EDGEFIELD, S.C. — For some Wisconsin students, this year’s Midwest Outdoor Heritage Education Expo was simply “the best field trip ever.”
For others, it was their first introduction to hunting, fishing, shooting sports and conservation.
Supported by the Wisconsin State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and a coalition of conservation partners, the annual MOHEE event welcomed 5,013 students, teachers and chaperones in 2026. Held in Poynette and Milwaukee, the event provides fourth- through seventh-grade students with hands-on experiences designed to connect them with Wisconsin’s natural resources and outdoor traditions.
Students rotated through more than 30 interactive stations where they learned wildlife calling, fishing skills, archery and BB gun safety, wildlife identification, trapping, forestry concepts, aquatic ecology and more. The NWTF Timber Country Cutters Chapter also hosted a booth, where kids could practice calling in a turkey with various box and slate calls and see what a fan feels like in real life.
“Thank you to all of the station volunteers and grounds crew for your time, effort and passion in putting this event together and sharing the great outdoors with kids across Wisconsin,” said fifth-grade teacher Pat Kolbe of Winneconne Elementary School. “Our students had an absolute blast once again.”
While gathering students to board the buses home, Kolbe recalled hearing comments such as, “This was the best field trip ever,” and, “Do we have to leave?” Some students who were riding home with parent chaperones even returned to the activity stations after the buses departed for a little more time outdoors.
Through its Super Fund, the Wisconsin NWTF State Chapter helped make those experiences possible by providing funding for student transportation and equipment used throughout the event.
The NWTF’s Super Fund is a funding model through which volunteers raise money at banquets and other fundraisers and allocate a significant portion of those proceeds to impactful conservation, research and outreach projects at the state level and beyond.
“NWTF’s great reputation for recruiting youth, in addition to doing great habitat and research work, makes me proud to be a life member and volunteer with our TriState Gobblers Chapter and the Wisconsin Chapter,” said Mark LaBarbera, founder and chief volunteer of the Outdoor Heritage Education Center. “MOHEE would not be such a huge success without support from NWTF leaders and fellow members.”
Founded by LaBarbera in 1998, the Outdoor Heritage Education Center launched MOHEE in 2014 with 1,420 participants. Since then, the event has expanded to include a second location in Milwaukee and now reaches more than 5,000 students annually with the help of over 150 volunteers and dozens of conservation organizations.
“Teachers tell us their students stay engaged because they are actively participating, asking questions and trying new things in a positive outdoor environment,” said Ruth Ann Lee, executive director of the Outdoor Heritage Education Center. “We are proud to provide these experiences at no cost to schools.”
For the NWTF, supporting MOHEE aligns with the organization’s commitment to recruitment, retention and reactivation efforts. By creating awareness, generating interest and providing opportunities to experience the outdoors firsthand, events like MOHEE help ensure the next generation understands the important role hunters and conservationists play in managing wildlife and conserving our nation’s natural resources.
Because before someone can become a hunter or conservationist, they first need an opportunity to discover the outdoors.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.
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