Episode Details

More than 500 Knox County fifth-graders will spend Thursday outdoors at Lake Storey for the 40th Annual Ken Russell Outdoor Education Day, an event that runs entirely on volunteers and community donations, with no public funding behind it. Cami Tapscott and Kathy Wight of the Regional Office of Education #33 came into the WGIL studio Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, to talk about the day, which runs from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. "My hope is that they walk away with a true love of the outdoors, just like Ken Russell would have wanted," White said. They talked about: The eight stations students rotate through, from fishing to "snakes and worms" Why the event runs on zero public funding, and the donor that made this year possible How Kathy Wight's own mother-in-law helped start the event in 1985 Who Ken Russell was, and how the passion for the event has passed through four Regional Office leaders What organizers hope 500-plus fifth-graders take home from the day   Related story: 'His passion was passed down': 40 years of Ken Russell Outdoor Education Day 🎧 Subscribe to Galesburg's Morning News: Apple podcasts.apple.com | Spotify open.spotify.com