More Than a Hunt: How One Family Preserves Wisconsin’s Past and Future

“Whether it’s a family barn or a piece of public land, it only survives if someone takes care of it. That’s what we teach our kids — and that’s why I hunt with them.” – A Wisconsin Mother and Co-Owner of Lapp Construction

November 28, 2025 – Wisconsin — For one Wisconsin mother, teaching her children to hunt is about far more than filling a freezer or following a seasonal tradition. It’s about shaping character, honoring the land, and passing down a legacy that stretches from the family barn to the backwoods of rural Wisconsin.

She and her husband run Lapp Construction, LLC , a family-owned business specializing in restoring historic barns and rural structures — a craft rooted in salvaging the past and rebuilding it for the future. At Lapp Construction, preserving Wisconsin’s agricultural heritage is both their livelihood and their mission. For this family, conservation isn’t just a pastime. It’s woven into how they work, how they raise their children, and how they contribute to the land that supports them.

“Whether we’re teaching our kids how to restore old timber or how to track a deer, we’re teaching the same thing: take care of what’s been handed to you, and leave it better than you found it,” she explains.

In the Woods, At Work, At Home — A Life Built on Stewardship

From dawn hunts to dusty workshop floors, stewardship is the thread that ties this family together.

• Through Lapp Construction, LLC, they specialize in repairing and restoring rather than tearing down. Every beam they salvage represents a piece of Wisconsin’s agricultural history preserved for future generations.

  
  

• In the woods, they hunt and trap ethically, teaching their children to manage wildlife populations responsibly, respect the animals they harvest, and understand the balance of a healthy ecosystem.

  
  

• At home, they raise their kids to value patience, gratitude, and the satisfaction of working with their hands.

“We want our kids to know how to build with their hands, think with care, and act with purpose — whether they’re restoring a 100-year-old barn or preparing a harvested animal with gratitude.”

Their belief is simple: the things worth preserving don’t survive by chance — they survive because someone chooses to care for them.

Wings Over Wisconsin Brings These Values to Life for Families Statewide

Organizations like Wings Over Wisconsin play a key role in helping families nurture those same values in their own communities. For decades, Wings Over Wisconsin has created opportunities for Wisconsin’s youth to experience hunting, fishing, and conservation firsthand.

Through their youth programs, families gain access to:

• Mentorship from experienced hunters and outdoorsmen

• Essential safety and conservation education

• Beginner-friendly hunting and fishing opportunities

• Affordable or free events open to families from all backgrounds

For parents who want their children to develop outdoor skills and learn responsible stewardship, Wings Over Wisconsin bridges the gap between interest and action.

The Bigger Picture: Conservation Through Tradition

Ethical, legal hunting and trapping remain powerful conservation tools. They help balance wildlife populations, protect natural habitats, and directly support conservation programs through licenses, equipment taxes, and volunteer events.

For the family behind Lapp Construction, these traditions reflect a broader commitment to Wisconsin’s heritage — both built and natural.

“Our construction business preserves buildings. Our time in the woods preserves wild spaces. But our real legacy is what we pass on to our kids — and to their generation,” she says.

Preserving Wisconsin’s history — agricultural, ecological, and cultural — begins with families choosing to teach, model, and embrace stewardship.

Start a Chapter — Carry the Tradition Forward

Wings Over Wisconsin invites families, conservationists, educators, and community members to help build the next generation of outdoor stewards by starting local chapters across the state of Wisconsin.

Chapter leaders receive full organizational support and help bring hands-on conservation opportunities into their own towns.

Starting a chapter means:

• Hosting youth hunts, fishing days, and outdoor skills workshops

• Connecting with local schools, landowners, and volunteers

• Leading habitat restoration and wildlife projects

• Passing on practical skills and conservation ethics to young people

You don’t need to be an expert hunter — just someone who cares about Wisconsin’s future.

Learn more about creating a chapter or attending an upcoming youth event at www.wingsoverwisconsin.org or email kim@wingsoverwisconsin.org.

About Wings Over Wisconsin

Wings Over Wisconsin is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving Wisconsin’s wildlife and natural resources through education, community involvement, and hands-on stewardship. Through local chapters and volunteers, the organization helps protect wild places and the people who will care for them for generations to come.