Day 3 of the Great Lakes Odyssey

We spent a few hours today setting up everything for our LiveStream at Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial, and we were absolutely overwhelmed by the help from park rangers, staff, and volunteers. Our setup is quite elaborate, and it definitely takes a team!

Starting this Great Lakes Odyssey at Perry's Victory was thrilling! Rangers Jackie and Philip shared some fascinating history about the park, including a fun fact: if you tried to measure up to the tonnage of the memorial in cheeseburgers, you’d need a LOT! Ranger Jackie also introduced us to the topic of harmful algal blooms, sparking some great discussions.

We were also joined by Allison, a local teacher and scientist extraordinaire, who shared incredible insights with us. Dr. Erin from the GLREC couldn’t have been happier to see this dream of sharing the science happening in the Great Lakes parks come to life.

We were joined by 2,934 students from 14 states on today’s stream! During the session, we explored the aquatic food chain, starting with phytoplankton, those microscopic plants at the very bottom. The students imagined themselves as different parts of the food chain, from phytoplankton to zooplankton, to macroinvertebrates, fish, and finally, humans! This hands-on activity really emphasized the importance of water quality and how every link in the chain depends on a healthy ecosystem.

One of the highlights was the water filtering activity led by Dr. Erin and our “Heroes of the Great Lakes Odyssey” character, Charlotte. Students were captivated as they learned how to build a water filter using natural materials to filter out harmful bacteria. I was eager to test the filtered water, but after seeing it still looked green after the first filtration, I was quickly talked out of it! It was a huge hit and a great way to show how small steps can help keep our lakes clean.

As we wrapped up our LiveStream, we were treated to a surprise military flyover, which was the perfect way to end an exciting day!
The day was filled with learning and fun as we delved into topics like harmful algal blooms, the Clean Water Act, and the importance of our actions in preserving water quality. We’ve now traveled 385 miles on this journey so far!

Next up: Our adventure continues tomorrow at Indiana Dunes National Park! Register now to join us at expeditionsineducation.org
#GreatLakesOdyssey #ExpeditionsInEducation #PerrysVictory
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