10/01/2026
Episode 167 of Appleton Engaged is LIVE! 🎙
In this episode of Appleton Engaged, host Timber Smith is joined by guest co-host Paula McCambridge (Communications Director for the City of Appleton) to sit down with Adam "Doc" Brandt, Environmental Education and Natural Resource Manager for Mosquito Hill Nature Center, and Justin Schumacher, Director of the Outagamie County Parks System. The conversation explores how our regional parks foster community well-being, environmental education, and outdoor recreation across Outagamie County.
Our guests share the quirky logging history behind the name "Mosquito Hill" and take us through the center's 441 acres of diverse ecosystems—from high-elevation scenic views and restored prairies to lowland forests and newly renovated indoor interactive lab displays. We also discuss groundbreaking accessibility features like all-terrain electric track chairs, floating Moby-Mats, and custom UTVs that ensure nature is truly for everyone, as well as community-wide citizen science initiatives (including the international Motus wildlife tracking network) and upcoming fall family festivals like Honey Sunday and Harvest Moon.
âś…About the Organization:
Mosquito Hill Nature Center is a 441-acre environmental education and recreation facility within the Outagamie County Parks System, located near New London, Wisconsin. Serving residents across the Fox Cities and beyond, the center features miles of scenic hiking trails, hands-on natural history exhibits, and dynamic year-round educational programming for schools, families, and seniors.
Supported by county leadership and the nonprofit Friends of Mosquito Hill, the park is dedicated to habitat conservation, citizen science research, and barrier-free accessibility—offering all-terrain mobility devices and inclusive outdoor spaces so that community members of all ages and abilities can connect with the natural world.
âś…LINK to the FULL Episode:
https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/tVLBVLTMS6b
âś…Learn more:
https://www.outagamie.gov/Our-County/Parks/Mosquito-Hill-Nature-Center
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