WOCA History

By Tim Eisele

The Wisconsin Outdoor Communicators Association (WOCA) was formed in 1976. It was the brainchild of Tom Petrie, then editor and publisher of Wisconsin Sportsman magazine, and Walk Sandberg, outdoor columnist. They sent out a letter in July, 1976 inviting outdoor communicators to meet at Trees For Tomorrow Environmental Center in Eagle River and discuss the formation of an association.

The attendees decided to form an organization, and formed a by-laws committee, which was to act as an interim Board of Directors. They included: Steve Henry, interim president; Tim Eisele, Eau Claire chair; JimJones, Racine; Scott McIntosh, Wisconsin Rapids; Dave Otto, Green Bay; and Walt Sandberg, Neenah.

At that first formational meeting, speakers included: Gene Wirsig, executive director, Trees For Tomorrow; Jack Seifert, compass use and map reading; Dan Satran, Vilas County News-Review on writers as protectors and exploiters; Gene Roark, Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism; Ken Reincke, on fishing skills.

Although there was originally interest in naming the group as the Outdoor Writers, in order to be more inclusive and attract radio and TV people, as well as professional photographers, educators, and other communicators, it was decided to name the organization as the Wisconsin Outdoor Communicators Association.

The goals were to provide a forum for the exchange of information and ideas among its members, stimulate improvements in the craft of outdoor communication, promote the wise use of the environment, and foster natural resources education.

The association allows the prerogative of each member to take such stand as he/she chooses on any issue, and takes no position as an organization on any public issue which would tend to abrogate the right of any member to differ.

Membership was divided into Active, Associate, Honorary, and Life Members. Active members were residents of the state who received some portion of their current annual income from communicating with the public about the outdoors. Associates met the same requirements except were non-residents. Honorary members were elected by a majority of members present and were people (often non-members) who made outstanding achievements in conservation, and Life Members were members elected as a gesture of respect and gratitude for their outstanding contributions to the association.

Dues for membership were $10.

Invited to the formational meeting in 1976 were: Alan Bagg, Kenosha; Rocky Barker, Ashland; Gary Bennyhoff, Wausatosa; Don Bragg, Rhinelander; Jill Dean, Madison; Tim Eisele, Eau Claire; Olive Glasgow, Crandon; Steve Grooms, St. Paul; Dan Hansen, Waupaca; Steve Henry, Chippewa Falls; Tom Hollatz, Bounder Junction; Jim Jones, Jr., Racine; Jim Kornkven, Kenosha; John Mullin, Iowa; Scott McIntosh, Wisconsin Rapids; Tom Muench, Tomah; Dave Otto, Green Bay; Tom Petrie, Wild Rose; Jim Rehbein, Beloit; Ken Reinicke, Eagle River; Eldon Robbins, Milwaukee; Gene Roark, Madison; Walt Sandberg, Neenah; Dan Satran, Eagle River; Wendell Smith, Muscoda; Wilbur Stites, Madison; Otto Svoboda, Twin Lakes; Gary Vercauteren, Chilton; Tom Wendelburg, Hartland; Gene Wirsig, Jack Seifert, Leslie Seifert, and Mully Taylor from Trees For Tomorrow.

Although WOCA’s first official annual meeting was 1977, the organization was formed in 1976 and a check was sent to the Secretary of State along with an application for non-stock, non-profit status in November, 1976.

The Active membership as of January, 1977 included: Tom Berger, Wausau, Cliff Borden, Wisconsin Rapids; Don Bragg, Joan Collins, Madison; Gene Cooper, Luck; Jim Churchill, Florence; Dorothy Deer, Milwaukee, Tim Eisele; Frank Eames, Elkhorn; Jim Harp, Little Chute; George Harrison, Hubertus; Steve Henry; John Johanek, Wild Rose; Dick Karbon, Green Bay; Tom Lohry, Oshkosh; Harry Mares, Appleton; James Martin, Appleton; Scott McIntosh; Howard Mead, Madison; Tom Muench; Lee Newman, Washburn; Dave Otto; Tom Petrie; Bill Pivar, California; Tony Pudlo, Eagle River; Jim Rehbein; Eldon Robbins; Gene Roark; Walt Sandberg; Leslie and Jack Seifert; Dave Sorenson, Ashland; Otto Svoboda; David Weitz, Appleton; Margot Jean Welke, Wisconsin Rapids, and Gene Wirsig.

The organization’s first formal annual meeting was August 12 – 14, 1977 at Trees For Tomorrow in Eagle River. Speakers at that meeting included Leslie Siefert on preparation of wild foods, , Gene Wirsig, on Trees for Tomorrow; announcements by Dick Rose on the World Musky Hunt and George Harrison on the Birds in Art Show at Wausau. Paul Jason, of Exxon, talked about Northwoods mining, Jack Brauer and Al Hofacker talked about white-tailed deer hunting, and Lee Dreyfus, chancellor of UW Stevens Point and potential candidate for Governor, held a press conference.

In the early years WOCA attempted to have a second meeting or outing, scheduling a canoe outing at Horicon Marsh, but attendance was not very good and it was decided that it would be best to center efforts on one annual meeting each year. It was held in early August to attract as many people as possible, avoiding many vacations in June and July and prior to the high school sports seasons when weekly newspaper writers would be busy covering local sports.

The meetings were regularly held at Trees For Tomorrow but then the organization decided to move meetings around to try to attract communicators from other areas of the state, and those meetings were held in Eau Claire, Waupaca, Fond du Lac, and Sturgeon Bay. Eventually members decided to return and meet annually in Eagle River at Trees, which was a good host facility and everyone knew that facilities would be good, and where member Roger Sabota was a guide and could line up fishing opportunities for members on Sunday mornings.

Traditionally the annual meeting had four speakers on Saturday, providing members with opportunities to obtain information for articles/interviews, people mix informally during the evening, and on Sunday members have the opportunity to fish area lakes with a local guide (providing another opportunity for an article).

Topics and speakers at the 1978 conference included a tour of Blackjack Springs Wilderness Area and area forest issues, the changing world of freelancing by Clay Schoenfeld, of UW-Madison Center for Environmental Education, regional magazines by Tom Petrie, editor of Wisconsin Sportsman, Forestry by Gil Zieman of American Forestry Institute, and writing outdoor columns by Dave Otto of the Green Bay Press Gazette.

The 1979 annual conference featured Bill and Darlene Wollin with a photography workshop, the Leigh-Yawkey Woodson Museum art exhibit with George Harrison, a

roundtable discussion on how communicators can work effectively with DNR information officers, and issues on the Nicolet and Chequamegon National Forests.

Speakers in line for the 1981 Conference are: Ron Nicklaus, wild turkey reintroduction, Scott Freeman, International Crane Foundation, James Helminiak, UW-River Falls youth programs, Ron Barnekow, taxidermy, and Tom Sheffy, acid rain research and fisheries.

Past Presidents

Steve Henry (1976-79), Jim Rehbein (1979-80)
Tim Eisele (1980-81), Dave Otto (1981-82)
David Hansen (1982-83), Dan Small (1983-85)
Chuck Petrie (1985-86), Kevin Naze (1986-87)
Daryl Christensen (1987-88)
Roger Sabota (1988-89), Earl Little (1989-91)
Joan Little (1991-92), Steve Heiting (1992-93)
Pat Durkin (1993-95), Dick Larson (1995-96)
Brian Lovett (1996-97), Alan Martin (1997-98)
Paul Shaurette (1998-99), Gary Martin (1999-2000)
Rick Wulterkens (2000-01 & 2002-04), Tim Eisele (2001-02 & 2004-05)
Patrick Durkin (2011-2026)
Ron Weber (2026- )

Honorary Life Members

Walter Scott and Mully Taylor, 1977
Mel Ellis and Harley MacKenzie, 1978
Owen Gromme, 1979
Walt Sandberg, 1980
Lee LeBlanc, 1981
Fred and Francis Hamerstrom, 1983
Francis W. “Bill” Murphy, 1984
Clay Schoenfeld, 1985
Gov. Warren Knowles, 1988
Ced Vig, 1989
Art Oehmcke and Don Johnson, 1990
Howard Mead, 1991
Dave Otto, 1992
Gene Cooper, 1993
Tom Muench, 1999
Tim Eisele, 2000