UW-Stevens Point. With that knowledge I helped teachers and students learn about what a great place “their” forest was. And in 1993 I was hired as the school district’s first Outdoor Education Center Coordinator. A job I thoroughly enjoyed for 23 years. From 1996 to 2019 I spent part of each summer in far eastern and far northern Russia running environmental summer camps for Russian students. When I retired I knew I wanted to stay involved in Environmental Education. I think that one of the most important things we can do for and with today’s children is help them learn about and understand the world they live in. Serving on the board helps me keep that EE connection. I love spending time with my kids and grandkids. We find lots of things to do outdoors! I also really enjoy hiking, cycling, canoeing, reading, and gardening.

Jess Medema

Board Treasurer

Michael Scott

Board Member

Michael Scott is a Parent Educator and a member of the Marketing and Outreach team at The Parenting Place. The mission of The Parenting Place aligns closely with the work of Central Conservation, supporting strong families, communities, and connections to place.

Together, let's unify the conservation movement.

Your generosity strengthens the systems that make conservation work possible. Today and for generations to come.

Together, we will unify the conservation movement.