Name a topic involving a water-related issue and it’s more than likely going to be talked about during Wisconsin Water Week.
The annual event hosted by Wisconsin Lake Partnership is going virtual this year.
Eric Olsen is the Director of Extension Lakes based at UW-Stevens Point. He said they had to make a somewhat last-minute switch to virtual last year. Being able to plan for it with the intention of being virtual means they can bring in more speakers and reach more people.
“I think one of the challenges with holding a conference in person is that all the speakers have to come to the same place as well and for some people that can be a cost of time and travel when you’re in the online environment people can join from just about anywhere,” said Olsen.
March 8 through the 12th there will be more than 250 live presenters covering everything from climate change to watershed health to the cultural significance of Wisconsin waters.
Many of events will be happening simultaneously. Olsen described it as choosing what channel you want to watch based on your interest.
There will be opportunities for breakout sessions and workshops. On Thursday, people can join session specific to where they live.
“Instead of picking the channels based on what you’re interested in, we encourage participants to pick a channel based on where they live or where the lake is or the river is that they’re the most interested in.”
There will also be an opportunity for local in-person events like a snowshoe hike at Thunder Lake Wildlife Conservation Area with the Northwoods Land Trust.
Olsen hopes people learn more about Wisconsin water, but also gain the ability to take a role in the health of lakes and rivers.
“It’s kind of a unique situation in Wisconsin where the DNR does have a lot to do with taking care of surface waters, but the public has a role as well. Everybody has a stake in our water bodies, because they belong to everybody,” said Olsen.
There is a $20 per day registration fee. You can pick which days you want to attend.
You can register on the Wisconsin Water Week website. That’s also where you can see the list of speakers and topics they’ll be covering.
