Love of the environment, UWO campus: Carpenter receives 2026 Alumni Outstanding Service Award

Before most people arrive on campus, a special alumna has provided her early morning touches at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, keeping outdoor spaces expertly maintained and thriving.

Anita Carpenter of Oshkosh, who has logged countless volunteer hours beautifying plant beds and walkways, will receive an Alumni Outstanding Service Award later this month for her exceptional contributions to UWO.

Carpenter earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1970 from UW-Madison and a master’s degree in biology in 1983 from UW-Oshkosh. She served as a registered pharmacist at Mueller Potter Drug and later at Coe Drug Co./Aurora Drug, both in Oshkosh.

Retired from her pharmacy career, Carpenter was nominated for the service award for her incredible environmental support of the UWO campus from 2012 to present—weeding perennial beds and areas that get missed, leading to “Anita” piles for the grounds crew to pick up.

Over the years, Carpenter has spent hours each day weeding plant beds.

“If you’ve spent any time, particularly in the mornings, on the UW-Oshkosh campus—you’ve encountered Anita,” said Brad Spanbauer, campus sustainability director. “She has walked this campus every day for decades in service to this institution.”

Carpenter keeps meticulous records, bird maps and other notes related to such data about bird species, flowers and migrating insects.

“Anita is truly living out her passion for the natural world by keeping such records and putting her UWO master’s degree in biology to excellent use,” Spanbauer added. “This kind of data repository for a single location over this many years is the kind of thing scientists everywhere dream of . . . “   Watch video

For the love of the natural world

“As a naturalist, I walked the grounds each morning and recorded what I saw,” Carpenter said. “Eventually, I became friends with the grounds crew and shortly thereafter, I officially became their ‘Volunteer Prairie Keeper.’ I continue to volunteer with them to this day.”

Anita Carpenter volunteers hours each day to beautify the UW-Oshkosh grounds.

Carpenter’s love for the environment and the UWO campus has led to the addition of bird and wood duck houses, bat houses and cultural changes to the way grounds care for the campus property.

Carpenter has been an active member of Winnebago Audubon since 1980, Wisconsin Society for Ornithology since 1974, and was author of nearly 40 columns in Marinette County Outdoorsman magazine, and author of 80 columns in Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine.

Respected for her knowledge and passion, Carpenter has had 175+ speaking engagements on a variety of topics including birds, butterflies, frogs and trees. She is creator of many large, original, nature-themed quilts and has given many talks about them to interested groups.

Anita Carpenter accepts her UWO master’s degree in December 1982.

“I fell in love with the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh campus and its natural offerings when I pursued a master’s degree in biology,” she said, “which I did just for the fun of it in 1979. I loved every minute of the journey.”

Carpenter said after she retired in 2012, she became more involved with the campus—a place she views as an outdoor classroom.

“I have worked with and offered advice on what to plant and how to care for the different natural communities found in Wisconsin,” she said. “These specialized gardens include the spring ephemeral gardens, prairies, a Northwoods plant community, the riverfront and my butterfly garden. Classes visit these areas as part of their studies.”

Under her direction, birdhouses have been installed and maintained —houses that are occupied yearly with Black-capped Chickadees, House Wrens, Tree Swallows and Purple Martins.

She notes Peregrine falcons, an endangered species, have successfully used a nest box atop Gruenhagen Conference Center for 15+ years.

Alumni Service Award recipient Anita Carpenter stands near her butterfly garden at UW-Oshkosh.

To monitor the health of the environment, Carpenter records what she sees, including birds, insects, mammals, the flowering sequence of native plants, and well as documenting and mapping the locations of nesting birds.

Longtime grounds member, Lisa Mick, said Carpenter’s commitment was at an all-time high during 2020, and may have been one of the main reasons the grounds at UW-Oshkosh didn’t fall into major neglect. Carpenter spent an average of four hours a day, seven days a week, weeding the existing perennial beds. With staff reductions, much of their time was prioritized on grass-mowing and minimal weed control in high visibility areas.

Anita Carpenter tends to perennial beds near Oviatt House on the UWO campus.

“Her (Carpenter’s) love of this campus, the people and visitors in the form of bugs, birds and mammals, has been the glue for many of us,” Mick said, adding that she is a “joy to interact with” and the person she is always most excited to introduce new members of the grounds crew to.

Spanbauer said whenever he gives a tour or knows of a faculty member who needs the resident local naturalist—he calls Carpenter.

“Anita has become known among the faculty as something they can turn to, enhance the learning in their class as we continue to use our campus grounds as our ‘largest classroom’—truly embracing the idea of the campus as a living laboratory for students to engage in experiential learning,” he said.

For Carpenter, the Alumni Service Award validates the time she’s spent volunteering on campus.

“In the 40 years that I’ve walked this campus, it’s been my oasis,” she said. “It gives me peace of time in these troubled times.”

Congratulations to our long-time board member. So well deserved!

by Laurie Schlosser | 10-2026 | Alumni News

How Birds Are Helping Deepen the Social Work Practice of One Great Lakes Chapter Leader

For Carmen Meuret, Vice President for Winnebago Audubon, incorporating birds into her social work practice eases difficult conversations, deepens relationships, and supports mental health and resilience.

To read the full story about Carmen, click on this link: https://www.audubon.org/great-lakes/news/how-birds-are-helping-deepen-social-work-practice-of-one-great-lakes-chapter

We are so proud of the all the great work that Carmen does.

Nurturing Bird Brains

 “Getting outside and spending time in nature is a great way to help kids clear and calm their minds! An easy activity is birdwatching which encourages mindfulness.”

- Carmen Meuret, MSW, LCSW and Winnebago Audubon VP

In October, Carmen Meuret had the privilege to represent Winnebago Audubon at the Audubon Great Lakes regional gathering at Indiana Dunes National Park. She presented on how she uses birds and nature in her practice as a mental health therapist, and shared how we can increase engagement with our mission/efforts by approaching nature activities with a mental health lens. Nature is good for us on so many levels.

Winnebago Audubon is fortunate to have such a caring and engaged person on our Board of Directors.

Evelyn Meuret, also a Chapter board member, accompanied her daughter to the gathering. They enjoyed meeting like-minded people; shared ideas; and learned what all the other chapters were doing for birds in our region.

Carmen was the lucky winner of a pair of binoculars at the Birds and Beers social event where they played a fun bird Jeopardy game created by a member of another attendee. This game is very likely going to make its debut in Oshkosh at a local brewery! 

Evelyn and Carmen had a fun night playing Bird Jeopardy during the Audubon Great Lakes Gathering.