The turtle's head at the front of the Oneida Tribal Elementary School. - FWS photo by Stewart Cogswell

Stewart Cogswell demonstrating how a fyke net catches fish. - FWS photo by Shad Webster

The Green Bay Fishery Resources Office was invited to give a presentation at the Oneida Tribal Elementary School in Oneida, Wisconsin.  The entire school was built in the shape of a turtle and was designed using the drawings of a former elementary student.

The Turtle is symbolic of Mother Earth to the Oneida People and is the foundation for the design and curriculum of the Oneida Tribal Elementary School.  In the Oneida Creation Story the turtle’s back, along with the creatures of the water and sky helped to create the "Great Turtle Island", or Mother Earth. 

The Turtle School is a source of great pride for the Oneida Nation and it strives to promote traditional teachings concerning the environment.  School officials use conservation professionals to promote awareness and potential career choices. 

The Green Bay Fishery Resources Office, along with the Oneida Tribal Forester and Oneida Conservation Warden, talked to 55 third graders during a career day in April.  Various topics were addressed including how to obtain a job in conservation, what a typical day entails, and why the presenters chose their field of employment. 

The students especially enjoyed the hands on equipment demonstrations with the Conservation Warden’s siren buttons and “catching” kids in a fyke net.  Students were encouraged to study hard and try their best to protect Mother Earth.