May 4-8, 1970 

6th Graders Learn Conservation First Hand
(From the Clinton Topper May 7, 1970 page 7)

At 8:30 am. Monday morning sixth grade students of the Clinton Junior left School with their teachers and counselors at Clinton for a week of learning in the outdoors. The sixth grade classes of Clinton have been taking part in an extensive outdoor education program for the past twelve years and have replaced their textbooks, pen, papers, and blackboards this week for trail guides, hiking shoes and sweat shirts for their work at Camp Upham Woods at the Wisconsin Dells. 

Under the direction of their counselors, Mr. Robert Jensen, Mrs. Dorothy Case, Miss Marilyn Home, Mr. Thomas Cornellus, Mr. David Sukow, Mrs. Ruth Esselman, Mr. Tomus Vogt, Rev. Russell Tomlinson, Rev. Reinholtzen, Mrs. Richard Mezera, and Mrs. Bruce Lucas, the students will take part in programs that stress the importance of saving our soil for future generations, a study of pollution, boat and water safety with shoreline rescue, and conservation of our many natural resources in Wisconsin. Aided Mr. Hugh Alberts, Rock County aided, a program of erosion control, tree planting, how to supplement soils, and a study of kinds of soils is planned. 

The students also have an opportunity to learn about Indian lore first hand from a Tsimshian Indian from Alaska, and students take nature hikes on Blackhawk Island under the direction Mr. Marvin Hanson, leading conservationist and Youth Development Specialist of the University of Wisconsin.

A boat trip through the Upper dells region enables the youth to learn about the geography of this area and a deer trip scheduled at dusk has never failed to produce less than a hundred or more deer for the students to observe in past years. 

Appetitles are always hardy in the young campers, and food for the hungry students will be prepared by Mrs. Edwin Bobolz, Mrs. Gloria Godlewski, Mrs. Merrill Paynter Sr, and aided by Mrs. John Wolter who serves as nurse for the week.

Students also have the opportunity to take part in a unit on archery, marksmanship, and in a program assisted Clinton businessmen, Mr. Louis Shull, Herb Reffue, Charles Ondell, Leonard Daniels, Mr. Hahn and Bruce Lucas. The program stresses how to have fun in the outdoors and how to make wise use of leisure time in a safe manner.

Much planning and evaluation has been done over the past years by the teachers and staff teachers involved in the outdoor education program to ensure valuable learning, experience for sixth graders. Community support of the outdoor education program this year in the form of financial aid to meet the future has been tremendous. Parents, teachers, service groups, homemaker groups, school organizations, businessmen and many interested Individuals residing in the community and school district have responsibility maintain continuation of this program

Friday will bring over one hundred tired young campers and very weary teachers and counselours back to Clinton, but the knowledge of conservation, social skills learned, living in the outdoors, appreciation of nature and concern for our environment will have made everyone taking part of this portion of the sixth grade curriculum of the Clinton Community Schools a much wiser and more aware citizen.