Lakeshore Nature Preserve director announced

Gary Brown, director of campus planning and landscape architecture at Facilities Planning and Management, has been named director of the university’s Lakeshore Nature Preserve.

Brown will provide administrative oversight, assist with capital development and fundraising efforts, and provide a clear point of contact for the campus community, the public and community organizations such as the Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve.

“I’m thrilled to take on this expanded leadership role for the preserve and continue developing a more comprehensive program of preservation, research and teaching for this wonderful outdoor resource right in our own back yard,” says Brown. “The preserve is clearly one of the defining features of our beautiful 900-plus acre campus.”

Bill Barker, chair of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve Committee, says he is delighted at the increased institutional support and commitment represented by Brown’s appointment.

“Gary’s skills as an administrator and landscape architect will serve him well in his new role,” says Barker. “Our committee looks forward to working with him to further improve and integrate the Lakeshore Nature Preserve into the research, teaching and outreach mission of the university.”

The preserve consists of approximately 300 acres along more than four miles of the Lake Mendota shoreline from the Memorial Union to Shorewood Hills. It serves multiple purposes as a classroom, laboratory, recreational space, and wildlife habitat.

The naming of a director will provide more focused management and ensure that resources are available to address operational issues regarding this critical campus resource.

Brown will serve as an ex-officio member of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve Committee, the shared governance committee responsible for all policy decisions related to the preserve.

Brown earned a bachelor of science degree in landscape architecture from UW-Madison in 1984. He is a registered landscape architect and has worked for Facilities Planning and Management for 11 years.

In addition to his new role, he will continue in his current position, in which he has been overseeing the development and implementation of the 20-year campus master plan. He serves as the university’s historic preservation officer and environmental affairs officer. He was the project manager for the Thai Pavilion, which was a gift to the university from the Thai chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the government of Thailand. It was erected at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in September 2001 by Thai artisans and has attracted thousands of visitors.