University of Wisconsin-Madison Naval ROTC midshipmen participated in a community service event at the Frautschi Point area of the university's Lakeshore Nature Preserve, Oct. 23.

Frautschi Point juts out into Lake Mendota and is the northernmost parcel in the preserve. It connects the western and eastern ends of the university's land on the Lake Mendota shoreline. Its many wooded trails and close proximity to campus provide recreation opportunities for students and faculty throughout the year.

The staff of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve presented the midshipmen with several projects throughout Frautschi Point. The midshipmen organized themselves and divided the tasks among several groups. Some removed buckthorn and other invasive plant species, while others worked spreading mulch to help redefine the preserve's well-worn trails. The remaining students picked up litter.

"It was a wonderful opportunity to get the whole unit together to help out at the Lakeshore Preserve," said Midshipman 3rd Class Raquelle Sands from Northville, Wisconsin. "I loved knowing that our hard work will help keep our community beautiful."

The event also represented a valuable opportunity for midshipmen to work together and develop teamwork skills.

"It was a great experience to give back to the community that has taken us in these past few weeks -- a place that many of us are starting to call home," said Midshipman 4th Class Samual Fetherston, from Osseo, Wisconsin. "Nothing is better than seeing the impact you [can] have on a community you live in."

Capt. Christopher Murdoch, professor of naval science and the unit's commanding officer, said the Badger Battalion accepted his challenge for a second consecutive year.

"The battalion has answered my challenge to increase its level of support to the programs the university considers important," Murdoch said. "Promoting resource stewardship and environmental sustainability are important aspects of the university strategic framework. We are proud to be able to contribute to maintaining this important campus resource."

The unit's next service event is a student-run blood drive in December, beginning and ending at the NROTC building.

The NROTC midshipmen at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are among more than 4,000 students enrolled in the NROTC program at colleges and universities throughout the country.

Rear Adm. Stephen C. Evans oversees the NROTC program as commander of Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) headquartered at Naval Station Great Lakes. The establishment of NROTC was to develop midshipmen mentally, morally, and physically. The NROTC program imbues midshipmen with the highest ideals of duty, loyalty, and Navy core values in order to commission college graduates as naval officers. The NROTC program produces naval officers who possess a basic professional background, are motivated toward careers in the naval service, and have a potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship, and government.

NSTC manages 98 percent of initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy, as well as the Navy's Citizenship Development program. NSTC includes Recruit Training Command (RTC), the Navy's only boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes, NROTC at more than 160 colleges and universities, Officer Training Command (OTC) at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, Navy Junior ROTC, and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) citizenship development programs at more than 600 high schools worldwide.

For more information about NROTC, visit http://www.nrotc.navy.mil/.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Service Training Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/, http://www.netc.navy.mil/nstc/ or http://www.facebook.com/NavalServiceTraining/.