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February, 2012

After completing National Association for Interpretation's Certified Interpretive Guide training, graduate fellows trained in winter camping skills (see our Facebook page for pictures) and made preparations for the new group of semester students at Conserve School.  Classes for everyone have started and we're enjoying the snow.

Fall Semester 2011

Graduate fellows selected projects, worked with advisors and completed research courses, EE Theory and Practice, and Place-Based Instructional Strategies.  All of this took place in and around working with semester students at Conserve School and visitors at Treehaven.

Newest Cohort Group Begins, July 2011

The newest cohort group of the graduate fellowship began July 18 with Field Ecology and Adolescent Psychology courses.  They're training in preparation for Conserve School semester 3 students to arrive in August.  Photos and brief biographies of the new graduate fellows are available here.

Culmination of the First Cohort Group, June 2011

The 2009-11 cohort group has graduated from UWSP and is moving on.  Graduation photos are available for viewing on Facebook.  Graduate fellows have found employment as naturalists, park rangers, interns, and an assistant director of admissions at a private school.

Spring Semester 2011

As of April 15, all positions for the 2013 cohort group of graduate fellows have been filled.

The graduating class of 2011 is completing the final semester of courses, working on projects and finding employment.  They are busy teaching and working with Conserve School semester 2 students--another group of enthusiastic outdoor people.  Coursework and projects will be completed before graduation on May 20.  The week following UWSP graduation ceremonies will find them in the backcountry, backpacking or paddling on another Exploration Week with Conserve School students before finishing the program the second week of June.

Fall Semester 2010

Conserve School Semester 1 high school students arrived in late August and are all enthusiastic outdoor people.  Their courses this semester include Field Instruction, an outdoor/physical education taught by graduate fellows (aka Field Instructors).  The third week of school, all of the students, led by Field Instructors and Conserve School Faculty, went canoeing or backpacking for Exploration Week.  Read more about their Exploration Week activities on the Conserve School Blog:  Field Instructors also lead community service and weekend activities.

Graduate  fellows are busy with their own studies and projects as well.  They are learning about curriculum and lesson plan development for non-formal education, building and leading teams, and professional development for their core courses and are taking electives in topics such as sustainable food systems, program evaluation, and brain-based learning. 

May 2010

Spring has come to the northwoods.  Graduate fellows are busy with coursework, including a phenology project that requires them to spend time outside observing and recording spring "firsts" and other natural history on their chosen plot on the 1200-acre Lowenwood campus.  Check out one student's plot discoveries on Field N Bog on Facebook.

Spring Semester 2010

In January, graduate fellows returned from winter break to staff trainings and collaborative work days.  Before other UWSP courses started for the semester, they completed the National Association for Interpretation's Certified Interpretive Guide course as part of their Practicum in Residential Environmental Education/Interpretation.  They also completed their  Personal Leadership in Environmental Education course.

The middle of February brought some beautiful fresh snowfalls.  Many graduate fellows take advantage of miles of groomed cross-country ski trails at Conserve School in their spare time, or with groups of students. A recent practicum class snowshoe hike took us through the woods along a network of animal trails and across a frozen lake.

In addition to the practicum class, students are busy with Quantitative Research Methods and working on their advanced projects. Elective courses this semester include Forestry, Group Process and Facilitation, and Humans Uses of Plants.

Fall Semester 2009

The 2009-11 cohort of graduate fellows is immersed in activities, classes, and mentoring their high school charges.   In September, they led groups of high school to the boundary waters in MN where they canoed and camped.

Classes in Adolescent Psychology in Residential EE, Ecological Basis for EE, Readings in EE, and Research methodology are in progress, along with duties in sustainable practices, student activities, and administrative leadership.