Group photo taken during the re-opening on November 5: (from left to right) Aji Noor, Jenny Terrill, Laurent Davis (all Wilo USA), Evi Hoch (Wilo-Foundation), John Rakowski, Thomas Jansen, Sharon Cross (all Riveredge Nature Center), Luke Copp (Wilo USA), and David Höltgen (Wilo-Foundation). Photo: Wilo Foundation

For more than 56 years, the Riveredge Nature Center in Saukville, Wisconsin — a nonprofit organization located along the geographic center of the Milwaukee River, has been committed to environmental education and the protection of water resources. As a place of learning and discovery, Riveredge fosters awareness of the importance of water conservation within the Lake Michigan watershed. Across its more than 485 hectares of land, children, young people and families experience nature firsthand and learn through various educational programs how human actions influence the ecosystem, with particular emphasis on water quality, species diversity, and biodiversity.

Visiting the new Wet Lab Classroom, which was built thanks to funding from the Wilo-Foundation. Photo: Wilo-Foundation

Working together for a sustainable future: The “Growing Legacy” campaign at the Riveredge Nature Center

To expand the quality of its highly sought-after educational programs, Riveredge launched an ambitious “Growing Legacy Campaign” in 2024 with the goal of raising approximately three million US dollars from private donors and supporters for extensive renovations and modernization of the visitor center. The effort proved successful: with construction beginning in early 2025, the visitor center has undergone a comprehensive redesign, ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and thus meeting legal accessibility standards in the United States. The expansion included the installation of a modern water learning laboratory (Wet Lab) on the ground floor, designed to meet the expectations of contemporary environmental education. Thanks to the financial support of the Wilo-Foundation, this vision has become reality.

Following the groundbreaking ceremony on May 14, 2025, the completion of the new Wet Lab Classroom was celebrated during a festive reopening event on November 5 with around 120 invited guests and numerous donors in attendance —marking the official reopening of the visitor center after several months of renovation work.

 “With the new Wet Lab, we are offering an ideal learning environment for hands-on experimentation with water and aquatic ecosystems. More than 10,000 young people will benefit from this innovative educational offering every year,” explains John Rakowski, Executive Director of the Riveredge Nature Center.

Full completion of the center is expected by spring 2026, and a substantial portion of the fundraising goal has already been secured.

With its dedicated space for hands-on investigations of water quality and aquatic ecosystems, the Wet Lab provides inclusive learning opportunities year-round for more than 11,000 students annually. Photo: Wilo-Foundation

Wilo-Foundation and Wilo USA deepen their commitment to water education and sustainability

“As a family foundation, we are deeply committed to supporting young people in the areas of sustainability, environmental awareness, and the vital resource of water. Supporting the new Wet Lab is especially important to us because it gives children and young people the opportunity to explore natural phenomena in a hands-on way while developing key future skills through experimentation. The many volunteer activities also make this extracurricular learning environment a place of community connection,” says Evi Hoch, Member of the Foundation’s Board, who attended the reopening together with David Höltgen (Director of Communications) and the Wilo USA team, including Laurent Davis (Vice President of Product Management/Marketing), Jenny Terrill (Director of Human Resources), Aji Noor (Marketing Manager) and Luke Copp (Marketing Specialist).

As part of a festive re-opening on November 5, attended by around 120 invited guests and numerous donors, the completion of the new Wet Lab Classroom was celebrated. Photo: Wilo-Foundation
Bango the Buck, the energetic deer mascot of the Milwaukee Bucks, was also present, symbolically representing the Bucks’ commitment to sustainability. Together with Wilo USA employees, they have already participated in volunteer activities on site. Photo: Wilo-Foundation

Employees of Wilo USA and the NBA team Milwaukee Bucks are already familiar with the Riveredge Nature Center, located just a short distance from Wilo USA’s headquarters in Cedarburg — through their own sustainability activities. In July of this year, Wilo employees joined staff members from the Milwaukee Bucks as volunteers in a local reforestation project aimed at strengthening native plant species, reducing invasive species, and protecting wildlife habitats. The response was so positive that additional volunteer initiatives with the Wilo team on-site are already being planned.