In between snack time and an afternoon nap, early learning and kindergarten students from Rio Elementary School in Rio, Wisconsin explore, experiment, imagine, build, and engage with the natural world. Every Monday during the school year, nearly 75 students and volunteers with Project Wild Child pile into buses and travel to the nearby school forest for the day.  The teachers stand by as the students discover owl pellets, tadpoles, deer bones, snail eggs, fairy shrimp, caddisfly nymphs, and tree frogs. They build forts, climb trees, balance on logs, and discover the wonders of the natural world. These novel activities require the children to investigate, hypothesize, and learn to see the wonder which surrounds them. Indeed, they are free to become a “wild child” for the day.

Beyond their physical experiences, this day in the forest fosters social skills critical to childhood development. Students develop skills related to critical thinking, communication, and problem solving. Many of their experiences even relate to what they are learning in the classroom. Kindergarten teacher Sarah Nogee reported that her students were able to “cooperate, compromise, advocate for each other, and look to peers for help and support,” an outcome expected to impact not only the course of the school year but the rest of the students’ lives. 50 percent of the students who explore this school forest come from underserved or underrepresented communities, making this time of natural exploration and growth particularly impactful.

Transportation to the school forest has been made possible for two years in a row thanks to the Foundation’s Go Outside Fund and Teachers Outdoor Environmental Education Fund. These grant programs support meaningful nature-based, outdoor learning experiences for students and teachers across Wisconsin.

Without this funding support, Project Wild Child grantees say, “none of this learning would have happened.” The Foundation is proud to support learning experiences in the natural world, especially those which foster inquisitiveness and imagination in the children of Wisconsin.

Written by Kelly Guilbeau, Communications Assistant

A Conversation with Damian Vraniak

Damian Vraniak shares how 40 years of restoration on his family’s land has allowed humans, wildlife, and land to sustain each other.

Welcoming the 2023 Diversity in Conservation Internship Cohort

We are thrilled to announce our 2023 Cohort of the Diversity in Conservation Internship Program. This year, we are welcoming ten new interns!

How do birds respond to land restoration?

A collaborative research effort is answering an important question: how are Wisconsin’s birds using restored grasslands?

Private Land, Public Good

Private land restoration can make a huge impact on the conservation landscape, with 82% of land in Wisconsin being privately owned.

Diversity in the Outdoors

NRF is committed to improving diversity in the outdoors in Wisconsin because everyone deserves an opportunity to get outside.

30 Years of Field Trips

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Field Trip Program! Let’s take a look back at the success of this program throughout the years.

Welcome to the Foundation, Soumi!

We’re thrilled to welcome our new Donor & Relations Coordinator, Soumika Gaddameedi.

2022 Photo Contest Winners

Every year you send us your best photos that capture incredible moments in nature. Take a look at our 2022 Photo Contest winners!

Slimy but Sweet – Searching for Mudpuppies in Wisconsin

New funding is supporting a state-wide effort to learn more about mudpuppies in Wisconsin, our state’s only fully aquatic salamander.

Making A Difference in Wisconsin: NRF’s 2022 Grants for Conservation and Environmental Education

In 2022, NRF invested more than $1 million in grants for conservation and environmental education projects across the state.