Wood duck houses offer students close-up study

Patrick Fisher, Staff Writer

For the last five years, Steve Lang has offered his students a chance to get close to nature each spring with his wetland and fields biology class.

An integral part of the class is the study of wood ducks. To enhance their learning, the students use houses similar to those that will be built at the eighth annual Youth Wood Duck Box Building Day from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25, at the KC Hall in New Prague. The Minnesota Waterfowl Association's Scott-Le Sueur Chapter holds the event each year with a number of area organizations and businesses sponsoring it.

While Lang and his students build their own houses, they have had help from different organizations for the class.

In the second year of the class