Saving Our Sturgeon: Protecting Wisconsin's Ancient Fish
The story of a fascinating fish and the forward-thinking people who saved them in Wisconsin 

For millennia, sturgeon swam the waterways of Wisconsin. Before the 1800s, an estimated eleven million sturgeon lived in Lake Michigan alone. Menominee and Ojibwe people depended on the fish for food and harvested them sustainably. But in the early 1900s, the lake sturgeon was near extinction. Saving Our Sturgeon tells the remarkable story of lake sturgeon in Wisconsin, the conservation efforts to save the species, and what is being done to keep the population healthy and thriving today.  

Readers will learn about the natural history of the lake sturgeon—its anatomy, behavior, and habitat—and the factors that threatened its survival, from overharvesting to the building of dams that prevented sturgeon from reaching spawning areas. The book, written for young readers aged eleven and up, explains how government agencies, conservationists, and citizen groups worked together to save the sturgeon population in Wisconsin. 

Saving Our Sturgeon includes a chapter about the Menominee Nation’s work to revitalize cultural traditions focused on the sturgeon and restore access to the fish on their reservation. The book also highlights how young people can get involved with sturgeon conservation efforts. 

A great resource for classroom use, Saving Our Sturgeon contains maps, photos, and diagrams, plus a glossary of terms, a timeline of events, a Who’s Who list of individuals and groups featured in the book, and a bibliography that highlights kid-friendly sources to learn more. Young readers will learn basic facts about sturgeon biology, what it means for a species to be threatened or endangered, and how scientists use data to support repopulation. This inspiring book shares a conservation success story about one remarkable (and plenty peculiar) species of fish and shows young readers how they, too, can help protect these incredible creatures.

Ages 11 - 14; Grade level 6 - 9; Lexile® measure 1060L
1146788460
Saving Our Sturgeon: Protecting Wisconsin's Ancient Fish
The story of a fascinating fish and the forward-thinking people who saved them in Wisconsin 

For millennia, sturgeon swam the waterways of Wisconsin. Before the 1800s, an estimated eleven million sturgeon lived in Lake Michigan alone. Menominee and Ojibwe people depended on the fish for food and harvested them sustainably. But in the early 1900s, the lake sturgeon was near extinction. Saving Our Sturgeon tells the remarkable story of lake sturgeon in Wisconsin, the conservation efforts to save the species, and what is being done to keep the population healthy and thriving today.  

Readers will learn about the natural history of the lake sturgeon—its anatomy, behavior, and habitat—and the factors that threatened its survival, from overharvesting to the building of dams that prevented sturgeon from reaching spawning areas. The book, written for young readers aged eleven and up, explains how government agencies, conservationists, and citizen groups worked together to save the sturgeon population in Wisconsin. 

Saving Our Sturgeon includes a chapter about the Menominee Nation’s work to revitalize cultural traditions focused on the sturgeon and restore access to the fish on their reservation. The book also highlights how young people can get involved with sturgeon conservation efforts. 

A great resource for classroom use, Saving Our Sturgeon contains maps, photos, and diagrams, plus a glossary of terms, a timeline of events, a Who’s Who list of individuals and groups featured in the book, and a bibliography that highlights kid-friendly sources to learn more. Young readers will learn basic facts about sturgeon biology, what it means for a species to be threatened or endangered, and how scientists use data to support repopulation. This inspiring book shares a conservation success story about one remarkable (and plenty peculiar) species of fish and shows young readers how they, too, can help protect these incredible creatures.

Ages 11 - 14; Grade level 6 - 9; Lexile® measure 1060L
20.0 In Stock
Saving Our Sturgeon: Protecting Wisconsin's Ancient Fish

Saving Our Sturgeon: Protecting Wisconsin's Ancient Fish

by Rebecca Hogue Wojahn
Saving Our Sturgeon: Protecting Wisconsin's Ancient Fish

Saving Our Sturgeon: Protecting Wisconsin's Ancient Fish

by Rebecca Hogue Wojahn

Paperback

$20.00 
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Overview

The story of a fascinating fish and the forward-thinking people who saved them in Wisconsin 

For millennia, sturgeon swam the waterways of Wisconsin. Before the 1800s, an estimated eleven million sturgeon lived in Lake Michigan alone. Menominee and Ojibwe people depended on the fish for food and harvested them sustainably. But in the early 1900s, the lake sturgeon was near extinction. Saving Our Sturgeon tells the remarkable story of lake sturgeon in Wisconsin, the conservation efforts to save the species, and what is being done to keep the population healthy and thriving today.  

Readers will learn about the natural history of the lake sturgeon—its anatomy, behavior, and habitat—and the factors that threatened its survival, from overharvesting to the building of dams that prevented sturgeon from reaching spawning areas. The book, written for young readers aged eleven and up, explains how government agencies, conservationists, and citizen groups worked together to save the sturgeon population in Wisconsin. 

Saving Our Sturgeon includes a chapter about the Menominee Nation’s work to revitalize cultural traditions focused on the sturgeon and restore access to the fish on their reservation. The book also highlights how young people can get involved with sturgeon conservation efforts. 

A great resource for classroom use, Saving Our Sturgeon contains maps, photos, and diagrams, plus a glossary of terms, a timeline of events, a Who’s Who list of individuals and groups featured in the book, and a bibliography that highlights kid-friendly sources to learn more. Young readers will learn basic facts about sturgeon biology, what it means for a species to be threatened or endangered, and how scientists use data to support repopulation. This inspiring book shares a conservation success story about one remarkable (and plenty peculiar) species of fish and shows young readers how they, too, can help protect these incredible creatures.

Ages 11 - 14; Grade level 6 - 9; Lexile® measure 1060L

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781976600517
Publisher: Wisconsin Historical Society
Publication date: 08/19/2025
Pages: 144
Product dimensions: 7.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range: 11 - 14 Years

About the Author

Rebecca Hogue Wojahn, also known as W.H. Beck, is the author of middle grade novels, nonfiction picture books, biographies, and educational series. Her previous books include Glow: Animals with Their Own Night-Lights; Dr. Kate: Angel on Snowshoes (Wisconsin Historical Society Press); and the Follow That Food Chain series. Spanning different genres and age levels, her books all celebrate the natural world with a dose of mystery and pinch of humor. They have been honored by state and regional awards, the National Science Teachers Association, Junior Library Guild selection, and Bank Street Best Books of the Year. When not writing, she teaches in a high school library in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
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