Brad Bowman – As a school counselor, I care about kids and educating the whole child. As a self-described “trout bum” and adventurer, I care about the restoration of the only trout stream in Calumet County. Trout in the Classroom (TIC) effectively does both. By taking classroom learning into the real, natural world, students have an opportunity to make a first-hand connection with science and the environment. Their knowledge becomes solidified, reinforced, and REAL because it is connected to an experience with an emotional tie.
Read MoreThe restoration of Stony Brook, the 6-mile cold water stream near Kloten, expanded to Long Rd in the Town of Stockbridge in 2022. The culvert on Long Rd was scheduled for replacement last summer. The Friends of Stony Brook (FOSB), a partnership of local landowners, county residents, and stakeholder groups including Calumet County, worked with Town of Stockbridge to improve the stream crossing with a larger culvert.
Read MoreTrout in the Classroom is a nationally recognized program and curriculum that is designed to make connections between classroom learning with the natural environment and to promote stewardship for the stream and surrounding landscape. Most programs, including ours, end the year by releasing their trout in a state-approved stream near the school. In our case, Stony Brook is just six miles away.
Read MoreThe Chilton School District held its third annual "Trout in the Classroom" field trip earlier in the week, during which sixth graders and sophomores released hundreds of fry into Stony Brook just northwest of Chilton, capping off months of learning how to rear trout and monitor their aquatic environment.
Read MoreTo date, over 3,000 brown and brook trout have been raised and planted by over 1000 students. These students have experienced an education only Trout In the Classroom can provide. I call Stony Brook, “The Students Laboratory in the Field”. Thier view of Stony Brook Improvements has added to their appreciation of what a collaborated effort can do to restore our environment.
Read MoreLNRP is working with partners throughout the Lakeshore to identify potential projects that combine enhanced habitat along the Lake Michigan shoreline, while seeking ways to improve water quality. The LNRP Coastal Resiliency Project works with stakeholder groups, local units of government, and municipalities to develop and deliver on plans for cost-effective, and more resilient “built” and “natural” environments.
Read MoreIn giving the award, Cross praised Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership and Friends of Hika Bay for bringing together the community and the university in the common goal of improving and protecting the water quality in northeastern Wisconsin.
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