The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has an initiative “Lets Go Outside” (http://www.fws.gov/letsgooutside).  The initiative is to try to get children back outside discovering what the nature has to offer and develop a connection to the environment.  The separation between children and the environment has been linked to some social and physical problems.  Some of the problems are childhood obesity and mental disorders, such as attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which are on the rise among children.   The disconnect occurring between children and nature has led to a call to get children back outside.  The Friends of the Upper Midwest Fisheries Services (FUMFS) decided to answer the call.

Friends members (FUMFS) decided to make a backpack similar to one the Upper Mississippi Wildlife and Fish Refuge made.  The Friends members asked the Fish and Wildlife Service to assist them in putting together components of the backpack.  Heidi Keuler of the La Crosse National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (NFWCO) and Sarah Bauer of the La Crosse Fish Health Center (LFHC) brainstormed with Friends members about what to put into the backpacks.  In the backpack are hands on activities for children to interact with nature investigating what happens in and around aquatic environments.  Some of the activities include fishing pole and tackle, fish and invertebrate identification, mussel activities, scavenger hunts, an examination at water quality, a mini seine for invertebrate collection, and magnifying glass to get a closer look at some of their finds.  There is also an illustration done by Julie Teskie (LFHC) to help children identify footprints of common animals.  The backpack is designed to get children and parents outside together exploring water environments.  Please contact the Friends of the Upper Mississippi Fisheries Services (www.fumfs.org) for further information.