Friends bring programs to this wooded wonder

The Friends of Lake Maria was officially organized in 1996, but their actual work began in 1992. That’s when the inaugural “March for the Parks” event began to raise money for programming at Lake Maria State Park. Over the years, however, this event began to lose steam as more groups began marching for their causes. To fill the void, the Friends of Lake Maria were formed and become solely responsible for funding and hosting seven or eight events each year that promoted nature, recreation and science in the park. Membership support makes these events possible.

Lake Maria is classified as a “Core-Gateway” park that the DNR wants to invest in to attract new outdoor recreation participants. Currently, however, there is minimal staffing and no resident naturalist. So, the work of the Friends to bring more programming and volunteer activity to the park is important in connecting more people to the outdoors.

The Friends are always looking for new members and they welcome your time and donations to further their mission.