Growing tomorrow’s environmental stewards at Wilson Lake

Beginning in 1999, the 2026 ECO-meet competition at Wilson Lake marked its 26th year. Organized through the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, the… Beginning in 1999, the 2026 ECO-meet competition at Wilson Lake marked its 26th year. Organized through the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, the event brings students together from eight counties around the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property, to test their knowledge of Kansas ecology while building an appreciation for the state's natural ecosystems and resources. “The idea behind making this program available on a statewide basis stemmed from the schools around the Milford Lake area wanting to have other schools to compete against as they had been doing it for several years prior to 1999,” said Mike Rader, wildlife education specialist for KDWP, who help found coordinate the event.

For many of the students who reside in the rural regions of the sunflower state, their education about the natural world begins on the farm. But that connection is deepened through programs like ECO-meet, where learning to recognize the plants, animals and habitats found throughout Kansas, is taken to another level. “It’s easier to care about something when you understand it and feel connected to it,” said Amber McLaughlin, KDWP’s engagement coordinator. The ECO-Meet competition takes Kansas high school and middle school