A ‘sign’ of dedication: Longtime employee Les Raduenz returns to see ‘his’ woods

A ceremony was held in spring to dedicate “Les Raduenz Woods,” a 22-acre forest/woodland south of Circle Drive across from the Office of Facilities Management. Raduenz returned to see the sign installed in his honor last week.

Raduenz was a central figure in development of the Cofrin Arboretum and UW-Green Bay campus for 32 years until his retirement in 2006 as director of Facilities Management, a position he held for 12 years. Raduenz took a special interest in this area, overseeing a tree planting program that has led to its conversion into an early successional woodland and, eventually, an extension of Mahon Woods, one of the Arboretum’s most important natural features.

Others who contributed significantly to the development of Les Raduenz Woods included faculty members professors Keith White, Paul Sager, and founding Chancellor Edward Weidner; Facilities Management staff members Mike Vanlanen, Lylas Dequaine, Dennis Nellis, Jim Stiefvater, and Paul Pinkston; and students like Neil Diboll, who eventually became a pioneer in ecological restoration through the establishment of his company, Prairie Nursery, located near Westfield, Wis. For an aerial photo map of the area, pre-campus 1960 and current day.

Click to advance slideshow or view the album on Flickr.

– Photos by Dan Moore, Marketing and University Communication