MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with members of the Evers Administration, in celebration of Earth Day, hosted an annual day of service at Mirror Lake State Park in Baraboo. During the event, the governor and his administration planted trees and shrubs, cleaned up campsites, and celebrated the announcement of the release of Wisconsin’s Trillion Trees Pledge 2025 Annual Report.
The annual day of service is also part of Gov. Evers’ statewide tour celebrating Earth Week, during which he will visit local parks, communities, conservation groups, and more across the state, highlighting efforts of the Evers Administration to fight the climate crisis, conserve natural resources, and bolster clean energy and conservation statewide. Earlier this year, Gov. Evers declared 2026 the Year of the Neighbor, underscoring the importance of community, togetherness, and doing the right thing, and that includes taking care of and protecting the state’s vast and vibrant natural resources for future generations to enjoy.
As he has done every year, Gov. Evers proclaimed April 22, 2026, as Earth Day in Wisconsin, in addition to recognizing Forest Appreciation Week, which runs from April 20 to Arbor Day on April 24.
“Every year, I have been proud to celebrate Earth Day, whether that’s planting trees at Governor Nelson State Park—the founder of Earth Day—or at Mirror Lake, and I am grateful for all the incredible agency staff who work hard to put this event together each year,” said Gov. Evers. “Whether it’s picking up trash, cleaning up shorelines, conserving water, or planting trees like my administration did yesterday, I encourage Wisconsinites in every corner of the state to be good neighbors and give back to the planet today and every day to help build a sustainable future that leaves the state, country, and world a better place for our future generations to inherit.”
Evers Administration group photo with Smokey the Bear (left). Gov. Evers planting a shrub with Mirror Lake Park Superintendent Pat Cieslewicz. (right).
Gov. Evers, on Monday, kicked off his statewide tour celebrating Earth Week by visiting Central Waters Brewing Company in Amherst and hearing about the brewery’s efforts to become one of the most environmentally sustainable breweries in the nation. Additionally, on Tuesday, the governor visited The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin’s first-ever land trust, as well as Hope Village in Chippewa Falls and The Burke Center for Ecosystem Research’s restoration site at North Fish Creek. During the visits, Gov. Evers toured Hope Village and heard about the Hope Village solar project, which was initiated by the Chippewa Falls High School “Green Team,” and visited Keystone to learn more about the Burke Center for Ecosystem Research’s work to protect Lake Superior. Today, Gov. Evers continued his Earth Week tour by joining students, parents, and educators from the School District of Lodi to plant trees as part of their annual Lodi Grows Together Week at the Lodi School Forest.
The governor and the Evers Administration also invited Wisconsinites to celebrate Earth Week by taking action around their own homes and communities to reduce waste, recycle, conserve water, and take small steps that can have a big impact on helping protect and conserve Wisconsin’s natural resources, improve local neighborhoods and communities, outdoor spaces, and parks, and help respond to and mitigate climate change. A list of five steps Wisconsinites can take to protect the state’s natural resources and celebrate during Earth Week and beyond, including links to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) resources to help, is available in a previous press release from Gov. Evers.
From the 12 Native Nations in Wisconsin that have been stewards of the land since long before Wisconsin became a state to Wisconsin’s farmers and producers to hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreational enthusiasts, Wisconsin has a long and proud history of environmental stewardship and conservation. Founded in 1970 by former Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day was created to raise awareness about air and water pollution. More than 50 years later, Earth Day is observed around the world.
As noted above, yesterday, Gov. Evers celebrated the release of Wisconsin’s Trillion Trees Pledge 2025 Annual Report. The report shows that Wisconsin planted nearly 12 million trees and conserved more than 7,800 acres of forestland in the state in 2025 as part of Wisconsin’s Trillion Trees Pledge. On Earth Day 2021, Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #112, joining the pledge and committing to plant 75 million new trees and conserve 125,000 acres of forest in Wisconsin by the end of 2030. On Earth Day in 2024, Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #221, increasing the state’s tree-planting goal to 100 million trees by the end of 2030.
In the fifth year of the state’s Trillion Trees Pledge, Wisconsin has already achieved over half—nearly 55 percent—of its tree-planting goal and almost 68 percent of its forest conservation goal. Wisconsin’s pledge is in collaboration with public, private, and non-governmental partners and focuses on planting, managing, and conserving forests and trees in both rural and urban areas throughout the state.
More information about the Trillion Trees Pledge, Wisconsin’s Tree Planting Map, the list of partners, and the full report of 2025 accomplishments is available on the DNR’s website.
