Bay Tour 2016

The 2016 BAY TOUR took us north by north east, through places like Portage, Oshkosh, Ashwaubenon, Kaukauna, Brussels, Sister Bay, Denmark, Allouez, Saukville, and many others. These names alone speak to Wisconsin’s history and heritage, from our Native Nations to French, Danish, and Belgian settlers—just to name a few.

During the Seminar our participants heard directly from Wisconsinites about their lives, their relationship with land and water, their problems, and their feelings about the state and its great public university.

Among our many stops we toured a dairy farm, met environmental stewards and business owners, explored orchards in bloom, toured a correctional facility, learned about tribal leaders of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. Experts from across the state joined the journey at various points along the way to enrich the learning throughout the week.

Destinations of the 2016 Bay Tour included:

  • A walking tour of Aldo Leopold’s shack in Baraboo
  • a visit to Rosendale Dairy in Pickett
  • a tour of Oshkosk Corporation
  • meeting with students and faculty at UW-Oshkosh
  • learning about Seaquist Orchards in Sister Bay
  • a tour of Peninsular Agricultural Research Station
  • sharing a meal together at White Gull Inn in Fish Creek
  • Green Bay Correctional Institution
  • a lively music and dance performance at Bruce-Guadalupe Community School, Milwaukee
The UW Cartography Lab produced this map and others for the 2016 Wisconsin Idea Seminar tour book. The 2016 journey covered many miles of Wisconsin with stops where Seminar participants met with farmers, environmental stewards, tribal leaders, high schools students, health practitioners, musicians, educators, and many others.
At the water's edge in Fish Creek, Wisconsin. (Photo by Catherine Reiland / UW-Madison)