Stephanie Judge

Education

B.A. Journalism and Political Science, 2003, UW-Madison

B.S. Landscape Architecture Professional Degree, 2010, UW-Madison

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee management and strategic direction for DALC’s land protection and management activities

• Build and maintain relationships with landowners, stakeholders and partners to identify and evaluate new high priority conservation opportunities

• Execute and oversee land protection projects including acquisition of fee title lands and conservation easements

• Work with landowners to uphold conservation easements

• Oversee implementation of land management plans for DALC preserves

• Lead implementation and adaptive management of DALC’s Conservation Plan

• Communicate about conservation priorities with landowners, volunteers, neighbors, partners, and the public 

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Past Jobs & Experience

Stephanie comes to DALC after almost 15 years with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) where she worked with landowners to acquire conservation interests in land that expanded protection for populations of native species and natural communities across the State of Wisconsin.  Stephanie also managed nearly 30 conservation easements and deed restrictions across northern Wisconsin, building relationships and advancing mutual conservation priorities. During her time with TNC, Stephanie grew her expertise in land management and restoration and recently completed a multi-year land protection and wetland restoration project at a site adjoining Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area in Kenosha County.

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Prior to her time with TNC, Stephanie worked for a local ecological restoration firm, enjoyed a summer as a Madison Audubon Society Restoration Ecology Fieldwork Intern and also spent nearly a year working with the DNR’s State Natural Areas program. In 2010, Stephanie completed a professional degree in Landscape Architecture at UW–Madison with an emphasis in restoration ecology. Her capstone/thesis imagined a future beyond the floods for the village of Gays Mills and her work evaluated historic landscape change in the Driftless Area and its implications for today.

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Favorite things about the Driftless Area

"There’s no other place like it! Something new and special lies around every corner of meandering rivers, streams and roads, with incredible landscape diversity that makes the Driftless Area one of the most ecologically important gems in all of North America."

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Hobbies & Interests

As an avid gardener with a passion for healing damaged land and limiting the often-negative impacts of certain traditional planting options, Stephanie enjoys helping homeowners reduce traditional turf lawns and integrate native and edible plants into urban spaces. Stephanie loves to teach her kids how to grow food and build things. She also took up hunting in 2017 and is solely interested in pursuing overpopulated animals like deer, geese and turkey that do ecological damage when their populations are left unchecked but that can also provide healthy local food. In her limited free time, Stephanie loves to experience nature with her family and particularly likes spending time out on Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers.