Students attending the environmental science field trip to Whitewater State Park had no idea what they were getting themselves into: sink mud!

The field trip did not start off so crazy though. When the students first arrived at Whitewater State Park, they were able to look around the visitor’s center, attend a short presentation, and then head out to their stations.

The purpose of the trip was to give the students hands-on experience testing water quality and observing watershed and riparian zone conditions.

The first station was right below the visitor’s center on the middle branch of the Whitewater River. Students collected macro invertebrates and measured the water’s temperature, turbidity, and the health of the stream and shore.

The second station was at a location where all three branches of the river came together, outside of the park. This area was much less healthy, and was where the students found themselves knee deep in the gripping mud.

The last station was the cemetery in the small ghost town of Beaver where the students learned about several people that used to live near the Whitewater river in the past.

This was closely followed by a stop at the Whitewater valley overlook, where students took in the beautiful view before heading back to Winona.