Severson Learning Center features a typical, handsome farmstead of southeastern Wisconsin, featuring a white farmhouse and red barn surrounded by about 54 acres of arable fields currently farmed by the local FFA Alumni. About 20 acres of land is divided in four distinct woodlots. Trails will lead you to a large pond with year round water that lies between two of the woodlots, a wetland scrape is nestled within the southern-most woodlot, and an old limestone quarry can be discovered in the western forest. Our community garden provides vegetables for the local food pantry and the apple trees are a great spot to stop for a hanging snack in the fall. Facilities currently include Koshkonong Trails Charter School, one small rustic classroom building, a small tool shed, and a large barn.
THE SEVERSON LEARNING CENTER STORY
The Severson Learning Center (SLC) honors Oscar Severson who was born in Cambridge in 1896, the son of business man Louis Severson.
Oscar graduated from Cambridge High School in 1916 and is remembered as a good student and athlete. During World War I, he volunteered and served overseas. When he returned, Oscar worked at several Cambridge businesses before joining the Cambridge State Bank, where he worked for the rest of his life. In 1948, he married his longtime sweetheart Mabel Guernsey, a nurse. The couple had no children. At the request of Mr. Severson, the property now known as the Severson Learning Center was given to the School District of Cambridge at the time of his death in 1989.
Learning is exciting at the Severson Learning Center
The educational opportunities at Severson Learning Center are as varied and interesting as the site itself and the excitement is only growing. This is a wonderful place for students to learn about:
Geology
Soil Science
Forestry
Animal Tracking
Biology & Botany
Agriculture
Animal Adaptations
Animal Husbandry
Wildlife Management
Pond Life Conservation
Environmentalism
Over the last few years, our students have been involved in the following activities while visiting SLC:
Vet science with goats
Tree identification
Geocaching/Vectoring
Map reading
Farm Days
Art & reading
Bird & bat house building
Macroinvertebrates ID
Cross county skiing
Garden planting
Summer school classes
Trail hikes
Ice skating
Fossil hunting
Seed collection
Animal tracking
Students from Cambridge Schools come out to Severson for a variety of classes and learning opportunities throughout the school year. Several summer school classes are held at the facility, too. While science and social studies are the obvious connections, all subject areas can be enriched with some time outdoors!
Animals at Severson
A variety of farm animals can be found at SLC. Full time residents include Nubian goats and guinea fowl. As fair season approaches, we usually have several pigs being raised as student projects, and chickens are a pretty common site. These animals all provide wonderful opportunities for our students.
Looking ahead...
We have big plans for the SLC in the coming years. Immediate projects that are taking shape include planting a native WI prairie, relocating our vegetable garden into raised beds, enhanced trail signs, and the addition of a multi-use building. A longer range goal is converting the historic barn into an educational center for our school groups and community members that visit. Finally, restoring the woodlots with the removal of invasive species and planting native trees will take several years, but the result will be well worth the effort!
How can you get involved?
Are you interested in volunteering at the Severson Learning Center, or would you like to come out and experience the center for yourself? Contact Adam Gould, (608) 423-4345 ext. 5103, Severson Learning Center Director, for more information, or find us on Facebook.