Laura DeGolier has been a volunteer stream monitor with the Water Warriors in the Fond du Lac area for the past 20 years. To recognize her long-time volunteer commitment, she is receiving WAV’s 2025 20-Year Monitoring Milestone award. Laura has a strong track record in not only water monitoring, but also in environmental advocacy. She was recognized for her broader positive impact on our streams and rivers with a 2016 Wisconsin Stream Monitoring Award.
Read a short interview with Laura below to learn about her long-time work. Check out the 2025 August issue of our newsletter to read a spotlight on the Water Warriors!
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
WAV: What was your favorite memory working to protect the rivers and streams?
Laura: I keep this picture of Julie and me on my desk. Julie Hellweg was an early regular participant and loved putting on waders and going into streams. She retired in 2017. I miss the good times she, Joanne Michaels, Ellen DeMarco, and I shared traveling around to our rivers.
My team now has grown so I am treated to different members each time. Each have different talents and interests. We have people with a scientific background who love the biotic index and habitat assessment. Plus, one of our members also gathers data on Lake Winnebago for the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance.
WAV: What are you looking forward to in the year(s) ahead?
Laura: Getting together with the team and observing what has changed and what is the same.
WAV: What do you enjoy most about your work with volunteers, streams, and rivers?
Laura: First of all, I enjoy being on the rivers, any excuse to be outside in the glorious Wisconsin summer. I started volunteering on this project when I was still working, but felt I owed myself outdoor time and, if you don’t schedule it, it never happens. I like kayaking on quiet waters so have spent most summers on rivers appreciating the world from the river’s perspective.
In the beginning, it was also about learning about the rivers. I was taking care of 24.5 acres of natural area along the Fond du Lac River when I saw the training being offered by Central Wisconsin Trout Unlimited – it seemed like a great way to extend the appreciation of the land to the river that flowed beside it.
Laura: My team started on the E. Branch of the Fond du Lac River, then we were invited to work on the Rock River the second year. We convinced the DNR that the W. Branch was worth monitoring as well, and, when there was no volunteer for Parson’s Creek, I asked to be able to add that to our repertoire. I believe Parson’s Creek may have history going back the full 30 years that water monitoring has been happening in Wisconsin.
Each year I look forward to our first outing. It always seems like forever to November, but before we know it, November and the last event is upon us. Rivers are more than just flowing water—they’re dynamic corridors of life, the line I use to sign off on each newsletter.