Profile for Jan Wellik
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Jan Wellik
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Lecturer
Sustainability and Environmental Studies
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Jan Wellik Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Lecturer
Sustainability and Environmental Studies
Specialty area(s)
Nature Writing
Nature Art Journaling
Environmental Writing
News & Feature Writing
Nature Poetry
Environmental Education
Brief biography
Previous courses taught at UWL and other universities: College Writing, American Literature, Post-Colonial Literature, Environmental Writing, and News & Feature Writing.
Current courses at UWL
ENV 101: Introduction to Sustainability & Environmental Studies
FYS 100: First Year Seminar
Writing Instructor for the Self-Sufficiency Program (SSP)
Education
EdD, Education: Hamline University, St. Paul, MN – 2013
MA, English: Middlebury College, VT – 2009
BA, English: State University of New York at Albany – 1999
Career
Teaching history
PRESENTATIONS
- Aug. 22, 2025: Composting presentation at People's Food Co-op, La Crosse
- Aug. 13, 2025: Healing Waters panel - Nature Journaling as therapeutic
- 2025 Wisconsin Environmental Education Fellow: Facilitated 3 summer workshops for K-12 educators in La Crosse, WI
- April 21, 2024: Composting for Environment Day at Prairie View Elementary, Holmen
- July 30, 2022: Retention through Wellness and Nature in Educator Preparation Programs - Wisconsin DPI. Forest Bathing session.
- July 2021 Summit for Best Practices in Educator Preparation for Environmental Education. (TENFEE) Forest Bathing guide.
- Jan. 21, 2018 - Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education Winter Workshop. Led 2-hour interactive presentation at Treehaven, Tomahawk, WI.
- Jan. 21, 2017 – Montessori Conference, La Crosse, WI – presented workshop on “Regaining Wholeness: Wild Writing with Youth”
- Oct. 18, 2016 – Traditional Ecological Knowledge Conference – presenter on “Reconnecting with Land: Nature Writing” – Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI.
- 2016 – UW-Madison Women & Gender Conference – co-presenter and researcher on UWL Self-Sufficiency Program Research: Stories of Hope.
- April 4, 2015: Nature Journaling for kids at USFWS – Brice Prairie Refuge Center
- 2014 – Midwest Consortium of Philosophy and Outdoor Education at UW-La Crosse. Co-presented “River Marsh Transformation” 3-hour workshop with Dr. Alysa Remsburg, focused on nature writing as interdisciplinary approach.
- June 2014 –Minnesota Association for Environmental Education – “Cultivating Creativity in the English and Science Classrooms” 60 min. hands-on presentation. La Crosse, WI. How are K-12 educators using expressive writing in the outdoors? This hands-on nature writing workshop will incorporate results of a recent study about how the Eco Expressions nature writing curriculum might be used to meet Common Core Standards.
- August 8, 2013 – Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education conference. Led 90-minute interactive presentation titled “Writing Outdoor Discovery” – La Crosse, WI
- July 19, 2013 – Northwest Earth Institute Conference – UW-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI. Led 90-minute presentation titled “Wilderness Writing: Regaining Wholeness.”
Professional history
FACILITATED WORKSHOPS & RETREATS:
- Sept. 6, 2025: Wildflowers & Watercolors workshop for La Crosse County Library
- Aug. 23, 2025: Wildflowers & Watercolors workshop for Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge
- March 12, 2025: Nature Journaling workshop for Westby 9th grade at Norskedalen
- Fall 2024: Nature Journaling Professional Development 3-part workshop series for Westby School District at Norskedalen.
- June 11, 2024: Wildflowers & Watercolors workshop for La Crosse County Library
- Oct. 21, 2017: Soulfulness Retreat – Franciscan Spirituality Center, La Crosse, WI
- Aug. 12, 2017: Sacred Family – Mindful in Nature workshop for kids and caregivers. La Crosse, WI.
- May 6, 2017: Transformative Writing Retreat at Franciscan Spirituality Center
- Aug. 20, 2016 – Guest facilitator on Authentic Self leading reflective writing for FSC
- Aug. 19-20, 2016: Sacred Spaces/Artful Living – Water and Inner Wisdom Retreat at FSC
- June 9-12, 2016: Wheels of Time & Place Retreat at FSC
- 2015-2016: Sacred Spaces in Word and Art: Co-leader of monthly nature art journaling series at Franciscan Spirituality Center, La Crosse, WI (Half-day retreats: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr)
- April 17-19, 2015: St. Francis and the Natural World: Art Journaling Retreat at Franciscan Spirituality Center, La Crosse, WI. Co-leader with artist Janet Moore for a weekend of bookbinding, writing, drawing and reflection in nature.
- Sept. 2013 – Sacred Places Writing Workshop (4-week series) – Franciscan Spirituality Center, La Crosse, WI
- Aug. 29, 2011 – Wilderness Writing Teacher Training – Rockford Middle School, MN. Conducted 2-hour training to guide English Language Arts and Science teachers in using Nature Writing Field Guide for Teachers in school setting.
Grant Reviewer:
2023 Wisconsin Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center - Grant Reviewer
2024 Arts Midwest - Grant Reviewer
Research and publishing
March 16, 2024: "Autumn Sunrise" poem performed with music by Scott Gendel, UW-Madison.
Embodied Nature: Poetry Collection, 2019
EdD Dissertation at Hamline University on Expressive Writing in the Outdoors - Dec. 2013
Nature Writing Field Guide for Teachers, 2007.