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Testing the waters: Conservation students learn by doing

UW graduate students dip their toes into ecology management as part of Nelson Institute’s professional program course.

July 30, 2026

For environmental studies students, nature can be the best classroom. In late July, graduates students enrolled in Conservation of Biodiversity spent a day at Sixmile Creek in Waunakee, Wisconsin learning about stream ecological monitoring techniques. Their time in the field was a kind of “boot camp” for water quality sampling and tracking, which is just one of many aspects of conservation discussed in the class.

The graduate-level course is part of the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s environmental conservation professional program that prepares students to address environmental challenges through practical conservation training. Many of the graduate students go on to become volunteers with the Rock River Coalition, who leads monitoring efforts at Sixmile Creek.

Lizzy Reitzloff, Stream Monitoring and Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Program Coordinator for the Rock River Coalition, instructs UW–Madison graduate students ahead of their field experience. Photo: Taylor Wolfram / UW–Madison

Students measure stream width at Sixmile Creek in Waunakee, Wisconsin. During their field experience, graduate students learned stream ecological monitoring techniques, including macroinvertebrate sampling and water quality testing. Photo: Taylor Wolfram / UW–Madison

Graduate student Lola Wasserman, left, and fellow students measure water temperature as part of their crash-course in water monitoring techniques. Photo: Taylor Wolfram / UW–Madison

A student uses a Water Action Volunteers baseline stream datasheet to track water quality measurements taken from Sixmile Creek. Photo: Taylor Wolfram / UW–Madison

Students prepare a collection tube which will be used to measure and track water transparency. Photo: Taylor Wolfram / UW–Madison

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