Shawano County hosts field day for students

Nature was at the forefront of education for students in the Wittenberg area on May 17.

Shawano County Conservationist Scott Frank hosted a field day at Wilson Creek Orchard for students in fifth grade from Wittenberg, Birnamwood and Bowler to learn more about conservation, as well as get hands-on experience. There were stations throughout the orchard where students learned about a different part of conservation.

Frank said that he wanted to target fifth-grade students to be in attendance at this event.

“We found that there was a gap in environmental education for the fifth-grade class,” said Frank.

He added that this event is an opportunity for students to experience what conservation is in an outdoor setting.

“We have experts here that have expertise in forestry, stream ecology, water quality, and soils,” said Frank. “The students are here to take that torch that we have and hopefully do better than what we are doing in their future.”

Frank said it is important for students to learn about land conservation early because the students are at the age where information starts to resonate with them.

“I think that these students are at the age where they can grasp that broader picture of what we are doing and, how we use land effects our envirnoment,” said Frank.

This is the first year that the event was held at Wilson Creek Orchard. Years past have seen the event at the Navarino Nature Center.

“It is nice to be out here, because you do not see an orchard every day,” said Frank. “We are going to bring the students through the orchard so they can get hands-on experience.”

Throughout the day, students were given the opportunity to not only learn about different themes of conservation, but they also got to take place in demonstrations and simulations.

“We have an orchard session, a session on prairie pollinators, soil, forestry and invasive species,” said Frank. “There is a lot of important topics for the students to learn here.”

Frank called the opportunity to help these students learn more about the environment a fun part of his job.

“We know that the schools can only do so much through their curriculum,” said Frank. “So it is great to get them out here and get some hands on experience. It really is fun to see all of the kids excited to be outside learning.”

Frank added that it has become a point of emphasis from Shawano County to get in touch with local school districts to help educate students about conservation.

“We are a part of the Wisconsin Land and Conservation State Association, along with every other county in the state,” said Frank. “That association has a youth education programming component to it. If a county thinks it has an opportunity to help educate students, the association jumps in and helps us out to make it work. I have felt that it is worth trying to incorporate as much education as you can.”

Other initiatives that are included in this program are poster contests, speaking events and day and night camps, according to Frank.

“My biggest thing is that these students come to appreciate our natural world and that it is up to us to take care of it for future generations,” said Frank. “We really have a pretty part of the state that we are in.”

Frank hopes that the students left the field day using something that they learned and apply it to their daily lives, whether it be in a garden at home or even at school.

“Maybe something here will inspire them to follow up on it in their future,” said Frank.

lreimer@newmedia-wi.com