Central Beach Exploration

10 Things to Find and Do

 

Overview

Use this explorers page to think about Central Beach along Lake Michigan's shore. You can explore virtually or by taking a visit to the site. Send in your answers to the following 10 questions, and any additional observations or images by emailing Ranger Julie.

 

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Explore an area of their neighborhood national park and share their observations with park staff.

• Use their senses to connect more deeply with the natural world.

• Begin the scientific method of observation leading to discovery.

 

A restoration fence with an unofficial social trail going around it.

Kim Swift

Please be a good visitor!

Stay on the trail, and don’t bypass the restoration fences. The park is working to stabilize the dune and keep visitors safe.

Use Leave No Trace principles.

 

#1: As you climb down to the beach, be careful to avoid the chunks of rock. Is this rock natural or manmade? How can you tell?

 

#2: Look into the lake and describe its color without using the words "blue" or "green."

 

#3: Find a plant growing close to the shore. Describe it, take a photo and try to identify it! To help with identification, you could try using a free application such as "Seek" or "iNaturalist."

 

#4: Find a pattern, small or large. Describe it and make a hypothesis on how it was created.

 

#5: When on the beach, look up to the tops of the high dunes in front of you. If you could stack yourself on top of yourself, how many “yous” would you need to reach the top of the dune? Multiply this by your height in feet to get your estimate in how tall the dune is.

 

#6: Describe the smell along the lakeshore. What does it remind you of?

 

#7: Scientists estimate there are more stars in the known universe than all the grains of sand on Earth. But there are more water molecules in 10 drops of water than all the stars in the known universe. Scales are bizarre. If you could shrink to any size to explore Indiana Dunes National Park- what would you shrink to and what would you explore?

 

#8: The lake pushes many things onto the beach. Try to find something natural and something unnatural that has washed ashore. Describe them and hypothesize their origin!

 

#9: Can you spot the Chicago skyline around 35 miles away? Try sketching it (whether it’s there or not!)

 

#10: Make a prediction. If lake levels remain high or even continue to rise, what are some the effects you would expect to see here?

 

Share your explorations with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using #INDUexplorers and be sure to tag the location in your photos and answers.

Send us your answers and additional observations now

 

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Central Beach Exploration

1. As you climb down to the beach, be careful and avoid the chunks of rock. Is this rock natural or manmade? How can you tell?

2. Look out into the lake and describe its color without using the words “blue” or “green.”

3. Find a plant growing close to the shore. Describe it, take a photo and try to identify it! To help with identifying, you could try using an app that you can download for free on your phone such as “Seek” by iNaturalist.

4. Find a pattern, small or large, and make a hypothesis on what created it.

5. When on the beach, look up to the tops of the high dunes in front of you. If you could stack yourself on top of yourself, how many “yous” would you need to reach the top of the dune? Multiply this by your height in feet to get your estimate in how tall the dune is.

6. Describe the smell along the lakeshore. Does it remind you of anything?

7. A lot of sand or a little sand? Scientists estimate there are more stars in the known universe than all the grains of sand on Earth. But there are more water molecules in 10 drops of water than all the stars in the known universe. Scales are bizarre. If you could shrink to any scale to explore Indiana Dunes National Park- what would you shrink to and what would you explore?

8. The lake pushes many things onto the beach. Try to find something natural and something unnatural that has washed ashore. Describe them and hypothesize their origins.

9. Can you spot the Chicago skyline around 35 miles away? Try sketching it (whether it’s there or not!)

10. Make a prediction. If lake levels remain high or even continue to rise, what are some the affects you would expect to see here?

Share your explorations with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using #INDUexplorers and be sure to tag the location in your photos and answers.