Welcome to Sustainable Driftless!

We are dedicated to inspiring resource conservation, vibrant communities, and sustainable growth in the Driftless Region.

That’s what we do, but what can this result in? Inspiration. Connection. We seek to inspire communities and individuals to develop forward-thinking ways to stimulate investment, hold on to great workers, and attract new talent—sustainably. Targeted and also broad-based marketing that will inspire families to “stay-cation” or visit from afar. Inspire new businesses that support that tourism activity—either by providing more entertainment, better food, places to stay, guides to engage them in the outdoors, or communities and main streets and special features to be shared, developed, branded, and growing like never before.

Sustainable Driftless Outreach & Educational Mission

We know that only if you can first love a place, will you work to support it, to protect it, to enhance it. We want to encourage that love, that magic if you will, of the region, and brand and share the Driftless Region to those near and far. We will engage young and old to see their surroundings in exciting new ways.  Ways that encourage participation, hope, engagement, and pride. We believe this will foster our youth to return or to not leave, our long term residents and business owners to thrive, our visitors to be glad they made the trip.

Sustainable Driftless outcomes

The SD team has had success in taking on the branding of the region before—extraordinary work through conservation easements resulting in more land for activities and connection, leadership in economic development, tourism stimulation, community planning and recovery, and environmental protection and education. We have done various parts of this for many years, at various times before. We know though, that through these efforts, linkages are still not being made, efforts are still not as comprehensive as need be, and the voice is often lost in the crowd of options.

We want to help provide focus, amplify the great work of so many, connect the communities and the brand to the region, and link the foundational importance of our environment to our own sustainability.

We know that with the incredible concerted effort and outreach through our various channels, we can reach more people, and have great success.

Our NEW venues and features for outreach are:

  • Feature-Length Documentary Film of the region. Inspiring, exciting, “cool”, we want young and old, those that are currently paying attention to these issues and those to be introduced for the first time—the magic of the Drifltess Region.
  • Sustainable DRIFTLESS Journal—gorgeous photography, compelling writing.  A keepsake not to be tossed away but shared.
  • DriftlessNotes.com  weekly online news aggregation and commentary will be expanding with restaurant reviews, major event push for each county, and the “On Common Ground” feature.
  • DriftlessNotesLIFE—an e-zine with original content from a variety of perspectives and expertise throughout the region.  Creating links between often separate entities and sharing the reasoning and the strategies for sustainable success in the SPORTING Life, DISCERNING Life, COMMUNITY Life, HEALTHIEST Life, STEWARDSHIP Life, OPPORTUNITY Life, and LAND & WATER life.
  • Sustainable DRIFTLESS social media constantly links and engages to help communities thrive.
    Small Business Support through the expanded and comprehensive Driftless Notes database—searchable, comprehensive, and a way to further brand the region with showing their Sustainable DRIFTLESS support with on-site branding logo prominently displayed.

We believe that through these comprehensive and synergistic venues, the following outcomes will be achieved:

  • Helping area business attract and retain talent
  • Increasing travel and recreation in the region, recognition of the region as unique and memorable, stimulate economic growth, and improve quality of life and personal health
  • Fostering recreational traditions
  • Stimulating tourism outposts in small communities for recreation
  • Enhancing a sense of place, community identity, and local pride
  • Helping new business that supports the tourism industry develop
  • Creating public awareness of our incredibly unique resources, and consider how we can grow together wisely while sharing our resources

What is missing is a concentrated effort of marketing, messaging, branding, and outreach to all ages to get connected, understand the uniqueness of the resources available, outreach to larger population centers and “stay-cation” adventurers alike to engage in the recreational and economic opportunities located within the region.

We need your help to engage the market in new and exciting ways, and to help truly brand the Driftless Region. Join us!