The City of Madison Parks Division Conservation Section has 14 different and unique conservation parks. A conservation park differs in how it is managed and why the land was acquired. The goal of the conservation park is to restore native plant and animal communities while providing education areas and opportunities for everyone.

In the late 1960s, the City of Madison began purchasing land in what is now Cherokee Marsh. This large and diverse wetland needed to be preserved for future generations. Since formally establishing a Conservation Parks Program in 1971, the City has acquired and manages over 1600 acres of conservation parkland.

Conservation parkland is our past, present and future. We need to preserve this land, restore it to its original state now for future generations to have a window to our past.