ENJOY THE OUTDOORS. Chippewa Valley youths will benefit from a new initiative offering rural community schools the opportunity to adventure at Beaver Creek Reserve,  pictured above.

The Eau Claire Community Foundation has announced its partnership with Compeer Financial in the Rural Collaboration Project, a pilot effort that will offer and foster environmental learning opportunities for students in rural communities of the Chippewa Valley.

ECCF was chosen as one of seven community foundations in the Upper Midwest to participate in the program, receiving a grant of more than $21,000 from the Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America donor-advised fund, Agriculture and Rural Initiative. Locally, students from five school districts – Alma, Birchwood, Bruce, Cameron, and Cornell – will be able to experience adventures and learn about nature through outdoor-based field trips to Beaver Creek Reserve.

"Some of the lessons include playing in the stream to look for macroinvertebrates, identifying plants and animals along our trails, and so much more."

ERIK KEISLER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BEAVER CREEK RESERVE

“Some of the lessons include playing in the stream to look for macroinvertebrates, identifying plants and animals along our trails, and so much more,” Erik Keisler, executive director of Beaver Creek Reserve, said in a recent media release. “We are incredibly excited to welcome five new districts from our rural communities to Beaver Creek Reserve, because nature should be enjoyed by all no matter the season or location!”

Beaver Creek has already begun scheduling field trips for students from the five school districts for the 2024 spring and fall seasons, according to the media release.

The Agricultural and Rural Initiative, created by Compeer Financial’s Board of Directors in 2019, has invested $10 million in the initiative to date. Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative focusing on agriculture and rural communities and serves 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Learn more about Compeer Financial's various programs online • Visit eccfwi.org to learn more about the Eau Claire Community Foundation • See Beaver Creek Reserve's website to learn more about the local organization.