/ Three Bridges Park in Milwaukee used Knowles-Nelson funding to turn a vacant rail lot into a new park in 2013. Updated 2:04 p.m. CDT As people around the world celebrate the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, in Wisconsin those celebrations come with a special nod to Wisconsinite and father of Earth Day Gaylord Nelson. Nelson is one of the two former Wisconsin governors remembered through The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program — the other being Warren Knowles. Over its 30-plus years, the program has helped preserve 650,000 acres of land across the state. Now it’s up for reauthorization. Gov. Tony Evers is proposing $70 million in funding every year for 10 years.