Ben Toppel, a 5th grade elementary educator at Rocky Branch Elementary School, has worked in public education for over 16 years. He was born and raised in Madison, WI, and he has lived in River Falls for about 16 years. He has a Master’s in Primary Education from UWRF.
Mr. Toppel has developed a curriculum for his students that takes advantage of the close proximity (15-minute walk) of Rocky Branch to the Kinnickinnic River and its tributaries. Ben has created and continues to lead outdoor education activities for young students. This nature-based learning has expanded into a K-5 effort, with kids from pre-K through 5th grade participating in service learning, nature appreciation, and outdoor education opportunities.
How did this start? The Covid pandemic caused many activities to be canceled, pausing such activities as field trip by bus, concerts, and sports events. All these cancelations meant that teachers had to find substitutes, and outdoor activities were safer than inside activities. With that in mind, Ben designed many experimental, nature-based learning activities such as measuring water volume and velocity, catching bugs and fish. These activities are used to teach sciences such as biology, geology as well as math and teamwork.
A major activity for the students is raising Brown Trout to be released into the Willow River. In order to do this Ben became licensed as a fishery by the DNR. The class stocks their trout in the Willow River because, as a Class 1 trout stream, the Kinnickinnic doesn’t need to be stocked because the trout in the Kinni reproduce naturally. One of their biggest challenges at the end of the project is to keep the fish alive on the long bus ride to the Willow River. The DNR stocks with Rainbow Trout. Rocky Branch stocks with Brown Trout. The Trout in the Classroom project is 8 years old.
Since everyone learns differently, Ben has discovered that kids who might be struggling in the classroom really shine in the outdoor activities. Last year Toppel got $2,400 from the Forward Foundation to buy waders, nets, bug trays, and other equipment. The activities are now expanding beyond Rocky Branch because in the last two months all the River Falls schools have had activities at the school forest.
Ben partners with several organizations. Access Ability Wisconsin has helped with all-terrain wheelchairs.
Eco-Week at Rocky Branch, expanded from Eco-Day several years ago, is an annual event in May that promotes nature appreciation, outdoor service learning, and environmental education. The kids seem to really like it when the DNR electroshocks the tributaries to count the fish. Ben reported that snake demonstrations are very popular with the students but not necessarily with the teachers!