Innovative high school educates students on a frozen lake: 'This is something that's going to last'

A Minnesota high school is instilling a deep love of the outdoors in younger generations through hands-on activities like hunting, fishing, camping, and community cleanups.

As detailed by The Minnesota Star Tribune, the Waconia High School Conservation Club is extending its program as it enters its 18th year.

After starting with six members who wanted to experience nature, it has blossomed into a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit, hosting trips to adventure destinations like Montana's Glacier National Park and the North Star State's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The high schoolers also get younger students involved, along with the support of its boosters, who provide an annual operating budget of $5,000 to $10,000. In January, for example, the club held an ice-fishing extravaganza for fifth-graders at Southview Elementary School.

"This is what we do in Waconia. We take every kid fishing," said science teacher Michael Jensen, who helped build the high school's outdoors club from nothing.

Experiencing nature firsthand also helps create powerful memories that spark a desire to protect Earth's delicate ecosystems — relied upon by so many for recreational enjoyment and survival.

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"None of this stuff happens unless you take care of your natural resources," Jensen added.

Waconia high schoolers who participate in the club are eligible to earn a letter — an honor given for excellence in school activities and programs in the United States.

This year, in addition to community cleanups, members will participate in a day of learning at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, and actively take part in a spring forest renewal project at Bayview Elementary, providing muscle to remove debris and fallen timber after professionals remove dead or unwanted trees, like the invasive and ecologically damaging buckthorn.

After the area is cleared, the students will help plant desirable native species — which are as much a boon to the environment as they are to city and household budgets alike, as they require significantly less maintenance than species not adapted to local conditions.

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The hope is that the forest restoration, which includes a revitalization of walking trails, will also discourage residents from littering on the property — all while maintaining the spirit of fun and wonder that has made the Waconia conservation club so popular.

"These kids just come out by the dozens wanting to make a difference and to be relevant," Jensen told the Star Tribune. "This is something that's going to last."

Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species?

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