Wisconsin State Fair

Technology is an essential component at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. DNR IT supports interactive tools that help you explore our state lands and innovative systems that protect and manage natural resources. Explore some of the online resources and learn how DNR IT connects people, technology and the outdoors.

Planting Your Prairie Seed Mix

State Fair visitors who picked up a packet of seeds at the DNR IT booth have a wonderful blend of seeds for growing native Wisconsin plants that are beneficial to pollinators. Seed packet is a blend of the plants listed below.

For best results, sow in late fall through early spring. Many native prairie flowers benefit from a period of winter cold before germinating.

• Choose a sunny location (6+ hours of direct sun) with well-drained soil.
• Remove existing grass and weeds so the seeds contact bare soil.
• Scatter the seeds evenly over the soil surface. Do not bury them—many native seeds need light to germinate. Gently press them into the soil by walking over the area or using a board or roller.
• Water lightly after planting and keep the soil slightly moist until seedlings are established if planting in spring.
• Be patient! Some species will bloom the first year, while others may take 2–3 years to reach full size and flowering.
• Avoid mowing after plants emerge, except for a light mowing (4–6 inches) if annual weeds become taller than the seedlings during the first year.

Enjoy watching your prairie grow and provide food and habitat for bees, butterflies and other pollinators!

Grasses

• Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
• Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)

Forbs

• Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
• Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)
• White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida)
• Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)
• Showy Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense)
• Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)
• Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
• Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
• Gray Goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis)
• Stiff Goldenrod (Solidago rigida)
• Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum leave)
• New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
• Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)

Top 10 Outdoor Activities

Whether motivated by the desire to relax, exercise, or be with friends and family, in Wisconsin we participate in outdoor recreation with an uncommon passion. DNR IT supports resources to get you outdoors!

Hiking

• Find a State Park
• OutWiGo exploration maps

Swimming 

• Find a beach

Wildlife Watching/Photography

• Find a Wildlife Area
• Wildlife Habitat
• Wisconsin animals

Picnicking 

• Find a State Park

Boating 

• Register your boat
• Find a lake

Fishing 

• Wisconsin Fishing Finder
• Visit a state hatchery

Visiting nature centers 

• Nature programs and events

Canoeing, kayaking, row boating, paddleboarding 

• Find a water trail

Bicycling 

• Find a bike trail

Gardening 

• Plant native plants to help nature
• Plant a tree

Search for great places to go and things to do on state lands across the state.

Resources For Kids

Wisconsin state parks, forests, recreation areas and wildlife areas are great places to explore anything related to the great outdoors! Go on an outdoor adventure, learn about local wildlife and habitats, discover history, explore new interests, practice outdoor recreation skills, experience real places and create memories that last a lifetime.

• Wisconsin Explorer program
• Education and learning
• Wisconsin DNR educators
• Places to take kids fishing
• Tree identification
• Youth hunting
• Explore the many kid-friendly events across the state

Get Involved

Do you have talents and interests you’d like to share? Concerned about our state’s natural resources? If so, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources needs your skills and talents. Many groups and individuals generously offer their time for an hour, a day, a weekend project or for a longer, seasonal position.

• Citizen-based monitoring
• Report an observation of a plant or non-game animal
• Volunteer at a State Park
• Help at a State Natural Area
• Adopt a Wildlife Area
• Become a Volunteer Safety Instructor
• Public hearings and meetings
• Public input opportunities

DNR Maps

The DNR produces a wide range of useful maps for the public on hundreds of topics related to the environment, recreation, wildlife and natural resources. In many cases, no piece of information is quite as helpful as a good map.

IT Careers at DNR

From cybersecurity and Geographic Information System (GIS) to app development and website operations, our IT professionals support the tools, data and infrastructure that help protect Wisconsin’s natural resources. Our IT supports efficient operations across the agency and serves the public.

Examples include:

• Go Wild – for licenses and registrations
• Pay and web Services – secure online payment systems and rich web platforms
• IT-managed databases and portals for data sharing across all agencies
• Elk calf collaring/tracking
• Fish hatchery water sensors
• Snapshot Wisconsin – a volunteer-based project for monitoring wildlife
• eGrants – improved user experience when applying for grants
• PFAS Interactive Data Viewer – locate sites impacted by PFAS
• Electronics recycling – find an electronics collection site or free mail-back program
• WisBurn – current fire situation, including fire danger and DNR burn restrictions
• Wisconsin Forest Inventory and Reporting System
• Aeronautics and drones for investigations

Explore careers at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.