The Friends of the Kettle Moraine (FOTKM) began in the mid-1980s, when the DNR’s Bureau of Parks and Recreation, initiated a "Friends Group" program for Wisconsin State Parks and Recreational Forests. The general goal was to develop a greater appreciation and environmental awareness of Wisconsin’s natural resources and glacial history. Specific goals were to enlist public involvement in the activities and future direction of the Forest and to provide financial assistance directly to the Kettle Moraine State Forest –Northern Unit for programs and activities. The area is recognized as the best area on the planet to study the effect of glaciers on the landscape.