What is YEPS?

YEPS is a program for ALL youth, families, and youth organizations of Sauk County. The goal of YEPS is to provide an opportunity for youth and families to participate in environmental stewardship service-learning projects. Participants have an opportunity to help plant prairies, collect acorns, build rain gardens in local cities, build nature trails, collect prairie seeds, and much more!

Through Learning-By-Doing Experiences, YEPS will:

• Involve youth in countywide stewardship projects.

• Provide opportunities for youth to gain an appreciation of local natural resources.

• Teach about human's impact on the environment.

• Foster a lifelong commitment to earth stewardship.

• Involve youth in all stages of selecting, planning, and executing stewardship projects.

• Provide an opportunity for community groups and individuals to work together toward a common goal of involving youth and families in the environment.

How Do I Get Involved with YEPS?

• Watch the newspapers for announcements about upcoming YEPS projects, or sign up for our mailing list and we'll keep you informed!

• ALL youth and families in Sauk County are invited to participate in YEPS projects.

• Local environmental groups sponsor YEPS projects. If you know, or are part of, a group that would like to become involved with YEPS, please contact Jessica Jens at (608) 355-3255.

• Youth who participate in YEPS projects can "collect" service hours to redeem for great prizes including gift certificates from local businesses, fun prizes, free participation on future adventure trips, rock climbing days, and bus trips to Great America.

YEPS Community-Based Projects

History of Participation & Contribution to Sauk County

Best Practices of Forestry Service-Learning Projects:

A Practical Guide for Formal & Nonformal Educators

Through a grant from the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (WEEB), this guide book was developed by YEPS to help youth groups and school classrooms implement forestry service-learning projects. You can brows the guide book below. If you'd like a free copy, please contact Jessica Jens at jessica.jens@ces.uwex.edu or you may pick one (or more) up at the Sauk County UW-Extension Office in Baraboo, Wisconsin. We ask that anyone who uses the book completes a brief feedback form to let us know how you utlized the resource and how helpful it was to you. That form can be found below as well. Thanks!

Guide book feedback form

Guide book feedback form

YEPS Planning Committee

The following individuals and organizations have spent (and continue to spend) many hours organizing YEPS and YEPS projects. The YEPS Planning Committee meets the second Monday of every month from 3:30-5:00 pm at the West Square Building in Baraboo. The meetings are open to the public, and all interested individuals and organizations are invited to attend!

YEPS received the "2005 Successful Program Award for Natural Resources/Environmental Stewardship" and the "2005 Communicator Award for a Web Page"

From the Wisconsin Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals!

YEPS recieved the 2007 Greater Sauk County Invasive Plant Team “Invasive Weed Management Group Award”

If you have any questions regarding Youth Environmental Projects of Sauk County (YEPS) or would like to be added to the YEPS mailing list, please contact:

Jessica Jens
Sauk County 4-H Youth Development Agent
West Square Administration Bldg
505 Broadway
Baraboo, WI 53913-2404
Phone: 608-355-3250
Fax: 608-355-3550
TDD: 608-355-3490
Email: jessica.jens@ces.uwex.edu