Our “Eco Adventure” can be described as middle-school students on the river in canoes with planned educational lesson modules for two days with an overnight camping experience. Also included: a school-based introduction, paddle training for students and teachers, and school-based post-paddle assessment.
The Eco Adventure Project (EAP) includes the funding, development, pilot, and deployment of a set of lesson modules compliant to Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction academic standards. In 2012 we will secure funding, and develop and pilot an initial set of lesson modules. In 2013 we plan to finalize the lesson modules, deploy them through a teacher workshop, and support several additional pilot paddles in northwestern Wisconsin.
Incorporated in the 2012 lesson modules and pilot are discussions and hands-on activities to measure and record water quality assessment parameters (water and air temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, water clarity, and identification of macroinvertebrates) and identification of aquatic plants, so that students will be evaluating the health of the river during their days on the water. In addition, each team of four students will be provided with a camera to create a nature photo journal. After their adventure, students will be asked to write a paper and reflect on what they learned.
Project status reports and partners are listed below. For more information, or to request participation in our project, please contact Scott Peterson at Friends of the St. Croix Headwaters: scott@fotsch.org
Project Status Reports (requires Adobe Reader)
Eco Adventure Project Status Report 9-30-12
Eco Adventure Project Status Report 6-30-12
September 2012 Pilot Paddle on Namekagon River
Eco Adventure Pilot Paddle 2-Page Images
Funding Partners
Friends of the St. Croix Headwaters
Namekagon River Partnership
St. Croix River Association
St. Croix River Fund of the St. Croix Valley Foundation
Wisconsin Environmental Education Board
Eco Adventure Lesson Modules
Eco Adventure Project Lesson Modules
Lesson Module Development Partners
Friends of the St. Croix Headwaters
Eau Claire Lakes Area Property Owners Association Education Committee
Northland College
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Wisconsin Water Action Volunteer (WAV) program
Pilot Paddle Partners
Cable Natural History Museum (2013)
Friends of the St. Croix Headwaters
Namekagon River Partnership
National Park Service / St. Croix National Scenic Riverway
Northstar Community Charter School
Deployment Workshop Partners
Friends of the St. Croix Headwaters
National Park Service / St. Croix National Scenic Riverway
UW-Extension Natural Resource Educator (John Haack, Spooner)
