History of the Youth Conservation Corps at Statehouse Lake with Kay Krans

Join us for the seventh and final program in the Northwoods Through Time Sense of Place Series!  The 1960’s was a decade of the Environmental Movement and Gaylord Nelson was a champion of environmental activism in Wisconsin as well as the nation. He was the founder of Earth Day. The Wisconsin Youth Conservation Corps was created through his inspiration and guidance as governor of Wisconsin from 1959-1963 and U.S senator from our state from 1963-1981.  He created legislation through the Outdoor Recreation Act Program (50 million dollars) of 1961 that allowed the Wisconsin to acquire over one million acres of land for recreation and preservation and created the Wisconsin Youth Conservation Corps. Nelson supported the idea of the YCC as a summer program modeled after the Civil Conservation Corps legacy. It was designed for young men ages 16-18 to work on conservation projects in Wisconsin. Statehouse Lake became the first camp in Wisconsin which today is the site of the North Lakeland Discovery Center.  The camp was in service to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for about thirty years.  Join Kay Krans as she tells you the stories of the camp and some of the young men and women whose lives were changed by their experience in Manitowish Waters and their service to the State of Wisconsin.   Kay will be giving a short tour of the campus following the end of the program at 7:00 PM if anyone would like to stick around and join her.

Register by 6/11/24. $8/Member (NLDC or MWHS) and $12/Non-Member. Light snacks and cash bar from 5:30-6:00 pm, program 6:00 -7:00 pm. Tuesday 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM. 

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