Reflections on the 80th Anniversary Celebration |
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Upham Woods hosted a community celebration for our 80th anniversary. To start the day, attendees and staff took the barge to the island, something that had not happened since 2019. Participants were labeled as either team peanut butter or team jelly and enjoyed John Celley, Facilities and Operations Director, standing at the front of the barge shouting instructions like “I need more peanut butter and less jelly!” Thanks to his commands the barge successfully made it to Blackhawk Island.
From there, Carly Lincoln, published author and bird enthusiast, led a bird hike around Blackhawk Island and out to Devil’s Elbow. As we hiked, we listened for bird calls and used the app Merlin Bird ID to confirm the bird calls. Throughout the experience, Carly shared stories that added depth to our understanding of birds and our understanding of the relationship that her local tribe of Ho-Chunk people have with birds. While many people associate Eagles with Native Americans, Carly worked to expand that narrative, talking about the significance of sandhill cranes to her tribe, as well as the personal connections she has with Blue Jays.
Afterwards, everyone ate a delicious lunch prepared by Wild Bearies, an educational, community outreach nonprofit that strives to bring ancestral foods to communities in a nurturing and nourishing way. The menu included a smoked turkey and three sisters stew of squash, corn and beans. There were also blue corn muffins, a wild rice and quinoa power salad, fresh tomatoes and wintergreen iced tea. The muffins were a crowd favorite with many people getting seconds.
As people were eating remarks were shared by chef Elena Terry. Chef Elena discussed the importance of the locally grown food as a way to reconnect to the land and the community. She expressed the joy she felt collecting pine needles on Blackhawk Island to brew the tea and the relationships that she had built with local farmers to source the ancestral ingredients. One participant said that they enjoyed hearing about the ingredients and had to take another bite of everything as chef Elena was talking.
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After discussing the food, chef Elena shared an essay she had written for an anthology about seeds to be published for the Inter-Tribal Ag Council. Some seeds aren’t physical, but are instead “seeds of strength, resilience, compassion, kindness, and endurance that were planted as blood memories. Those memories will continue deep within our DNA, as a gift from our grandmothers.”
After this keynote address, many participants departed, with some participants choosing to do a self-guided hike along the Riverbend trail and 4 participants sticking around to meet the nature center animals including Beauty, Egor and Leche.
- Rachael Sarette, Upham Woods Naturalist
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It's FALL at Upham Woods, arguably the most beautiful time to be here! Thanks to all of our visitors in September!
- Wisconsin Union Directorate
- Archery Club
- St Patrick School
- Juneau Co Adv Leadership Program
- SOTA II
- N-Gage Charter School
- UW Madison First Year Interest Group
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Upham Woods & Wisconsin Science Festival |
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Upham Woods is excited to again partner with Wisconsin Science Festival! This year, there are two ways you can join us in this statewide celebration of science and discovery:
- Community Day at Upham Woods, October 23, 10am-2pm
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Upham Woods will host a community day on October 23 in partnership with the Wisconsin Science Festival to promote outdoor exploration and discovery. The event will include a guided hike focused on spotting animal signs along the trails. Animal signs can be used in BioBlitz methodology to identify animals that are present in the ecosystem but not sighted by participants. Hike the trails and explore the woods with us! Click here to register!
- Science in a Bag
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Upham Woods Virtual Quests are featured in the Science in a Bag STEM Kits. The kits include activities appropriate for ages K-12 and feature science and research happening in the state of Wisconsin. Click here for more information!
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Learning to Work Together! |
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N-Gage Charter School brought their sixth to twelve graders for a day filled with canoeing and teambuilding on September 24, 2021. Both activities provided an opportunity for teambuilding and improving communication skills. The canoeing went well but, on the way, the duos hit a strong head wind and had to paddle hard to make it back in time for lunch!
At first, during teambuilding, the group had a little trouble not getting frustrated at each other. However, they persevered, and by the end, they really came together and were cheering each other on! Special thanks to the older students that provided leadership to the younger students in the group!
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September 23 was a great session of our community archery club. Archers continued to work on their shooting form. While warming up and honing in our aim, they shot at pictures that they drew. Afterwards, youth shot at balloons and both balloons were hit! |
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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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