Contents List

Container	Title
(Series 1)	Series: Historical Materials Scope and Contents The Historical Materials series includes written histories about Hixon Forest and Hixon Forest Nature Center. Brief facts and figures are also included here. The Hixon families file (1987-1996) includes a brief handwritten history of the Hixon family and a family tree. Most of the file contains correspondence between members of the Hixon family and the nature center board and staff. Newspaper clippings (1948; 1978-1995) are also part of the historical materials.
Box 1   Folder 1	History
Box 1   Folder 2	Hixon families, 1987-1996
Box 1   Folder 3	Newspaper clippings, 1948, 1978-1995
(Series 2)	Series: Administrative Materials Scope and Contents The Administrative Materials are quite extensive. Articles of incorporation and by-laws (1983-1995, gaps) are included for the Friends of the Hixon Forest Nature Center, the governing body of the Hixon Forest Nature Center. Board of Director materials are separated into committee materials, member lists, minutes and reports. The Friends of Hixon Forest Nature Center Board of Directors utilize many committees to operate the center. The file of Committees and Backgrounds (1987-1996, gaps) includes materials that explain the governing structure of the nature center, the function of each of the committees, and the names of individuals who served on those committees from 1993-1995. Committee materials are arranged alphabetically by the name of each committee: administrative (1996), building (1982; 1992-1995), community awareness (1991-1995), education (1992-1994), executive (1991; 1993), fundraising (1987-1995), membership (1984-1996), natural areas ([n.d.]; 2003), nominating (1990-1994), trail (1984-1997, gaps). The information pertaining to the membership committee includes lists of members of The Friends of Hixon Forest as well as lists of non-renewing members (1990-1997). Other administrative materials include the names of the Board of Directors in a member list file (1986-1994), correspondence (1976-1995, gaps), Board of Director minutes (1985-1996), and reports from the executive director (1993-1996) and the board president (1985?-1986; 1994). The Hixon Forest Nature Center relies on grants and fundraising to generate the income needed to operate the center. A General Fundraising (1985-1994) file is comprised of information on minor fundraising events held by the center. Information on the Endowment Fund (1990-1996?) is included. Numerous individual files are available on specific fundraising events; they include information about the birdseed sale (1986-1995), sale of a limited edition egret bronze (1992), Earth Day (1980; 1989-1996), Jeans Day (1994-1995), June Nocturne (1987-1992), the Log Boom (1994-1996), the Nature Art Fair (1986), the River to Ridge Event (1995-1997), and Taste of La Crosse (1989-1995). Information on grant writing and minor grants written by the Hixon Forest Nature Center are incorporated in a general grants file (1986-1996). Information pertaining to grants from Americorps (1994), Environmental Protection Agency (1994-1996), La Crosse Community Foundation (1986-1992), Paul E. Stry Foundation (1989-1995), and the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (1990-1995) are included in separate files. A market survey (1989) was compiled to determine the opinions of La Crosse County residents regarding the Hixon Forest Nature Center. Planned giving (1991) was another way in which Hixon Forest Nature Center generated funds. Other administrative materials are comprised of long-range planning materials made up of general information (1985-1997), a feasibility study (1991), and a needs assessment (1994). Information on permits (1974?; 1985-1987; 1991-1993) issued to the Nature Center is included. The personnel (1896-1994) file contains job descriptions and salary schedules. Hixon Forest Nature Center sponsors many programs for the public. Information relating to programming includes attendance (1987-1996), educators' workshops (1987-1988), environmental education (1985-1997), miscellaneous programs (1982-1995), snowshoe rental (1986; 1993), and the Trash-a-thon (1973; 1988-1994). Publicity materials are also part of the administrative materials. Information on the animals and plants of Hixon Forest are included as well as brochures (1991-1994), logo design (1988), newsletters (1983-1997), and public service announcements (1983-1993). A survey map (2003) indicates work done in surveying and inventorying the forest. A forest assessment (2004) examined the health of the trees in the forest. Background on the trails (1975-1994) of Hixon Forest includes maps, newspaper clippings, and brochures. Visitor information includes a file on attendance (1983-1996), comprised largely of tally sheets and summarized attendance statistics, and visitor registration books (1983-1996). General information on volunteers (1989-1996) is located with the administrative materials, as well as information about the Prairie Burncrew (1988-1990), a group of specially trained volunteers.	⇧
Box 1   Folder 4	Articles of incorporation/bylaws,, 1983-1995
	Board of Directors
	Committees
Box 1   Folder 5	Appointments and background, 1987-1996
Box 1   Folder 6	Administrative, 1996
Box 1   Folder 7	Building, 1966-1995
Box 1   Folder 8	Community awareness, 1991-1995
Box 1   Folder 9	Education, 1992-1994
Box 1   Folder 10	Executive, 1991-1993
Box 1   Folder 11	Fundraising, 1987-1995
	Membership
Box 1   Folder 12	, 1984-1990
Box 2   Folder 1	, 1991-1996
Box 2   Folder 2	Non-renewals, 1990-1997
Box 2   Folder 3	Natural areas, 2003
Box 2   Folder 4	Nominating, 1990-1994
Box 2   Folder 5	Trail, 1984-1997
Box 2   Folder 6	Member lists, 1986-1994
Box 2   Folder 7-8	Minutes, 1985-1996
	Reports
Box 2   Folder 9	Executive Director, 1993-1996
Box 2   Folder 10	President, 1985-1994
Box 2   Folder 11	Correspondence, 1976-1995
	Fundraising
Box 3   Folder 1	General, 1985-1994
Box 3   Folder 2	Endowment Fund, 1990-1996
	Events
Box 3   Folder 3-4	Bird Seed Sale, 1986-1995
Box 3   Folder 5	Earth Day, 1980, 1989-1996
Box 3   Folder 6	Egret Bronze, 1992
Box 3   Folder 7	Jeans Day, 1984-1995
Box 3   Folder 8	June Nocturne, 1987-1992
Box 3   Folder 9	Log Boom, 1994-1996
Box 3   Folder 10	Nature Art Fair, 1986
Box 3   Folder 11	River to Ridge, 1995-1997
Box 3   Folder 12	Taste of La Crosse, 1989-1995
	Grants
Box 4   Folder 1	, 1986-1990
Box 4   Folder 2	, 1991-1996
Box 4   Folder 3	Americorps, 1994
Box 4   Folder 4	Environmental Protection Agency grant, 1994-1996
Box 4   Folder 5	La Crosse Community Foundation, 1986-1992
Box 4   Folder 6-7	Paul E. Stry Foundation, 1989-1995
Box 5   Folder 1	Wisconsin Environmental Education Board, 1990-1995
Box 5   Folder 2	Market Survey, 1989
Box 5   Folder 3	Planned Giving, 1991
	Long Range Planning
Box 5   Folder 4	Feasibility Study, 1991
Box 5   Folder 5-6	General, 1985-1997
Box 5   Folder 7	Needs Assessment, 1994
Box 5   Folder 8	Permits, 1974-1993
Box 5   Folder 9	Personnel, 1986-1994
	Programming
Box 6   Folder 1	Attendance, 1987-1996
Box 6   Folder 2	Educators' workshops, 1987-1988
Box 6   Folder 3	Environmental education, 1985-1997
Box 6   Folder 4	Miscellaneous programs, 1982-1994
Box 6   Folder 5	Snowshoe rental, 1986, 1993
Box 6   Folder 6	Trash-a-thon, 1973, 1988-1994
	Publicity
Box 6   Folder 7	Animals and plants, undated
Box 6   Folder 8	Brochures, 1991-1994
Box 6   Folder 9	Logo design, 1988
Box 6   Folder 10-11	Newsletters, 1983-1997
Box 7   Folder 1	Public service announcements, 1983-1993
Box 7   Folder 2	Survey map, 2003
Box 7   Folder 3	Trails, 1975-1994
	Visitors
Box 7   Folder 4	Attendance statistics, 1983-1996
Box 7   Folder 5-6	Registers, 1983-1996
	Volunteers
	General
Box 7   Folder 7	, 1989-1993
Box 8   Folder 1	, 1994-1996
Box 8   Folder 2	Prairie Burn Crew, 1986-1994
(Series 3)	Series: Financial Materials Scope and Contents Financial materials provide information for the time period between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. Materials include assets (1992-1993), balance sheets (1992-1996), budget materials (1986-1996), cash books (1989-1993), financial statements (1983-1996), income statements (1983-1996), merchant account program-MasterCard/Visa (1994), nonprofit status (1984-1986), sales tax (1986-1989), and tax forms and licensing (1984-1990). Other financial information can be found among the fundraising files in the Administrative Materials series.	⇧
Box 8   Folder 3	Assets, 1992-1993
Box 8   Folder 4	Balance sheets, 1992-1996
	Budget
Box 8   Folder 5	, 1986-1989
Box 8   Folder 6	, 1990-1996
Box 8   Folder 7-8	Cash books, 1989-1993
Box 9   Folder 1	Income statements, 1993-1996
Box 9   Folder 2	Merchant account program, 1994
Box 9   Folder 3	Nonprofit status, 1984-1986
Box 9   Folder 4	Sales tax, 1996-1989
Box 9   Folder 5	Wisconsin tax forms and licensing, 1984-1990
(Series 4)	Series: Related Materials and Organizations Scope and Contents The fourth series is Related Materials and Organizations. Included here are newspaper clippings about the La Crosse River Valley Marsh (1973-1992), and La Crosse Park materials (1981?-1984; 1993).	⇧
Box 9   Folder 6	Newspaper clippings, 1973-1992
Box 9   Folder 7	City of La Crosse park materials, 1981-1993