A presentation during a Lake In The Classroom program. (Photo from Center from Lakes & Streams)

WINONA LAKE — As summer comes to a close, the Center for Lakes & Streams is wrapping up a busy season of activity and preparing for another year of K-12 programs, including Lake in the Classroom and Field Day. But here’s what the center has been up to for the last three months:

• Regular Lake and Stream Sampling: Center for Lakes & Streams staff members sampled 12 lakes weekly this summer. Local streams were also sampled bi-weekly. Data and samples will be further analyzed this fall.
• Northern Indiana Lakes Festival: With approximately 5,000 attendees, the Center for Lakes & Streams partnered with 100 organizations to make this year’s festival a success!
• Organization and Lake Association Presentations: Director Nate Bosch and other Center for Lakes & Streams staff members visited local lake associations and organizations to give presentations and status updates on local lakes including Beaver Dam Lake Association, Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners, Warsaw Optimist Clubs, Syracuse Lake Association, Chapman Lake Association, Barbee Lake Property Owners Association and Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation.

Lake In The Classroom

This program captivates students as they observe the world below the lake surface right from their desk.

Lake in the Classroom installs and maintains aquariums in Kosciusko County classrooms so that the students can get an up-close look at native species like bluegill, bass, catfish and crayfish. Teachers use the aquarium to draw parallels between taking care of the aquarium and taking care of the environment.

Each aquarium comes with a fish identification guide, journal and collection of freshwater ecology books. There are materials available for the teacher to assist in the program.

Field Day

Field day is bringing students to the shores of a lake to learn about local waters.

Students get to fish, test the water, build their own watershed, compete in a water conservation exercise and nature journal.

A partnership with the Grace College School of Education gives education majors outdoor education experience as they serve as instructors for the Field Day stations.

Participation in Field Days is open to fourth-grade classrooms in the school districts of Kosciusko County. Schools will typically bring all of their fourth-grade classrooms to the Field Day. Homeschool groups in Kosciusko County are also invited to participate and can be of various grade levels.

Field Days for the 2015-2016 school year are Sept. 24-25. Registrations for the event are being accepted. Classes and groups wishing to participate should contact the education coordinator.

To learn more about the Center for Lakes and Streams visit: lakes.grace.edu