MADISON, Wis. — Picnic Point is one of Madison’s most treasured oases; 300 acres of pristinely preserved natural space just a few miles from the heart of downtown. Now, thanks to a $14.3 million dollar gift from UW alumnus Jerry Frautschi, the iconic UW-Madison landmark is getting a brand new visitor and education center.
“It’s so crucial that we bring as many people here as we can, and the outreach center that we’re talking about is really going to bring a lot of legitimacy to this place that we’ve been working towards for so long,” said Will Vuyk, president of Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve.
The 9,000 square foot space will include a multipurpose meeting space, storage for research and preservation equipment and an accessible upper deck where visitors can take in views of the lake and the preserve. It’s also planned to be the first net-positive energy building on campus, incorporating recycled building materials, stormwater reuse best practices, green roofs and geothermal heating and cooling.