Upham Woods "Woods Writings," October 2019

November 2019

North American Association of Environmental Education Conference

Isabelle and Justin traveled to Lexington, KY to present at the North American Association of Environmental Education conference. They presented a poster and a traditional presentation highlighting the work we’ve been doing in Milwaukee. They emphasized supporting teachers in their classrooms in order to successfully mentor young scientists on research projects. The presentation also demonstrated how the storytelling approach in our Digital Observation Technology Skills (DOTS) program can be used in and outside the traditional classroom to further support student projects.

Jordahl Public Lands Storytelling

On October 10, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies organized a unique event where people had the opportunity to share their stories about connecting to pubic land from the past, present, and future. The event was called “The Year of the Environment – Lands Storytelling” celebrating the 50 ^th year of the Nelson Institute and the 50 ^th anniversary of Earth Day. A few special guests were Bill L. Quackenbush, a Ho-Chunk Deer Clan Member; Jackson Nesbit, an 8 ^th grade student at Cardinal Heights Middle School in Sun Prairie; and our very own R. Justin Hougham, the Director of Upham Woods. Justin spoke about how the formation of Blackhawk Island, our 200-acre island, is due to the dam constructed in Wisconsin Dells in 1906. He also shared that the island has ecosystems unique to the surrounding area that Aldo Leopold appreciated while exploring with Wakelin McNeil (Ranger Mac), Upham’s first superintendent. Each story shared at the event was special and created a greater appreciation for public land and water in our beautiful state.

Urban Ecology

'Tis the season for taking the show on the road. Last week Isabelle and Taylor traveled to Milwaukee where they did DOTS (Digital Observation Technology Skills) with kids from 4-18 years old. They visited the Wehr Nature Center, Hawley, Environmental Center, and the Urban Ecology Center. They used our Digital Observation Technology Skills tools (digital thermometer, thermal imager, digital microscope, camera GPS, and lux meter) on the playground of Hawley Environmental School, in the savanna, woodlands, and wetlands at Wehr Nature Center, and on leaves gathered from the bike trail near the Urban Ecology Center. From incorporating DOTS into teachers existing lesson plans to adapting the lesson to pre-school age kids it was inspiring to watch kids get curious about nature and learn to ask questions about things that we take for granted. The seniors from Ronald Reagan High School doing their projects at Wehr Nature center even got to design a research question and test their hypotheses using the DOTS tools and water testing equipment. Everywhere in Milwaukee there was a sense of connectedness and community that they hope to bring back to Upham Woods. Stay tuned for our upcoming public events. You will find them posted on the Upham Woods Facebook page.

Conservation Update

Conservation Challenge is over 1,500 hours!

Thanks to the efforts of St. Williams in a trail corridor clearing project, the Conservation Challenge is now over 1,500 hours. Not only did St. Williams add hours to the challenge, but they finished the new trail corridor for our Blue Triangle Trail. This trail will be key this winter, as it will be used as a ski trail in our winter programming. We also look forward to Deerfield schools adding even more hours to the Conservation Challenge this Halloween. You can see the Conservation Challenge in action by viewing our Conservation Story Map. Take a minute to check it out:

https://uwex.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=9f9a039a6b84481d9bd866de677c7482

Upham Woods will host a DNR Fishing Instructor Training

On Saturday, November 2, we will be hosting a DNR Fishing Instructor Training. At this training, we'll share tips and best practices on teaching people to fish and preparing the catch for the table. It is a great opportunity to brush up on your own basic fishing skills during hands-on activities and take home guides to implement these programs in your community. If you would like to register or to find out more visit:

https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/FishingforDinner/index.html

Sauk County Conservation Day is Back

Coming up on November 12, Reedsburg Webb Middle school will be participating in Sauk County Conservation Day. Over 200 future land stewards will be at Upham learning about conservation and land management from volunteers working for the DNR, International Crane Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and many more. Students will get to participate in choice activities lead by experts and get their hands dirty doing hands-on conservation service.