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WICST Educational Outreach, 1999 and 2000Dwight Mueller [1], Jim Stute [2] and Janet Hedtcke [3] As in previous years, we used the WICST trials as an excellent visual tool to demonstrate and discuss issues of sustainability such as crop rotation, environmental stewardship, economic sustainability, and bio-diversity. In addition to field tours, we have disseminated the WICST research to local and regional events and scientific meetings. Nearly 5000 people either participated in our field days or received WICST information through meetings and conferences in 1999 and 2000. Table 1 summarizes the outreach and educational activities for WICST in 1999 and 2000. On-station. Several groups of students visited the WICST plots for hands-on learning throughout the growing seasons of 1999 and 2000. These included 4th and 6th grade elementary students, DeForest 8th grade middle school students, East Troy high school students, UW (Madison) and University of Illinois (Chicago) students. For example, WICST helped sponsor the annual Science field day for 250 DeForest 8th graders in early autumn. This was an interactive hands-on field day enjoyed by all. Students moved among five different stops, which included presentations and activities on soil profile descriptions, groundwater and soil water movement, rainfall simulation and soil erosion, soil bio-diversity and crop production and nitrogen. Each student had to collect data, which was later used for future discussion, quizzes and exams in the classroom. A similar event was also held in September at Lakeland with 160 students from suburban Chicago land. Other activities included Prairies Jubilee Field Day and several Agronomy Field Days. Once again WICST helped sponsor Prairies Jubilee Field Day with the Madison Audubon Society, which attracted an audience of over 500 people. Displays were set up describing WICST, and research it supports. Presentations were given at the Agronomy Field day on economic and environmental aspects of the systems. Field tours were given several times a year to several groups including extension agents, local farmers, and foreign visitors, from Australia and Africa. Local/Regional. WISCT participated in the Food For Thought Festival in downtown Madison in both years. We set up a display to inform the audience about agricultural practices and effects on soils and water and food quality. Presentations were also given at the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA meetings in Minneapolis and at the Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference in LaCrosse. WICST efforts were also presented at several conferences and symposiums on nutrient management, and soil and water quality across the U.S. In particular, the WICST experiment was presented at meetings concerning the hypoxia issue in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, WICST data was presented to state and federal agencies such as USDA-ARS and DATCP. Table 1. Educational and Outreach Activity Listing for WICST
1. Email: dhmuelle@facstaff.wisc.edu
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