Grand Opening of
Upper Dells Education & Research Center
|
|
On Saturday, May 15, staff, neighbors, friends, university leadership, and special guests gathered at Upham Woods to celebrate the grand opening of the newly constructed building, the Upper Dells Education & Research Center. The ceremony was opened with welcoming remarks from Dean Karl Martin from UW-Madison Division of Extension. Special guest speakers included Molly Damm, youth member of Columbia County 4-H, and Joshua Goede, Extension educator from Monroe County and long-time visitor of Upham Woods. The many project team members were acknowledged by the project lead, Kate Sullivan, as well as the Director of the Natural Resources Institute, Tricia Gorby.
The staff at Upham Woods is delighted to continue its work from their new office space on the second floor. They are excited to host your group or small meeting soon!
|
|
Lots of Day Visits at Upham Woods in May
|
|
|
The grounds of Upham Woods have been quiet for too long! We were excited to host many youth and adult leaders for day visits in May, included schools, scouts, and other community-based groups. They spent time in the archery range, examined critters from the pond in Wacky Water Critters, hiked and explored, and wrote some great scientific stories. We sincerely thank everyone for helping us return to more in-person educational experiences. We also appreciate the schools that invited us for Outreach visits, another great way to have an Upham Woods Experience if you are not able to be onsite.
- Cambria Friesland Middle School
- St Paul's Lutheran from Muncie, IN
- Cub Scout Pack 377
- Pecatonica School
- Girl Scout Troop 6320 Mariners
- Girl Scout Troop 2136
- Madison Community Montessori School
- Fishing Club
- Glacier Creek Middle School Outreach
- Indian Community School Ecosystem Explorations
|
|
STEM for All Video Showcase
|
|
The NSF STEM for All Video Showcase features federally funded projects aimed at improving STEM and CS education. The videos highlight strategies to engage students during Covid and address educational inequities. The submission from Upham Woods was a three minute video centered on the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences grant, "Developing Virtual Field Experiences to Mitigate Disruptions to the Educational Landscape by the COVID-19 Pandemic." The showcase lasted a full week; our submission was viewed 458 times!
|
|
Research Accelerators with
Ronald Reagan High School
|
|
Johanna and Isabelle met virtually over zoom with Ronald Reagan HS juniors and seniors. We started the session by asking students to define conservation, and we discussed conservation projects they have done, the value of biodiversity, and how we can measure it. The students are working on a lot of great conservation projects like pulling invasive species and creating gardens. The group talked through the methodology students can use if they want to create their own biodiversity survey using inaturalist or pen and paper. Then Johanna virtually took the students outside and explored the area around the nature center. We talked about pines, Virginia creeper, garlic mustards and the impacts of invasive species, beaver chews, and a rubbing on the tree. The Ronald Reagan students are great - they are so positive and interested in nature!
|
|
Each Saturday in May, Upham Woods hosted a Fishing Club for area youth as part of our collaboration with the Dells/Delton Parks & Recreation. The group told fishing stories, learned to tie knots, discussed different types of bait, casting with your fishing pole - and of course, they went FISHING! The group had several bites and did catch a fish! One Saturday, some of the participant brought a new bait for everyone to try and the group talked about using minnows instead of worms on a cloudy day instead of sunny.
|
|
Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center
|
|
N194 County Rd N
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
(608) 254-6461
|
|
The University of Wisconsin–Madison does not discriminate in its employment practices and programs and activities on a variety of bases including but not limited to: age, color, disability, national origin, race, or sex. For information on all covered bases, the names of the Title IX and Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinators, and the processes for how to file a complaint alleging discrimination, please contact the Office of Compliance, 361 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive, Madison WI 53706, Voice 608-265-6018, (relay calls accepted); Email: uwcomplianceoffice@wisc.edu.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|