August 2021
Wisconsin River Explorers Club
We've been having so much fun on Saturdays with Wisconsin River Explorers Club! Families have been fishing, collecting Wacky Water Critters in the slough, meeting the program animals, and even taking Beauty for a walk. We also offered a service opportunity: pulling some invasive species. It was exciting to hear so much interest in removing the invasives and questions about their role in pollination.

One day, it was a little rainy, so we started off by showing our animal care routine. The group loved getting to see the animals and helping to take care of them and even called it their favorite part of today. They also got to pull some crown vetch for a bit while looking for some animal signs before they ate lunch by the river. 

There is still time to register for the August 7 session of Wisconsin River Explorers Club: Click here to register!
Summer Fun in July at Upham Woods
Summertime at Upham Woods is the best time - canoeing, fishing, archery, and hiking on Blackhawk Island. Thank you to everyone who visited us or with us in July!

  • PEOPLE Program - Virtual Research Accelerators
  • Walworth Co 4-H Teen Retreat
  • Upham Neighborhood Camp
  • Kilbourn Library Outreach
  • Nelson Institute Environmental Conservation Cohort
  • Wisconsin River Explorers Club
  • Wisconsin Dells FFA
  • Madison School and Community Recreation
  • Jefferson County 4-H
Naturalist Spotlight: Meet Anna!
Hello everybody! My name is Anna Boppart and I am one of the two Seasonal Naturalists at Upham Woods this summer. Since working here, I can confidently say I have turned into the nature nerd I’ve always wanted to be! For example, I now walk around my backyard identifying bugs and plants with the app iNaturalist for fun. My parents are concerned that I am totally fine with handling dead mice (for feeding our Hawk) and my boyfriend is convinced I am going to be a Park Ranger. Jokes aside, the amount of knowledge and skills that I have gained has been really amazing. I am pursuing a degree in Elementary Education and hope to teach in an outdoor setting; being with groups all day and exploring the outdoors with them is a dream summer job for me! 
This has not been the typical summer at camp with groups coming through back to back, but that has opened up other learning opportunities for me. I have learned a lot about trail maintenance and the conservation efforts that Upham Woods partakes in. I also have gotten to become more knowledgeable and comfortable with some of our educational animals. Never would you have caught me holding a snake before this summer, and now I want one as a pet! Who knew they could be so cute! 
Reflecting on my experience thus far, working for Upham Woods has never been boring. You are constantly growing in knowledge, whether it is discovering more of Upham's rich history, or how to turn off a fire alarm system. If you want an exciting summer job that entails caring for animals, leading outdoor adventures, and getting free tours of the Wisconsin River, I am sorry to say that position is happily taken. You could try for next summer though! 
Day Visits from 4-H Groups
We were so happy to see a few of our regular summer 4-H visitors out this month for day visits onsite; camp is always better when it's filled with the sounds of youth learning, exploring, and having fun!

  • Walworth Co. 4-H was a great group to go canoeing with, tackle some Peanut Butter Mountain team building, and hike around Blackhawk Island. It was great to see the group bonding and they even got to close out with a campfire. 
  • Upham Neighborhood Camp (includes Columbia, Sauk, Juneau, Monroe, Richland): Although this group was only here for a day, they managed to have a ton of activities. They had archery, arts and crafts, Scales, Scutes, and Skins, canoeing, and even a Blackhawk Island hike. 
  • Jefferson County 4-H: This group participated in an outdoor survival program where they discovered the necessities for survival and built shelters. In the afternoon the group embarked on a canoe trip around Beaver Island and enjoyed the hot summer day on water!

Special thanks to these groups for making the effort to bring some Upham-style summer camp to their 4-Hers!
Register now for Upcoming Community Days
  • August 19, 2021 - Join us for a fun day of educational programming and summer camp fun!
  • September 11, 2021 - Come and celebrate 80 years of Upham Woods with us! We will host a Community Day, free and open to the public, to honor the anniversary of the land donation that made Upham Woods possible. Activities could include a hike on Blackhawk Island, tours of our new Upper Dells Education & Research Center, and an opportunity to participate in a conservation service project.
Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center
N194 County Rd N
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
(608) 254-6461
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