School’s out and once again, your kids are home for the summer! You may, like many other parents, be asking yourself: how do you keep your kids entertained and engaged without letting them rot in a gaming chair or in front of a TV all summer? It’s a good thing DCHS’s Wildlife Center launched its first year of Camp WildSide! Watch your kids transition from “It’s too hot out, I don’t wanna.” to “Can we go back outside?” as licensed wildlife professionals take them through five unique themed days over the course of a week, all filled with games, activities, hands on experiences and maybe even a little learning!

The program is currently in its first month of operations and will be accepting sign-ups all through the summer. 

- Dave Mackler, Camp Counselor and Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator, DCHS’s Wildlife Center

• “Oh wow, that’s really interesting!” - HL (14)
• “We should do THIS in science class. This is way more fun!” - JM (13)
• “This is way more fun than (other) camps. I like it a lot better because you get to do cool stuff!” - HB (12)
• “I think I’m starting to fall in love with birds.” AL (12)
• “You can actually do this as a job? I might need to look into doing something like this – I didn’t realize that you get to work with birds up close!” JM (13)

One of our summer Wildlife Assistants, Yushi Oguchi, is an undergraduate teaching assistant and PhD candidate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology). He's also one of our newest Camp WildSide Volunteer Educators. Yushi volunteers every Thursday morning to teach ‘Biology 101’ to groups of campers, and then he comes back to DCHS again in the evening to care for songbirds in rehabilitation! Additionally, he joins Camp WildSide Family Camp on Sundays to teach youth and adult groups who register for morning or afternoon sessions with our wildlife education team. Here is what he has to say about his experience so far:

"In 'skull talk' we host a small museum where everyone can touch or hold various specimens of dinosaurs, birds, and mammals to explore their function and evolutionary history. We cover material at the level I teach in intro biology at UW-Madison, and I am thoroughly impressed that our bright young campers get the key takeaways (e.g., evidence of birds as a group of dinosaurs). It's fascinating to see young minds think like scientists, notice anatomical details, and pitch their own hypotheses. 

"I am also honored to work on the skeleton of 'Sarah the Coyote' (named after Sarah Karls who discovered and collected the roadkill) -- what will be the first educational skeleton at DCHS. Returning Campers get to see the progress. What a beautiful animal she is!"

Dave Mackler spent the last two years working as a special education paraprofessional before joining our wildlife program in the pursuit of obtaining his own rehabilitation license someday. After completing a fall internship at DCHS's Wildlife Center in 2024, he did just that! Dave then continued his journey by accepting a staff teaching position as Wildlife Camp Counselor in Spring 2025. In his free time, Dave enjoys woodworking, animal watching, art, video games and spending time with his friends and fiancé.

Yushi Oguchi (M.S., Michigan State University) is a current PhD student at University of Wisconsin-Madison studying avian ecophysiology from molecular perspectives. Yushi is originally from Japan and travelled to the United States as an international student, receiving his B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011. He completed his M.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University in 2015 and has published multiple academic papers on his work with Swainson's Thrush, Gray Catbirds, and English House Sparrows. After returning to Madison for his PhD, Yushi has continued his role as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Integrative Biology, instructing undergraduate students in Bio 151/152 each semester. Yushi is moreover one of three USGS sub-permitted bird banders (2010 to present) from the Biocore Prairie Bird Observatory (BPBO) located at the University of Wisconsin Lakeshore Nature Preserve (LSNP), Yushi regularly assists with the Observatory's operations and concurrently volunteers at DCHS's Wildlife Center to help rehabilitate songbirds in his free time.

Lynnea Colbert joined DCHS's Wildlife Center rehabilitation internship team in summer 2024. This May, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she studied both Conservation Biology and Zoology, and worked towards a certificate in Environmental Studies. She is excited to be back at the Wildlife Center as an Education Intern this summer and meet new faces! Lynnea has a love for animals of all kinds and has three pugs at home, though her favorite animal is a Barn Swallow!

Soren Zappia joined the Wildlife Center as a volunteer in 2024, and then began his Wildlife Education Internship in Summer 2025. He is passionate about citizen science and sharing his love of nature and wildlife! Soren previously studied biochemistry and chemistry. Outside of work, he enjoys birding, playing board games, and hiking.

Sasha Neidigh is a junior at UW-Madison majoring in conservation biology. She loves all things wildlife! In her free time, she enjoys playing pickleball and watching movies. 

A limited amount of need-based financial aid is available for week-long Camp Wildside summer sessions. Complete our online application here to apply!  

Note: Completing this application does not guarantee a spot in camp. Tuition assistance funds are limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.