October 2010 Table of Contents |
What I did this Summer In early August, I spent two blissful days at the Great Lakes and Natural Resources Camp supported by 4-H, Michigan State University (MSU) Extension and Michigan Sea Grant. Camp is in session for one week every August in Presque Isle, Michigan and attracts 60-80 students ages 13-15 from all corners of Michigan. I was interested in camp because in past lives, I’ve taught high school and performed field research on Great Lakes wetlands. At Sea Grant, I help coordinate the research program and work on related outreach projects. The following is my dispatch from the field. -- Lynn Vaccaro, Michigan Sea Grant Coastal Research Specialist “I just found the mother load! Come see!” yelled one of several students crouching around a cluster of low-lying dune plants – plants that most of us would walk by. But today we are on a hunt for a state and federally threatened plant – Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) – a stout, blue-green dune thistle that, unlike most weedy thistles, requires up to 10 years to mature and flower. “I’ll stay with these plants until Tameka counts them. Did you get a picture?” another student asks. Tameka Dandridge, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, led this plant hunt and used the help of 15 campers to survey the dunes and count the number of Pitcher’s thistles in four different life stages. I followed the group, marveling at this unique convergence of people, science and learning along the scenic shores of Lake Huron. At the end of the hour-long hunt, we had counted 42 Pitcher’s thistle plants and got a taste of real-life conservation biology. Great Lakes Camp offers nearly everything that first got me hooked on science: field investigations in a beautiful setting, outdoor adventure, camaraderie, passionate mentors and a sense of purpose. This is experiential education at its best. Carefully designed experiences and focused reflection are used to help campers develop knowledge, skills and values. Each morning, campers explore a different science topic through hands-on investigations like gillnetting fish, trapping forest critters, or surveying carnivorous and invasive wetland plants. In the afternoon, campers choose their own adventure, such as snorkeling, kayaking or fossil collecting with staff; evening activities are all about teamwork, leadership, presentation skills, and a bonfire with strange visitors. Great Lakes camp is a career-oriented program. Many of the campers come back for two or even three summers, and some are recommended for college scholarships from 4-H. A number of campers are invited to serve as counselors when they turn 16, and some come back as paid staff years later. To provide a taste of different natural resource careers, camp leadership recruits a diverse group of instructors. This year’s camp included botanists from Michigan Natural Features Inventory, graduate students in MSU’s Fish and Wildlife Department, lamprey researchers from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and charter boat captains. The program is influential. In 2009, the number of campers who felt confident giving a lesson or presentation about nature, the environment or camp increased from 45 to 76 percent during the week. At the end of camp, 83 percent of campers said they were interested in a career outdoors, wanted to work with the Great Lakes, or wanted a job related to environmental science. On my last night at camp, I watched as groups of kids transformed themselves into interconnected pirate boats and then navigated a dangerous course of tropical storms and ridiculous challenges set by gleeful staff and counselors. It became clear that Great Lakes Camp isn’t just for kids. It’s also a retreat for staff who manage to fit a week of camp into their busy work lives. Like many of the campers and staff, as I drove away from Presque Isle, I immediately began scheming about how I would return next year to get another dose of inspiration and fun with this unique community. > Next |