A Sheboygan County couple wants to make sure people living and visiting Rhinelander can access the natural beauty of the area.
They’ve started an endowment fund with the Rhinelander Community Foundation aimed at non-motorized activities.
Teri and Stan Strub spent years visiting friends who had property in the Rhinelander area.
They had long talked about buying their own place but didn’t think they were in a position to do so until an unfinished cabin on a small lake when up for sale in the winter of 1992.
It wasn’t until after they bought it did they realize it was on a non-motorized lake.
“We weren’t sure that that was a good thing,” said Teri.
“A good thing from, you know, value and what have you,” added Stan. “But it was a tremendous thing because it exposed us to the beauty of the quietness of the Northwoods, and we kind of hit a home run in that respect.”
The cabin has become their home away from home that they’ve been able to share with friends and family.
“They really are able to have that experience that a lot of people can’t of casting off the pier and, it’s silent, and you can hear the birds, and, you can see a fish jump and all that,” said Teri.
The Strub’s want as many people as possible to have experiences like that.
They said they kept an eye on the Rhinelander Community Foundation over the years and worked with the Foundation President and other board members to learn about their options.
They ultimately decided to start the Natural Wonder Fund.
“There’s a lot of good people involved in that process, the agencies involved. It’s like, how could you not participate in this? You’ve got people in the community stepping up, volunteering at all wealth levels. It’s just a beautiful way of giving back and helping those at some capacity get involved or just having a good life as much as they can in the setting that they’re set up with,” said Stan.
The Natural Wonder Fund is an endowed fund to promote non-motorized, outdoor experiences throughout the greater Rhinelander area.
This includes things like hiking, canoeing, kayaking, disc golf, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and ice skating.
“More and more we’re seeing that there’s mental health benefits from just being in nature, and if you facilitate that for people and in a way where they don’t have to pay at all to experience it, the chances increase that they will experience it, enjoy it, come back to it and protect it,” said Teri.
Organizations can apply for funds for non-motorized, outdoor projects. The community foundation is also accepting donations for the fund.
You can learn more about it on the Rhinelander Community Foundation website or you can contact the foundation by calling 715-401-1618 or emailing .
https://www.wxpr.org/community/2025-06-04/natural-wonder-fund-created-to-promote-outdoor-activities-in-the-rhinelander-area