"Live! from North Woods and Waters" - Youth Learn Water Ecology

How do you get children and youth excited about water ecology? You bring them to the St. Croix Watershed’s beautiful lakes and rivers, connect them with adults who love these waters, provide them with science-based education, and magic happens. In this program, you’ll hear from two organizations that have established solid curricula and relationships with community partners to make these programs possible: LEEP (Lake Ecology Education Program) and Rivers Are Alive!

About LEEP:
LEEP is a comprehensive lake ecology education program aligned with Wisconsin state standards. LEEP’s goal is to help students appreciate the value, vulnerability, and interconnectedness of our beautiful natural resources.

Christine Neff, LEEP Team Chair, co-founded the program in 2009. Her parents joined FOECLA at its inception in the early 1970s, so Christine grew up caring for the environment with a passion for lake stewardship. She continues this today through her work diving on the Barnes Aquatic Invasive Species (DASH) boat in the summer and co-coordinating the LEEP program during the school year. Christine has served on FOECLA's board of directors since 2008.

Melissa Kjelvik, PhD is a science education researcher and curriculum developer. She went to Northland College for her undergrad in fisheries and her doctoral research was on juvenile bluegill foraging behavior. She is the co-founder of the Data Nuggets program, which brings authentic contemporary research into K-16 classrooms. She has been involved with LEEP since 2018 as the program coordinator and has been involved in a variety of local environmental education projects.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Rivers are Alive!
Rivers Are Alive is a K-12 environmental education program offered in partnership by the Wild Rivers Conservancy and the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway throughout the St. Croix watershed in every season. Rivers Are Alive offers engaging, hands-on science field trips, meeting students in the classroom, at the river, at a local park, or other locations in the St. Croix watershed. Some of our special events beyond field trips include teacher workshops, Wild River Journey - a paddle boat experience, and our annual Youth Summit each April.

Wendy Tremblay is the Community Engagement Manager for Wild Rivers Conservancy. Wendy grew up in Stillwater and attended UW-River Falls for her B.S. in Elementary Education. Before starting as the Community Engagement Manager with the Wild Rivers Conservancy in May of 2021, Wendy worked in the environmental education field for over 12 years as a naturalist, teacher, and program coordinator. As the Community Engagement Manager, Wendy guides the outdoor programs and youth environmental education field trips, coordinates the intern program, and supports the volunteer community.