Montana in Wisconsin

A log for a desk, leaf for paper and twig for a pencil. For a semester, Montana Morris will make the great outdoors her classroom.

Morris, a Shorewood High School senior, will attend Conserve School in Land-O-Lakes, a boarding school that seeks to inspire young people to environmental stewardship through academics and engagement with the forests, lakes and wildlife. 

Conserve School gives students an "historical perspective of the environmental movement as well as hands-on experiences as stewards of the natural resources found on the land," Assistant Principal Mary Anna Thornton said.

The entire experience is focused on environmental issues. For example, the history class is the history of the environmental movement and the Advance Placement art class includes a unit devoted to environmental visual artist, Andy Goldsworthy.

The school doesn't charge fees but garners grants to offset the cost of attendance of its school in Lowenwood, Wisconsin.

As part of the curriculum, Montana is currently on a weeklong small group backpack trip and unavailable to comment. She left Monday morning, with her 47-pound backpack, three students and two teachers. She will end the semester with a solo backpack trip as a capstone. 

"Montana really stands out as a friendly and outgoing person. She's vivacious," Thornton said.

The school helps teach students to be persuasive with others and encourage them to be sensitive to the environment.

"Montana is a perfect candidate to help raise awareness and push people a little bit towards better understanding," said Thornton.

Her mother, Gretchen Mead said, "We are really impressed with the school and with Montana's ability to research it and do all the paperwork herself. There are a lot of very hands-on environmental experiences that I'm not sure she could have gotten anywhere else."

When she is finished with her semester at Conserve School, she is considering devoting her time to woofing until she's off to college in fall 2012.