Upham Woods Hosts
Sauk County Youth Conservation Days
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Sixth Graders from River Valley Middle School in Spring Green spent October 12 at Upham Woods for a Youth Conservation Day camp. This event was hosted in partnership with Sauk County Land Resources and Environment. We also had volunteers and instructors from NRCS, Aldo Leopold Foundation, Local Wildland firefighters, DNR Conservation Wardens, and Extension educators, along with the Upham Woods staff. The students had three sessions through out the day, one of which was a conservation project. John Celley led the conservation sessions with the support of volunteers, clearing undergrowth near the Fire Circle and the Upper Dells Education & Research Center. Program Coordinator Rachael Sarette led the Radical Raptors session. Volunteers led Fishing, Archery, Nature Journaling, Animal Signs Hike, Wildland Fire and Wacky Water Critters. Between the sessions, Rachael led fun and energetic campfire songs. At the end, the agencies that were present got to talk to all the students about the work they do and the students could ask them questions. It was really a great day! A lot of the volunteers and students asked when they could come back to Upham Woods to visit again. We are hoping to work with more Sauk County Schools in the Spring. |
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Upham Woods Achieves
American Camp Association Accreditation
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Upham Woods is officially accredited through the American Camping Association (ACA)! Through this process that started last fall, different camping professionals looked at our operations, from staff training to emergency procedures to visiting our camp, in order to ensure that we are operating with the most up to date and research-based procedures as possible. So, what does this mean? It means that we are committed to providing:
- Healthy, developmentally appropriate activities and learning experiences
- Discovery through experiential education
- Caring, competent role models
- Service to the community and the environment
- Opportunities for leadership and personal growth
It also means that we have made a commitment to our current and future visitors. So that way, you can have an adventure canoeing from our mainland up the winding Wisconsin River to the caves without worrying about what will happen if a canoe tips. Or you can send your child to camp with the knowledge that they will meet friends and mentors who will help them create memories that will last a lifetime as they share laughter, fears, and s’mores around a campfire. Or you can decide to work at Upham Woods knowing that you will be empowered to support campers through extensive training and personal development. Upham Woods summer camp has always been a great place to be a camper and this accreditation will help Upham Woods keep it that way.
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Leaves are changing and falling, and the mornings are getting chilly - must be October at Upham Woods. Thanks to all of our visitors last month!
- Sauk County Youth Conservation Days with River Valley Middle School
- Researchers from UW-Madison Dept of Soil Science Freedman Lab
- August Derleth Society
- Wisconsin Dells School District Wellness Day
- Outreach Programming with Ronald Reagan High School
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Wisconsin Science Festival Community Day |
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On October 23, 2021 Upham Woods hosted a Community Day in connection with the Wisconsin Science Festival. We offered self-guided animal signs hike where participants could look for evidence of the creatures that live at Upham Woods. While hiking, participants found some feathers and some animal bones along the trail. We also hosted a BioBlitz to help catalogue what species are present at Upham Woods. The group made 32 observations of 26 different species using iNaturalist. Twelve of those observations were verified by the iNaturalist community! We also offered a scavenger hunt for the youth that participated. While hiking, they carried a sheet with examples of animal signs; observe 4 in row and win a pumpkin! Most were having so much fun they found an example of most everything on the sheet. What a fun day spent outside, learning & observing our natural world! |
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Wisconsin Dells School District Wellness Day |
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Today we had employees from Wisconsin Dells School District come out as a part of their Wellness Day Program. We provided maps for hiking, binoculars for bird watching, nature journal prompts and a campfire. Many participants enjoyed hiking on their own, then coming to the fire to relax and converse with colleagues. Some participants even brought their own books to read at the scenic overlook. Overall it was a relaxing and much needed break for many hard-working educators. |
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Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center |
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N194 County Rd N
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
(608) 254-6461
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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].
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