Recent Events Page for Great Lakes Research and Education Center

	Great Lakes Research and Education Center Education Program Staff at the Great Lakes Research and Education Center (GLREC) work with education and interpretive staff at eleven parks in the Great Lakes network, as well as many partner organizations, to bring new research findings to the eyes of the public. By sharing information through the GLREC newsletter, staff training, public and educator workshops, and research conferences, the GLREC fosters a greater understanding of our natural and cultural resources leading to sound environmental stewardship. Recent Events
	Great Lakes Mollusk Watchers' Conference February 9 - 11, 2004 The Great Lakes Mollusk Watchers' Conference, held at the Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning Center, brought together forty-two researchers, educators, resource managers, planners, and citizen conservationists to share knowledge and current research efforts regarding Great Lakes mollusks. Conference participants identified networks, strategies, and technologies that would be helpful in the design of the Great Lakes Mollusk Watchers Citizen Science Project. Conference Overview Pre-conference Sessions Conference Abstracts
	Project Learning Tree Friday, March 26, 2004 During this 6-hour educator workshop, participants met Dr. Noel Pavlovic, a U.S.G.S. researcher studying the effects that fire has on both native and non-native plant species in the Miller Woods section of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Once complete, Pavlovic's work will help land managers understand how prescribed fire can best be used to manage for particular plant species. During the workshop, educators also tried their hands at a wide variety of Project Learning Tree activities that tied in with the highlighted research. Project Learning Tree is an award winning interdisciplinary environmental education program is designed for educators working with students in pre-K through 12. Curriculum guides with more than 100 hands-on activities were given to participants upon completion of the workshop. The workshop was co-sponsored by the Lake County Solid Waste Management District, the Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Great Lakes Research and Education Center.
	WIP Wetlands in Parks April 2 - 3, 2004 During this two-day workshop, educators explored a variety of wetlands, learned about wetland hydrology, soils and plants, and discussed current research and wetland restoration projects with wetland scientists. Educators participated in a wide assortment of K-12 activities and received a copy of WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands educator guide as well as the W.E.T. Water Education for Teachers curriculum guide. Overnight accommodations and meals were provided at the Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning Center.
	Great Lakes Institute July 2004 During the summer of 2004, twenty educators participated in the Great Lakes Institute, a six-day teacher workshop. During the institute, educators engaging in hands-on activities onboard the EPA's Great Lakes Guardian research vessel and within Indiana Dunes and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshores increased their awareness of current dilemmas facing Lake Michigan and the Indiana Dunes region. During the workshop, teachers tried their hands at new freshwater mussel sampling protocol, monitored Lake Michigan's water quality, and talked with scientists from EPA, NOAA, the Annis Water Research Institute, The Water Institute, and Pier Wisconsin. They also designed lesson plans and discovered ways they could utilize the resources of Lake Michigan and the Indiana Dunes with their students. In addition, participants piloted new activities from the Lake Michigan Federation's revised Great Lakes in My World curriculum. The final curriculum is planned for release in fall 2005. For more information about The Great Lakes in My World, contact Stephanie Smith at ssmith@lakemichigan.org. Purple Loosestrife Workshop Report and Summary August 29-30, 2003 The GLREC held a purple loosestrife management and education workshop in Spooner, Wisconsin . Six federal, state, and nonprofit organizations presented pertinant information and educational tools for assisting mangers in control of this highly invasive species. The workshop summary is presented in pdf format.	Lake Michigan water sampling onboard the EPA's Great Lakes Guardian Research Vessel
	Links to Network Parks' Educational Activities: Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore www.nps.gov/indu/StudentsTeachers/StudentsTeachers.htm Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore www.nps.gov/piro/home.htm St. Croix National Scenic Riverway www.nps.gov/sacn/index.html