Three dozen people took part in the Lake Michigan Area Land and Water Conservation Association Summer Tour hosted by the Shawano County Land Conservation and Extension Committee and organized by the Shawano County Land Conservation Department on July 24.
The tour included stops at Tilleda Falls Campground, Brei’s Aqua Farm, Gibson Island, Navarino Nature Center and the Sun Drop Museum. At each stop, county officials showcased what is going on in the county and brought attention to the conservation projects being worked on with various partners.
At Tilleda Falls Campground, attendees saw the shoreline protection and restoration projects completed on the Tilleda Pond made possible through partnerships with property owners Paul and Rachel Janda, Shawano County Land Conservation Department, Waterways Association of Menominee and Shawano Counties and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Craig and Karleen Brei of Brei’s Aqua Farm near Leopolis provided a tour of this family-run operation offering fresh, antibiotic- and chemical-free shrimp raised in a closed-loop aquaculture system. Participants viewed a presentation on the farm’s history from dairy to shrimp and toured the facility. They were also shown their other business ventures on the farm – Trophies and Treasures shop and trials of growing produce via aquaponics.
WAMSCO and volunteers gave a guided tour of the Gibson Island restoration project on this 25.6-acre island owned by the Town of Belle Plaine. This restoration project included shoreline stabilization of the isthmus, ADA-accessible pathways, thousands of native plants and an innovative way to secure 475 feet of eroding hillside. This was competed with grants, donations and efforts of more than 60 individual volunteers with more than 1,000 volunteer hours.
At their next stop, about 10 miles south of Shawano, attendees enjoyed a trolley ride at Navarino Nature Center. Nature center staff and volunteers help area students and residents learn about nature through environmental education and outdoor skill programs.
The last stop of the tour was at Twig’s Sun Drop Museum. Attendees took a self-guided tour of the museum and sampled different flavors of soda.
