Students were thrilled to meet an actual author and listened attentively as Wojahn shared the remarkable story of the lake sturgeon’s conservation success in Wisconsin. Afterward they rotated through stations to get a closer look at the dinosaur fish. For those willing to get over the “ick” factor, they could watch “Dr. Fish” Seilheimer, dissect a real sturgeon specimen, getting a front-row view of the fish’s internal organs. For the art-minded students, there was an option to try fish printing – the ancient art of Japanese Gyotaku. During their visit with Stella, students were able to touch the fish’s scutes—a defining characteristic of sturgeon that is especially prominent when the fish are young.

For many of these students this was their first look at the lake sturgeon, a remarkable fish species as old as the dinosaurs. “Saving our Sturgeon” is a powerful example of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to save something they love. We hope it will inspire the next generation of Great Lakes leaders and stewards – a goal of this program and other CGLL offerings.