Wetland Restoration

Examine various wetlands in the park; learn what a wetland needs to be healthy; and develop a wetlands action group or plan. Collect seeds and start a wetlands plant nursery. Assist the national lakeshore in the restoring the Great Marsh by controlling the non-native and invasive species and planting native plant seeds and propagules. Assist in monitoring the hydrology, sedimentation, bacteria levels, and vegetation. Back to Top

Before setting Galerucella busilla beetles loose at Long Lake, Advanced Placement biology students and environmental students from Michigan City High School raised the beetles and purple loosestrife plants in their greenhouse.

Prairie Restoration

Students will learn about different prairie restoration methods by visiting a healthy prairie, monitoring restoration sites and practicing stewardship techniques. Back to Top

Chesterton High School students collect native prairie plant seeds and cut trees to create open space at Indian Boundary Prairie. Since fall of 1999, they have set up restoration treatment plots, sampled vegetation, collected seeds, seeded the plots, and monitored the new growth in the plots.

Mustard Madness

Learn about the impacts of non-native plant species in the various park ecosystems, such as garlic mustard and black locust. Assist the national lakeshore in removing these invasive plants. Set up study plots and monitor the changes in vegetation throughout the years. Park staff provide an interactive pre-service visit to the classroom. This stewardship project is perfect for service learning or community service requirements and can also be combined with other park projects. Back to Top

A Highland High School student uses a field guide to identify groundcover inside the deer exclosure. Students from Hinsdale Central High School assist in pulling the invading garlic mustard plant from the forest floor.

Ecological Monitoring

Riverwatch

Students will learn different ways to monitor and assess water quality by participating in this Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) program. Select different sites within the national lakeshore and the school's community, conduct testing throughout the school year(s), and develop a database of information to share. Back to Top

A student from Von Steuben High School looks for macroinvertebrates in the Little Calumet River. Steinmetz Academic Centre students perform calculations to determine the quality of the river.

Maple Sugar Bush Monitoring

Students will be introduced to the use of science in national parks and in farming. Students may develop a method to monitor the Sugar Bush annually and learn to analyze the relationship of sap production with weather conditions. Students may assist with mapping using a compass and Global Positioning Systems unit, measuring tree size, entering data into data base, measure sugar content of the sap, and develop computerized maps. The prime season for this project is mid-February through end of March. Back to Top

Adopt-a-Beach and Clamwatchers

Participate in these two new citizen monitoring programs and learn about life in Lake Michigan the threats to its health. Through Lake Michigan Federation's Adopt-a-Beach program, students collect and record debris in the national lakeshore, conduct water quality monitoring, and re-vegetate the shoreline to decrease erosion and provide habitat for wildlife. Share your results in an online database, through distance learning, or at the SCOPES Summit held in springtime. Earn service learning credits while creating a positive change at your recreational beaches.

To complete a full day at the beach, participate in Clamwatchers, a program started by the Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary with the intent to collect and map much needed data about the native mollusks of Lake Michigan. Take these science and stewardship activities a step further by designing and implementing a campaign to educate classmates and the public about the importance of preserving the lake. Back to Top

Ozone Biomonitoring

Assist the National Park Service staff in setting up research plots and a database for studying the ozone stress on vegetation in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Learn and implement monitoring techniques used in the USDA-Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis program. Examine the results of data collected throughout a national network and develop local action plans to help protect the environment from tropospheric ozone (smog). This is an ideal project for students in August and early September, when ozone damage is easiest to identify on folliage. Back to Top

EcoWatch: UrbanWatch and PrairieWatch

On your visit to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, learn about these two Illinois EcoWatch programs, which can be applied to urban communities and prairie habitats in Indiana and Michigan as well. Learn how the park's natural resource specialists are monitoring the environment and how they're overcoming some of the challenges faced in managing an urban national park.

UrbanWatch is largely a self-guided program and collected data can be utilized to "create or improve urban open spaces where a diverse array of native plants and animals can thrive". PrairieWatch involves more training and scientific analysis and is ideal for smaller groups and advanced students. Back to Top

Environmental Justice

Working with various community stakeholders, students can develop and implement a survey to determine environmental issues in their neighborhoods. Using the information gathered through the survey, students then design an action plan to educate the community about environmental issues. A youth-driven international education program entitled Earth Force provides an excellent structure for the students to decide what issues they will address and how they will be addressed. The process enables youth to take action after careful, balanced research of public and private policy and community practice. Back to Top

English and environmental science students from East Chicago spend a day together building leadership and teamwork skills during an eco-challenge scavenger hunt. This activity helps prepare them for what lies ahead in their Environmental Justice Partnership projects.

Nature Photography

Bring your photography class or club to the dunes for an overnight adventure and learn about the natural and cultural history of the dunes while hiking with a park staff. Strengthen your photography skills as you capture the beauty and relationships between people and nature on film. Learn about current challenges facing the urban national park. Display your photographs, knowledge, and feelings of the national lakeshore at the SCOPES Summit held in springtime. Back to Top

Through the Seasons Writing

Students will begin this project by studying the writers of the dunes. They will then visit the national lakeshore in different seasons and be encouraged to create an anthology of writing relating to their experiences in the dunes. Students may also assist in developing park literature for the public, including flyers and site bulletins. Back to Top

Every semester, the Technical Writing Class from Lowell High School becomes acquainted with West Beach and Miller Woods before helping to write various literature for the national lakeshore.