WISCONSIN—Not all learning takes place in a school building. That was just one of the lessons learned when Milwaukee youth experienced a floating “classroom” on the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan this summer.

On Aug. 15, the St. Paul-based nonprofit Wilderness Inquiry hosted a Canoemobile event at Lakeshore State Park in downtown Milwaukee, where local kids and teens were taken out on 24-foot Voyageur canoes guided by Wilderness Inquiry staff to experience the outdoors while learning about science, history, geography and culture.

Made possible by USDA Forest Service Urban Connections funding, this Canoemobile visit marked the first time the program has stopped in Milwaukee. Wilderness Inquiry has worked closely with the Forest Service for many years, providing opportunities for youth and families to connect to public lands and wilderness areas through Canoemobile as well as through extended trips to national forests and wilderness areas. In 2021, a new three-year agreement with Urban Connections program set a goal to expand Canoemobile to cities across the Eastern Region.

When the canoes returned to dry land, there was still much to see and learn. The all-day event included information stations from organizations and partners including the Bureau of Land Management, Milwaukee Riverkeeper and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, whose staff brought along a crowd-pleasing fox snake and box turtle.

In the morning, Regional Forester Gina Owens joined kids on the water and talked to them about the possibilities of a career working in the great outdoors. Owens said, “It was awesome getting out in the canoe with kids from the Milwaukee area! These types of positive and safe experiences in the outdoors can lead to a lifelong passion for nature and even a career with the Forest Service.”

For other Forest Service staff on site, it was a great opportunity to explain the vital relationship between water and forests. They discussed the myriad opportunities for water-based recreation on national forests, as well as the role of forests in keeping water clean. For many attendees, it was surprising to learn that trees on national forests, including Wisconsin’s own Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, are in the Great Lakes basin and impact the water quality of the Great Lakes.

As part of their inaugural Milwaukee visit, Canoemobile hosted several public events later in the week at other local parks. They served more than 300 youth and families across the four days in the city!