Wild Rice in the Classroom | Freshwater Collaborative
UW-Green Bay’s Wild Rice in the Classroom project celebrated its sixth year with more than 190 students attending wild rice planting field trips at four locations.
Throughout the academic year, nearly 1,000 students planted wild rice in their classrooms as part of the program. Students learn about shoreline restoration, the cultural importance of wild rice to the region and the First Nations people, and how wild rice benefits local wildlife.
During the May field trips, students ranging from first to twelfth grade planted the wild rice plants they had grown, interacted with a natural resource educator, and learned about potential careers in water science.
The program has grown steadily through funding from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin and Ducks Unlimited. One classroom participated in the initial program in 2020, which involved about 120 students. In 2025, UW-Green Bay worked with teachers and students in 17 classrooms at 15 different schools.
Source: Wild Rice in the Classroom | Freshwater Collaborative
