River Studies course offers immersive look at Wisconsin water careers

Five days of camping and canoeing along the lower Wisconsin River gave students plenty of opportunities to connect with nature, river studies professionals and peers statewide. Eleven undergraduate and graduate students took part in the inaugural River Studies Field Course at UW-La Crosse, which was held Aug. 15-19, 2026.

The new field course brought together students, a.k.a. "River Scholars," from UW-La Crosse, UW-Eau Claire, and UW-Stout Polytechnic. Students participated in an immersive exploration of river topics, ranging from aquatic invertebrate biology, fish sampling, remote sensing, rights of nature, and river policy and protection.

The course began at the West Fork Sports Club in Viroqua, Wisc., where River Scholars and instructors networked and introduced lesson topics. The group then embarked on a three-day river trip from Muscada to Boscobel. Students learned camping, canoeing, and river safety skills from trip guides from the UWL Outdoor Connection. They also participated in multiple field-based lessons with instructors from the UWL River Studies Cente r. The course culminated with a tour of the Upper Mississippi River aboard UW-La Crosse's research vessel Prairie Springs and career discussions with river professionals Heidi Keuler (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and Fritz Funk (Alaska Department of Fish and Game, retired).

"The River Studies Field Course connected students directly with Wisconsin's rivers while developing scientific skills, professional networks, and a deeper appreciation for environmental stewardship of the state's freshwater systems," says Ross Vander Vorste, associate professor of biology who led the course. "We were so thankful to have the funding through the Freshwater Collaborative to make it possible."

Vander Vorste participated in a National Science Foundation River Field Studies Network training program and received a Rada Margins of Excellence Grant to develop the course. The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin awarded funding in 2025 to support instructors, students, trip guides and equipment for the 2026 offering. Other instructors included Jason Freund (Biology), Niti Mishra (Geography and Environmental Science), Alysa Remsburg (Environmental Studies) and Kelly Sultzbach (English).

Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Comments from the anonymous post-course survey included:

"The river studies course was an excellent opportunity for me to connect with peers who share a passion for environmental issues. The course broadened my understanding of what it means to care for the environment by opening my eyes to perspectives I had not yet considered."

"We were able to get experience in areas that we may not have in regular classes/our natural resources major. Adding aspects of literature and stakeholder points of view were helpful in [building] my perspectives in the naturel resources discipline."

"I was able to gain a better understanding of how science can be related to many other disciplines. I was able to connect with nature firsthand and come to love the rivers of Wisconsin. Camping helped me build meaningful connections with my peers and with professionals in river studies."

The instructors are planning future offerings of the field course and look forward to inviting students from throughout the Universities of Wisconsin for another river adventure.