Information about our presenters and partners.

Rock County Parks Department (website)
The parks department administers and cares for 19 parks and 4 trailways, covering 1100 acres of parkland.  Actvities at the parks include hiking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, picnicking, boating, and more. Check this brochure for information about various parks and facilities.
Dave Hoffman, Parks Community Coordinator and licensed DNR Angler Instructor is supporting this project with two programs: "Fishing for Kids" and "Getting to Know Your County Parks."

Micro Adventures with Therese Oldenburg
Therese Oldenburg owns Firepoint Media, a marketing and website design company, in addition she is a founder of "Be Active Outdoors, Inc., a non-profit devoted to getting people outdoors. Therese also owns Adventure Away, a website that promotes outdoor adventures in Wisconsin. She is presenting "Micro Adventures", a program about expeditions, adventures, journeys and trips that are close to home, affordable, easy to plan and designed to encourage people to get outside and enjoy the outdoors!

Open Water Kayaking & Water Safety
with Dick Silberman and Don Jensen
The program will provide the attendees with knowledge on how to be safer in the water while kayaking or boating, basic water safety and what to do in the event of a water emergency.

Dick Silberman, a retired cardiologist, is an ACA certified Level 4 open water/Coastal Sea Kayak Instructor and an Instructor Candidate. He can be found year round on the Great Lakes, especially Lake Michigan off his home port of Milwaukee.

Don Jensen is a retired Milwaukee Police Sergeant who formerly commanded the Milwaukee Police Departments Harbor Patrol and Underwater Investigation Units. He has over 31 years of law enforcement experience and is now the Water Patrol Supervisor for the Twin Lakes Police Department.

Fly Fishing with Trout Unlimited
Blackhawk Chapter of Trout Unlimited #390 - Janesville
Bill Lazor of the local Trout Unlimited chapter will present a program about everything you need to know to become a fly fisher.

Trout Unlimited is a non-profit, grass roots volunteer organization that works to keep our country’s cold water fisheries and their watersheds safe from environmental threats for this and future generations. If you are interested in information about the local chapter, please contact Gordon Long - President 815.298.8760 or Bill Lazor - Treasurer 815.319.3686.

How to Be a Birder in Rock County
Tom Klubertanz, Professor of BiologyUW Rock
Tom's programs will vary and will include everything from backyard birding, feeders, food, where to go to see lots of birds in Rock County, plus some friendly research information on songbirds.

Tom teaches courses in the biological sciences at UW Rock County, including Animal Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, Concepts of Biology, Environmental Biology, Natural History of Wisconsin, and Ornithology. One of his primary research interests is in bird conservation and ecology. Ornithological work primarily involves monitoring projects, including a long-term research project at the Cook Arboretum in Janesville, which has a website at http://pages.uwc.edu/tom.h.klubertanz/cook/cookproject.htm .


Lena Verkuilen, Director, Welty Environmental Center
Beckman Mill County Park at 8606 County Road H, 6 miles west of Beloit, 1/2 mile south of Hwy 81. Center Hours: vary; please call 608-361-1377
Park Hours: 5am – 10pm.

The center is a place where both children and adults can gain hands-on encounters with biological, physical, and chemical elements of nature. It provides a challenge to its users to relate concepts of the natural and social sciences and humanities to environmental, ecological, and related social concerns. Our programs stimulate interest in local, regional, and global environmental issues.

Lena Verkuilen has worked at the Welty Environmental Center since April, 2009 and has served as the center’s director since August 2009. As the center director Lena works to teach people of all ages about the natural world in, develop new and update existing programs, take care of the center’s animals, and explore and learn new things about nature every day.
Lena serves as a founding board member of the Lower Sugar River Watershed Association, and the Welty Environmental Center’s representative to area organizations including the Four Rivers Environmental Coalition and Latino Service Providers Coalition.

Dianne Moller of Hoo's Woods, Raptor Education and Rehabilitation Center since 1998. Moller is the founder of Hoo's Woods and a licensed educator, falconer, rehabilitator and eagle handler through state and federal agencies. Dianne also serves on the national board of directors for the North American Falconer's Association representing falconers in the Great Lakes Region. To learn more about our programs please contact Dianne at: falco5@ticon.net or 608-883-2795.

Hoo's Woods Raptor Center is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 charitable organization, dedicated to environmental education and the conservation of birds of prey through public education. Hoo's Woods goal is to make education both meaningful and fun, while creating an atmosphere which fosters respect for our land and the stewardship of all living things. Their message is to provide an educational opportunity to understand and appreciate the co-existence between wildlife and man and the importance in preserving the world in which we live. They share this message with volumes of people throughout Wisconsin and present approximately 70-80 programs per year.

Christy Marsden, Horticulture Educator with UW-Extension Rock County. Marsden words with the Master Gardener Volunteer program, local foods and community food systems, school gardens and "farm to school" efforts, small farms, green industry, and consumer horticulture. 608-757-5696      christine.marsden@ces.uwex.edu