The annual state properties photo contest sponsored by Friends of Wisconsin State Parks is open! Get out to state parks, forests, trails, recreation areas and more to snap pictures of these beautiful properties and people enjoying them. Then enter your favorite images in the competition. Deadline for entries is Sept. 3 and winners will be featured in the 2020 Friends of Wisconsin State Parks Calendar, included in the Winter issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine. For photo contest details and more about Friends Groups, check fwsp.org.
Girl Scouts and state parks
Girl Scouts and the outdoors go together like a campfire and marshmallows, and a special weekend is coming up that encourages Wisconsin-based Girl Scout councils to get out and enjoy the Wisconsin State Park System. The initiative is part of a larger partnership between the National Association of State Park Directors and Girl Scouts of the USA designed to get every girl outdoors and into their state parks. The inaugural weekend in Wisconsin is July 13-14. Efforts will include engaging girls in service projects, teaching them to camp and offering activities and instruction focused on outdoor skills-based recreation and nature education. On social media, use hashtags #gslovestateparks and #GirlScOutWiGo. Check with your local Girl Scouts organization for details. |
Good time to go camping
(plus fireworks reminder)
The upcoming Fourth of July holiday means summer is in full swing — there’s no better time to consider a camping trip to the Wisconsin State Park System. To make a camping reservation, go to wisconsin.goingtocamp.com. And one reminder for park users at this time of year: Fireworks are prohibited at all DNR lands. Anyone using fireworks anywhere should take precautions to prevent them from causing wildfires. |
Keep Wildlife Wild winners
More than 200 students in fourth to sixth grades entered the inaugural Keep Wildlife Wild poster contest designed to educate on the natural behaviors of wildlife species. Winners were chosen in each grade. Fourth grade: Cecilia Castillo, Cudahy, first (shown here); Camryn Phelps, Park Falls, second; Emily Kasper, Juneau, third. Fifth grade: Giselle Sanchez, Burlington, first; Kaiya Davis, Grantsburg, second; Michaela Venden, Burlington, third. Sixth grade: Sofia Crowley, Oshkosh, first; Chloe Bittner, Phillips, second; Tauren Estrada, Burlington, third. To see all winning entries, click here. And check dnr.wi.gov, keywords “Keep Wildlife Wild” for more on the initiative.
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Agencies announce updates on groundwater protections
With 2019 declared the "Year of Clean Drinking Water" by Gov. Tony Evers, it's fitting the DNR and other state agencies are working together to ensure the water you drink is safe. To that end, the DNR along with the Department of Health Services and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection have reviewed key compounds that can be in the state’s groundwater and the effects they could have on health. In late June, officials released groundwater quality standards recommendations for more than two dozen substances including two per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known as PFAS. The action is part of the rule-making process outlined by state law regarding groundwater quality standards, designed to protect groundwater and safeguard public health. For more information from the DNR on a wealth of drinking water topics, click here.
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