Forests, Field and Fins (formerly Natural Resources Field Camp)

Many educators are knowledgeable about natural resources and our environment but not familiar with how decisions are made in regards to their management. How does the DNR gather scientific data? What are the issues that face professional natural resources managers? How does public perception play a role in sound science-based management?

In this popular course, participants will spend each day in the field with professional resource managers and experience, first hand, how data is collected and used. Spend a day with fisheries biologists to gather fish in nets in Higgins Lake for identification and inventory purposes while later taking students out stream shocking to gather information from a different ecosystem.

Other days will be spent with foresters, wildlife biologists and even conservation officers to gain information on how their work impacts the resource and those that depend upon it. Nearly all of this coursework is held outside, so be prepared for the summer elements of heat, bugs, rain and some exercise.

This course has a limited enrollment of 15 and is recommended for middle school and high school teachers because most of the material covered is higher level science.

View the 2012 agenda.