I've watched management come and go and support for the facility and its programs fluctuate with the disruption of each change in leadership. My interest is in building the facility and its programs on its clear strengths and in making its programs responsive to customer interests and needs. As I see it, the answer to the success of Pigeon Lake Field Station lies in improving our outreach and communication efforts to be certain an awareness exists in regard to the wide range of offerings and experiences available. The location of the field station, in the southwest part of the Chequamegon National Forest in northern Wisconsin's Bayfield County, is ideal for field studies in the natural sciences, while the beauty of the area makes it popular for activities in the humanities, social sciences, and recreation and physical education. Each summer, students and faculty from across the University of Wisconsin System enjoy benefits in these unique surroundings that cannot be attained in the common classroom environment.
Courses range across many disciplines, including biology, education, sociology and anthropology.
Meredith Clawson, of Excelsior, Minn., majors in physical education at UW-RF, with minors in outdoor recreation and health. She took three outdoor recreation courses at Pigeon Lake during the 1997 summer session and experienced first-hand what she considers an incredibly valuable resource for the University. Professor Dennis Van den Heuvel of the UW - Stout vocational rehabilitation department coordinates and directs a session at Pigeon Lake for a group of professional counselors from all over the state. He says it provides a setting that can't be matched on a traditional campus. Combining the physical beauty and climate and the ambiance of outdoor living with the growth of professional camaraderie makes Pigeon Lake an outstanding, potent learning place.