Washburn Elementary School's fourth grade classes were coming to participate in the "River of Words" program.  Students learned about the water cycle, watersheds, wildlife and habitats of the refuge.  They also worked on observations and journaling to prepare them to write poetry and create artistic impressions of what they had learned while on the refuge.  The rain did not cease, but no weather would have dampened the spirits of these eager minds.  

After a full day of education, exploration and revelations students boarded the buss to head home for the day.  Fortunately, the experience wasn't done at the end of the field trip.  Over the course of the school year Park Ranger, Katie Goodwin; poet, Ted Gephart and artist, Chris Lutter-Gardella spent time with the students in the classroom refining what was leaned on the refuge.  Watershed concepts became clearer, numerous wildlife sightings were discussed, poems were created, and students learned about artistic impressions and mediums before expressing their memories, experiences and concerns onto paper.

Students moved on to other topics involving Wisconsin’s bodies of water, history and traditions of the Great Lakes Regions with the help of other local Fish and Wildlife employees and resource agencies.  As students continued to broaden their minds; project coordinator Jeannette Lutter-Gardella and Katie Goodwin compiled the student’s poetry and artwork into the 2005-2006 River of Words booklet.  The students actually become published authors by the end of the project!

On the evening of May 4, 2006 the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center hosted the River of Words' Poet and Artist Celebration.  Students, their families, teachers, school officials, and organizers of the project gathered to bring the project to a close for the year.  This year every student submitted a poem and piece of artwork to be included in the published book.  Students were each presented with their own copy of this year "River of Words".  The children immediately flipped their books open to the table of contents to find their personal pages.  After a few minutes of quiet reflection of their accomplishments they were up and signing each others books.  The evening included a fabulous potluck accompanied by a scrolling projection of the student's artwork and field trip pictures set to theme music from the Charlie Brown series.  Near the close of the event project organizers presented the school and the two teachers with appreciation certificates to thank them for their sincere dedication to their students and the continuation of this project in the years to come.  Ted Gephart remarked that the students did an "awesome" job over the course of the year.  Teacher Nancy Newman expressed her deep gratitude for the involvement of the refuge, the time commitment of all of the organizers and the support of the school.  Katie Goodwin shared that when she visited the school over the course of the year she was always impressed with the way the students would show her what they were working on and how they incorporated what they had learned on the refuge.  A very successful project came to a close as students and organizers read their poems for families and friends before saying goodnight.

The hope for Whittlesey Creek's River of Words is that it gives students an alternative learning environment while combining a number of disciplines to give the students new experiences, knowledge and ways to communicate what they have learned with their peers and communities.  This year’s students have defiantly shown that Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge is not only a great place for wildlife, but a great place to learn.