WiWiC Spring Field Day: Sustainable Practices in the Menominee Forest

The Menominee Forest is a world-renowned place of wonder and history. Sustainably managed by the Menominee Tribe for more than 150 years, the beautiful 217,000-acre forest near Keshena, WI, is a premier example of forest management - providing the Tribe with a traditional quality of life from an intact, diverse, productive, and healthy forest ecosystem on the reservation. Researchers from across the globe have studied the sustainable management practices and "forest-first" philosophy of Menominee Tribal Enterprises (MTE).

A small group of WiWiC women will have the great privilege of spending a day exploring this unique space with two MTE foresters, learning about traditional ecological practices and modern treatments in this highly diverse wooded landscape.

McKaylee Duquain,  a member of the Menominee Nation, serves as the GIS & Inventory Forester for Menominee Tribal Enterprise’s forestry department. She earned her undergraduate degree in Forest Sciences from UW–Madison before returning home to work as a CFI Project Forester and later as an Inventory Forester. She left home again for graduate school, Conservation Sciences program at UMN-Twin Cities, and came back home once again to take on her current role. Outside of work, McKaylee enjoys spending time outdoors—camping, hiking, and, when the season allows, foraging for plants and mushrooms in the Menominee forest.

Kendra White recently joined Menominee Tribal Enterprises as the new Forest Health Forester, after earning her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in the spring of 2025. An enrolled member of the Menominee Nation and a descendant of the Oneida Nation, Kendra carries a strong cultural connection to the land and her work. Guided by these values, she is committed to protecting and sustaining forest ecosystems and natural resources for generations to come.

Participants will meet at the College of the Menominee Nation Campus Commons, and be bused into the forest. A variety of sustainable practices and treatments will be explored, depending on snow and accessibility. There may be a visit to a high conservation value area that's never been harvested. This is a 10-15 minutes drive and then another 10-15 minute walk through wooded and uneven terrain. The second area will be a 15-20 minute drive, and a 2-5 minute walk in to a natural red pine stand that has fire history.

Participants will need to be able to walk for some distance on rough terrain, and there will be no access to bathrooms in the forest. Lunch will be included. Clothing and shoes will need to be appropriate for outdoor activities.

Purchase tickets HERE.

The cost is $10 to help cover fuel for buses into the forest. Drinks will be provided. Please bring a potluck dish to share and utensils for yourself. A maximum of 25 participants can attend.

To help further support the cost of this and other events, please give HERE.   Your contribution keeps WiWiC events accessible for all women who want to learn how to heal and protect the land.