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Alcona Community Schools 

Alcona Community Garden

This is exactly what lead teacher Valorie Haneckow is achieving, along with the help of local groups and organizations, including the Alcona 4-H Club Born in a Barn, Alcona Health Centers, Alcona County Master Gardeners, Alcona FFA Chapter, Alcona Community Schools Industrial Arts Program, Alcona Community Schools Art and Design classes, and more. The Alcona Community Garden was launched in 2011 after receiving a start-up grant from the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative. Over the past years, the garden has expanded and now includes two fenced-in sections and an automatic drip irrigation watering system. The advancement in the irrigation system has greatly contributed to the garden's success. In the summer of 2013 an estimated 120 bags of produce were delivered to local organizations for distribution throughout Alcona County, and this number is expected to increase as advancements in the garden are made for next year. Russ Champagne, Agriscience Para-professional at Alcona Community Schools, is the mastermind behind these technological advancements throughout the garden. Champagne said the best part of this project is seeing the kids’ faces when they see what all their hard work has achieved. Helen-Ann Prince, former Huron Pines AmeriCorps Member serving with the NE MI GLSI, said the unique aspect of this project is how it expands across grade levels at Alcona Community Schools. Alcona County Master Gardeners worked with first graders up to high school students to start and care for seeds. Throughout the summer, students and local 4-H members from various grade levels volunteer at the garden to plant seeds, weed, trim tomato plants, and harvest produce.

 Alcona Library Reading Garden

Each year about 45 Alcona First Graders apply their science and math, reading and art skills each year while learning about and caring for the Alcona County Library Laura Jane Musser reading garden at the Harrisville branch.  The Alcona County Library received a grant from the Laura Jane Musser Fund to create a community reading garden and book trail at their main branch in Harrisville, Mich. The library team has been planning the design with Alcona Community School educators, Michigan State University Extension staff, and other community partners – and at the center will be local students helping to accomplish and care for this exciting project. Alcona preschoolers contributed butterfly, bird and bat boxes and the first graders selected the plants, replanting on section of the bookworm raised garden each year. While learning about pollinators each year the first graders return to the library in the fall to prepare the garden for the winter and again in the spring to plant the annual plants and getting the garden ready for the summer.

Great Lakes Fisheries in the Classroom

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. LAKE STURGEON IN THE CLASSROOM 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.   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 CHINOOK SALMON IN THE CLASSROOM From the fall to spring semesters, students raise, care, and maintain Chinook Salmon* in the classroom.  They receive the salmon as eggs from MI DNR, and throughout the school year, they see the fish grow from egg, to hatchling, to smolt.  Through this project, they learn about life cycles and habitat needs, and in the spring semester, the fish are released into local watersheds allowing these students to improve fish populations.  *While the Chinook Salmon is not native to this area, they were introduced and subsequently naturalized to reduce invasive Alewife fish populations.  They are also included in the Joint Strategic Plan for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries. Additionally, this fish serves as a biological indicator for the health of our rivers serving as spawning sites. Involved Schools:  Alcona Elementary School, Besser Elementary School, Onaway High School, Oscoda High School, Rogers City Middle School, All Saints Catholic School Involved Community Partners:  MI Department of Natural Resources

Harrisville Harbor Exploration 

Alcona 2nd graders were treated to a day of place-based education at the Harrisville Boat Harbor. NEMIGLSI helped bring together local experts from the DNR, MSU Extension and Huron Pines to help inspire stewardship in these young, excited humans.  They learned about bird identification, explored habitats, played an owl & mice game and helped pick up trash. Building a connection to nature early in life matters. From mindset to being able to care and nurture their surrounding environment and community.

Rockport State Recreation Area Geology Explorations

Dig deeper than the years of mining limestone from the Rockport quarry.  Dig back to Pangea, when this land was connected in the large land mass and was the sea floor of a shallow ocean.  This place is a gold mine for fossils that date back to before the dinosaurs! When learning blows your mind and gets your hands dirty…it’s safe to say that lesson will stick!  That is what students can experience here. Special thank you to partnering organizations who took part in this visit: Michigan Sea Grant, Alpena Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office and Alcona Community Schools.

Salmon in the Classroom and Learning Harbor Ecosystems 

This project encompasses a variety of learning and stewardship opportunities an Alcona class experienced.  Take ideas that you could implement in your community as well. Salmon in the Classroom Experience The Salmon in the Classroom project at Alcona Elementary School was made possible through Michigan Sea Grant, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Michigan DNR. Students raised salmon throughout the school year until they released them into Mill Creek at the Harrisville Harbor. Prior to releasing the salmon, students conducted a habitat audit, and measured and weighed each individual fry. This project gave students the opportunity to participate in STEM activities in their own communities. Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences Alcona Elementary School students ventured to Harrisville Harbor, as part of a field exploration of water ecosystem studies. Students used this site to sample fish along the shoreline, studying ecosystem biodiversity. Later in the year they released the salmon they had raised as part of the Salmon in the Classroom into Mill Creek. Students measured and weighed each fish before the release to calculate the overall health of their fish. On another field visit to Harrisville State Park, students conducted an assessment of the water quality of a creek that flows through the park by collecting and identifying macroinvertebrate. That same day, students used the Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-a-Beach protocols and data sheets for a litter cleanup at the Harrisville State Park. At the end of the day, students had picked up trash and applied math by completing tallies of the different trash items found. Students took great pride in the litter they removed and their contributions to water quality conservation. Earlier in the year, Michigan Sea Grant Educator Brandon Schroeder visited Alcona students to discuss the impact of marine debris and the importance of removing trash, especially plastic, from our lakes and rivers. Community Connections Alcona students gave back to the city of Harrisville, the Harrisville Harbor, and Michigan DNR Boater Access sites by picking up trash along the shore of Lake Huron as part of their Our Fisheries, Our Future place-based stewardship education project. This activity made improvements to the overall economic value of the town by removing waste and improving the aesthetic of the harbor and boating access site, thus making it more appealing to Great Lakes boaters. Developing student stewards of our Great Lakes and natural resources in and with communities is the purpose of the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative and Our Fisheries, Our Future. Power in Partnership Through the Our Fisheries, Our Future place-based stewardship education projects, Alcona Elementary students have engaged with a variety of partners. Interactions with partners like Eric Ostrander with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Brandon Schroeder with Michigan Sea Grant helped youth learn about the value of "commonly held" natural resources like state parks as students helped remove more that 37 lbs of trash from along Lake Huron in the Harrisville State Park campground. Alcona students also partnered with the city of Harrisville, the Harrisville Harbor and DNR Boater Access sites to prevent marine debris by picking up trash. 120 Students are involved in this project. 7 Teachers are involved in this project.

​Negwegon State Park Interpretive Signs

Environmental science students from Alcona High School have been exploring many aspects of Negwegon State Park: shoreline, forest, and wetland habitats, wildlife interactions and archeological artifacts. They have been working together with resource professionals to learn about theses things, and will  create interpretive displays. They will be displayed at the park to educate visitors and promote resource awareness and stewardship opportunities. In this project, students integrate and build on their knowledge from various subjects while creating something that will educate the community for years to come! Powerpoint Presentation about their project that was created by students. Download Project Fact Sheet

Black River Watershed Monitoring and Management Planning 

Alcona High School Environmental Science students are partnering with the Northeast Michigan Council of Governments (NEMCOG) and others in monitoring and developing a watershed management plan for their local Black River Watershed.  Starting in 2010, and continuing during the current school year Alcona students have been sampling various sites on throughout the watershed.  Through their water quality monitoring efforts, students are contributing data toward a larger watershed management planning effort facilitated by NEMCOG with funding support through the Michigan Coastal Management Program, Department of Environmental Quality, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  Student learning efforts have been supported also through the Toyota-sponsored 4-H20 water quality education effort, providing resources and supplies in support of student sampling activities. Download Project Fact Sheet ​

Hands on History Hike in Negwegon State Park

This link will take you to a 90 second news-like story with highlights from this field visit: https://youtu.be/dVNx4mF-xv8 Hopefully you feel like you are there when you watch it! This trip was a fun way for students to learn about some of their nearby history and natural resources in their community.   This was a partnership with Michigan Sea Grant, MSU Extension District 4, Friends of Negwegon State Park, Alcona Community Schools

Harrisville Harbor 411: For Learning and Helping Efficiency Harrisville Harbor

Boots, hoodies and curiosity were on hand for this place-based education trip Alcona High School students set out on. The Environmental Science class spent the day learning about the Harrisville Harbor with a goal of generating ideas and possibly a future class project to help enhance it. Place-based education gets students out of the classroom and into their community with a goal of growing new-generation stewards while bringing education to life. Students rotated through stations focusing on: -streambed and vegetation analysis -stormwater mapping -litter pick up and monitoring -a harbor tour They took the data collected and what they observed back to their classroom for future study and brainstorming ways they can positively impact the harbor. We made a video for our social media after this field visit and you can watch it now by clicking on this link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjB1cs0DCDr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Hubbard Lake Water Quality Monitoring

Boots, hoodies and curiosity were on hand for this place-based education trip Alcona High School students set out on. The Environmental Science class spent the day learning about the Harrisville Harbor with a goal of generating ideas and possibly a future class project to help enhance it. Place-based education gets students out of the classroom and into their community with a goal of growing new-generation stewards while bringing education to life. Students rotated through stations focusing on: -streambed and vegetation analysis -stormwater mapping -litter pick up and monitoring -a harbor tour They took the data collected and what they observed back to their classroom for future study and brainstorming ways they can positively impact the harbor. We made a video for our social media after this field visit and you can watch it now by clicking on this link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjB1cs0DCDr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Industrial Arts Class

The Alcona industrial arts program is getting students involved in hands-on learning through placed based education in their local community! Woodshop students are visiting local industrial shops to learn more about the function and role they play in their local community and the industry as a whole. These visits allow students the meet actual employees of the company; which has given them the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about an industrial shop career from actual individuals working in that field. Another highlight of the student’s visits is learning about the equipment and machinery each shop uses. The Alcona industrial arts program recently purchased a CNC (computer numeric control) machine; which is the type of machinery industrial shops use. This machine will allow students interested in pursuing an industrial shop career the opportunity to gain experience and the necessary skills required before they enter the workforce. Another highlight of this machinery is that it allows the industrial arts program the opportunity to further assist placed based education projects currently taking place in their school, by giving students the opportunity to design and build custom signs.

​​North Point Preserve Stewardship Opportunities 

The Alcona High School Environmental Studies class visited the North Point Preserve along Lake Huron to study the ecology and look for stewardship opportunities. They got their hands dirty and helping by locating invasive species like spotted knapweed and pulling it. This allows endangered plants like pitcher’s thistle to thrive. They also learned about dunes, swales and tree identification. They took their own water samples and discussed the impact of PH levels on biotic life. This is place-based education and this is community partners coming together to support students and teachers while bringing education into the community. Pretty cool right?! Today’s field visit included partners NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, NEMIGLSI and Alcona Community Schools. FUN VIDEOS - each of these highlight a station at this field visit! Invasive Species Removal: https://youtu.be/P3UaFwmAA4A Learning to Take PH Levels: https://youtu.be/SjqTBwCyIEQ Tree Identification Tools That You'll Never Forget: https://youtu.be/5eHYKXD8FXc

Harrisville Harbor Rain Garden

It protects Lake Huron. It helps pollinators. It adds beauty. It teaches. The rain garden at the Harrisville Harbor will make a positive impact! Students from Alcona High School's environmental science class worked on this all year as part of their place-based education stewardship curriculum.  They visited the Harbor to identify a need and see where they could contribute.  From there they planned the garden, wrote grants to secure funding and installed. This will serve the community and the future students for years to come. The garden will be maintained by future classes. This video provides a great overview of the project: https://youtu.be/5FZ-1UssQHw These are links to a few social media posts that were done during this project:  Measuring out space Rain garden installation

School Grounds Trash Pick Up 

The campus of Alcona Community Schools was looking SHARP after a morning litter pick up from these 8th graders. They cleaned up nearly 30 pounds of litter! All things from food wrappers, to bottles to car parts to way too many cigarette butts. Their effort is counting towards the #1millionchallenge from Great Lakes Great Responsibility. Many of the students commented that they are less likely to add to the litter problem and more likely to take part in a clean up. They also brainstormed ideas to help reduce litter in the future. We made a video to highlight the day and you can see it on our Instagram page by clicking here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ck1K2zPD-m7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Studying the Watershed of Alcona County 

Alcona Middle Schoolers get a big dose of place-based stewardship education, with a lot of their focus and lessons being outdoors in their community. Middle school science teacher Liz Thomson has 6th graders learning about forest ecosystems, biodiversity, cell theory and invasive species management.  In 7th grade they shift to water with many field visits involving water studies, in abiotic and biotic environments.  In 8th grade they build on their land and water education to dive into wetland ecology.  During the 2022-2023 school year students visited many areas that impact to water system in Alcona county to take samples, data and pick up trash to prevent marine debris. Some highlights included: -aquatic organism study and charting from the Thunder Bay River -vernal pool monitoring at Negwegon State Park -fisheries surveys at Badger Lake -documenting trash collected at all five field visits (more than 50 pounds) and writing formal reports to inform the public and share strategies for reduction Here are a couple of links to social media posts we shared after a few of the field visits: Instagram Post #1 Instagram Post #2

Studying Water Quality at Lost Lake Woods 

These students had their hands in the dirt and feet in the water at Lost Lake Woods Club. What they have been learning in their science classroom came to life as they took biotic samples from the lake, analyzed water quality, learned about scientific writing and searched for evidence of micro plastics. This is place-based education in action, and at NEMIGLSI we love helping facilitate learning like this!  This event was a partnership between Michigan Sea Grant, MSU Extension, NOAA Thunder Bay, Huron Pines, Lost Lake Woods and Alcona Community Schools. This link takes you to our Instagram page where we did a fun reel to show more highlights of this field visit. Please click follow if you haven't already. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjlhM-sjxW1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Threatened and Endangered Species at Negwegon State Park

Alcona Tigers are joining the effort to protect threatened and endangered species in northeast Michigan! Each student selects a threatened, endangered or species of special concern that can be found at Negwegon State Park. Upon researching and becoming experts on their chosen species, students will prepare a research paper and give a presentation to their fellow classmates. This project allows students to educate their local community on the importance of biodiversity in our environment. Students will wrap this project up with a field trip to Negwegon State Park in the spring to learn more about the park, threatened and endangered species at the park and more. In order to educate the local community on the park and threatened and endangered species, The Alcona County Review is partnering with the students and will be publishing four of the species profiles in a special edition of the Alcona Review.

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