The annual Waupaca County Conservation Field Day was held online Sept. 25, for about 300 Waupaca County fif​th​-grade students.

The event, coordinated by Golden Sands Resource Conservation and Development Council Inc., included students from Waupaca Middle School, Marion Elementary School, Manawa Elementary School, Christ Lutheran School and Chain O’ Lakes Elementary School . The Community Foundation was one of the sponsors.

DNR staff demonstrate a hoop net in a video used for the first online field day in Waupaca. The live event normally takes place at Hartman Creek State Park.

The virtual field day offered students four stations, each highlighting a different conservation concept or career, including aquatic invasive species, fisheries management, forest fire safety and prevention, and agriculture. The students watched videos of conservation professionals and were able to ask questions during a live Q&A. They recorded their observations on worksheets provided for them. Local natural resource professionals from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Golden Sands RC&D, volunteered their time.

This is the 14th year Golden Sands RC&D is coordinating the event and the first year that it’s taking place online instead of at Hartman Creek State Park. The Waupaca County Land and Water Conservation Department (LWCD) hosted it for more than 20 years before that. The virtual field day is sponsored by the Waupaca County LWCD, Friends of Hartman Creek State Park, Parfreyville United Methodist Church, Waupaca County Chapter of Whitetails Unlimited and the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. Additional sponsors are needed to  ensure the event continues in the future.

For more information about this event, please contact Golden Sands RC&D at 715.343.6215 or ​[email protected]​.

Golden Sands RC&D is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization ​celebrating more than 45 years of solutions for a healthy economy and a healthy environment in central Wisconsin​. They serve 12 counties, including Adams, Green Lake, Juneau, Marathon, Marquette, Monroe, Outagamie, Portage, Taylor, Waupaca, Waushara and Wood. Program areas include sustainable agriculture, clean water, abundant wildlife and healthy forests. For more information about Golden Sands RC&D, visit ​www.goldensandsrcd.org​. 

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