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Inland Lakes Elementary and Secondary School

A field trip to the local recycling center inspired these 8th graders to look for impactful changes they could implement within their school. Through observation & data collection they identified that over a third of the 303 students who eat hot lunch daily discard much of their food, resulting in approximately 4,500 pounds of compostable food waste annually. They also found that the use of plastic utensils contributes to about 4,000 pounds of plastic waste each year. They worked with local farmers for the compost to support agriculture and talked to the school’s Food Manager about purchasing and using reusable silverware, discovering that in the long run it will save the school money! The final step was presenting to the school board. It was well received and the student’s plans were put into action.

Lunchroom Waste 

Great Lakes Fisheries in the Classroom Efforts

Across northeast Michigan, students are raising different fish species in the classroom. Through these projects, they connect with area scientists to help with restoration and stocking projects, and they learn about the needs and characteristics of the fish. They also increase community awareness about our fisheries by developing promotional materials about the fish and/or connecting their project with younger grades at their school. This hands-on learning activity allows students to connect to their area watersheds while benefiting their local community and environment. At the beginning of the school year, students receive a fingerling Lake Sturgeon from Sturgeon for Tomorrow and MI Department of Natural Resources to care for throughout the year. Students are responsible for maintaining the tank, testing the water quality, and feeding bloodworms to the Lake Sturgeon. Near the end of the school year, the fish is released, and in 2014, the different fish grew from 5 inches up to 18 inches when released. Prior to its release, the sturgeon is chipped with a PIT tag. This tagging allows future students to stay connected to the fish since with each recapture they will be notified with the location and an update of its growth and health. This project is a perfect example of place-based stewardship education since students are learning about their local watershed a threatened fish species while improving local fisheries with the fish’s release. Lake Sturgeon in the Classroom Involved Schools: Cheboygan Elementary School, Thunder Bay Junior High, Onaway High School, Alcona Elementary, Inland Lakes Elementary Involved Community Partners: Sturgeon for Tomorrow, MI DNR, Michigan Sea Grant, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, MSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

Sturgeon River Stream Monitoring

Students from Inland Lakes Secondary School are monitoring the water quality of the Sturgeon River. This includes conducting both aquatic macro-invertebrate studies and chemical water quality tests. They then use this information to understand the impacts their community is having on the river. This allows for discussions and learning about what changes need to be made in the community in order to maintain a healthy river.

Energy and Habitat project

5th-6th grade students at Inland Lakes Elementary have learned about some native plant species for Michigan. They then designed a flower garden to plant at a local habitat for humanity home. They will be involved in the planting of this garden at a home in Northern Michigan. In addition, 7th graders are learning about energy efficient homes and what it take to be a LEEDS home. They are modeling their ideal home construction and will hopefully be able to visit the current habitat for humanity home as it is being built. Eventually, they volunteer some time at the house as well.

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