November 2020
Small Group, In-Person Programming
Still Available
Upham Woods is still hosting small day-use groups onsite! We continue to host recreation clubs like Archery and Canoe Club with Lake Delton Parks and Recreation. We have also held several community days like our Fall Adventure and October BioBlitz that coincided with the Wisconsin Science Festival statewide BioBlitz. Due to the strange circumstances of the pandemic and while we are under in-person restrictions, we have waived our minimum billing threshold of 20 persons to support smaller groups visiting (need approval but this seems reasonable).​ Reach out to our Program Director, Isabelle Herde at [email protected] if you are interested in coming out.

Programming has been altered to meet CDC, state, and UW-Madison health guidance. 
Memories Made at the October BioBlitz
Upham staff planned and prepared for a public, community event on October 17, 2020 called the October Community BioBlitz. This event was part of the Wisconsin Science Festival. Participants were required to register in advance so they could complete a health screening and read through Upham’s covid-19 policy. 26 people registered and 20 people attended the event. Participants were free to arrive anytime between 10 AM and 1 PM and check in at the desk outside the dorm with Ariel. Ariel explained why biodiversity is important at Upham and in nature and why doing a BioBlitz can help Upham understand the diversity and in turn help them make management decisions. Ariel helped people download iNaturalist on their phones as well as connect them to the Upham Woods project where they saved their observations. Ariel also handed out maps to participants and pointed them towards trail that they explored on their own. People were excited about using the app to help them identify photos they took of plants and animals along the trails. Collectively, participants made 71 observations on Upham’s mainland trails. Most of these observation were plants, but there was also evidence of mammals from tracks, birds, and fungi! 
Research Accelerators
Much of what we have been doing this Fall is working with and supporting our K-12 teacher partners. In previous years, we had been building up our Research Accelerator program which has our staff pop into classrooms and assist with content delivery, project-based learning design, and support. This model is of support is what we are hearing from our educators that they need and that it is working. In a recent Research Accelerator session featuring our raptors, an educator shared that this was the highest attendance she had seen in weeks for her class. This year, the virtual format is forcing us to be creative in our approach.  In partnership with Vincent High School and Escuela Verde, teachers live streamed classes from Upham this fall. We also led virtual field trips around Upham Woods and used the built-in collaborative tools in our video conferencing software to support student engagement.

This year has demanded very intentional curriculum integration and investment in project-based learning. Together with our partner teachers, we have constructed field project ideas and projects that can be implemented online for students including designing your own green space, creating your own digitized scientific story, completing your own field science project, and writing a mushroom field guide. The Research Accelerators were initiated through funding by the EPA and grew through the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. This year we are excited to add the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, United States Geologic Survey, and Reflo Sustainable Water Solutions to our list of supporters. 
  • 11 school partners 
  • 184 students reached so far 
  • 1047 points of contact between youth and adults and Upham staff through Research Accelerator facilitations and educator webinars. 
  • Student artifacts will include: scientific stories, maps of green spaces, field guides 
Wisconsin River Quest with
Necedah After School Program
One exciting undertaking by the Research Accelerator program has been the co-creation of the Wisconsin River Quest with the Necedah After School Program just North of us. To share this work, we participated in the nation-wide celebration of learning programs that support students outside of the classroom called Lights On After School. 
Necedah Afterschool Program provided dinners for the families in the program and discussed the program and current projects with a special feature of the Wisconsin River Quest. The Wisconsin River Quest is a compilation of stories written by students and teachers in the afterschool program spatially visualized on an ArcGIS StoryMap. Each stop on the StoryMap is a student story with pictures and sometimes a question. Answering the questions unlocks letters that together spell out a species of significance in the area. During Lights On Afterschool, participants voted on that spotlight species - a Bald Eagle. Ariel and Isabelle went through the StoryMap as students read their stories and shared their experiences. 
Upham Woods on the "Virtual" Road:
Recent Conference Presentations
Upham Woods took our work on the virtual road this month with staff attending multiple conferences to present on our work, network and collaborate with colleagues in the field. Conferences included the North American Association of Environmental Education where we presented on our 10k Conservation Challenge. 
The session began with discussing the strategic planning that build the conservation program moving into the specific events, a BioBlitz, that environmental education centers could host to get started. The chat was used throughout the session to encourage participation and sharing amongst colleagues the kinds of activities they already host related to conservation and service learning. The Upham team provided a blueprint on how to host a BioBlitz and demonstrated the potential outcomes. They presented on the link between the 10k Conservation Challenge and community science and highlighted the importance of locally relevant conservation issues and partnerships in reaching and supporting audiences. The presentation ended with how the conservation challenge adapted during the pandemic to support youth conducting conservation activities wherever they may be. The session concluded with a question and answer period. 14 adults attended the session ranging widely from North America. 
New Construction Update
Recently Completed Work
  • Roof deck, insulation, and water and ice barrier.
  • Lobby ceiling and conference room framing.
  • Main staircase framing.
  • Water connections.
  • Tree removal.
In-progress Work
  • Classroom foundation and slab.
  • Classroom in-slab electrical.
  • ADA ramp to dorm.
Upcoming Work
  • Concrete for curbs and sidewalks.
  • First layer of driveway asphalt.
  • Rough-in for interior utilities.
  • Front porch trusses and roof.
Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center
N194 County Rd N
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
(608) 254-6461
Stay Connected
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: [email protected].