Two volunteers working at a natural area in Oshkosh were honored by the Wisconsin DNR.
Diane Perschbacher and Rory Williams were named as the 2026 State Natural Volunteers of the Year for their dedication to natural area stewardship at Oshkosh-Larsen Trail Prairie State Natural Area.
Both Ryan and Diane have volunteered at the area since 2018 before becoming volunteer stewards.
Since then, nearly 1,500 volunteer hours have been dedicated to the site.
The DNR adds that because of the trail and agricultural fields surrounding a portion of the prairie, it’s vulnerable to invasive species.
Williams enjoys seeing rare species reappear, and removing invasive species creates space for them to live.
He and Perschbacher encourage people to join a volunteer group at a natural area, stating that “spending time in nature can reset your body and allow you to refocus your thoughts away from your normal tasks.”
The Oshkosh-Larsen Trail Prairie Area is a series of three low prairie remnants along a 4-mile segment of a former railroad right-of-way.
The prairie contains a diversity of native prairie species.
