Environmental educators gathered at Portage Lakefront in Indiana last Friday to attend a Hydrolab training workshop led by IISG community outreach specialist Kristin TePas.
 
The day kicked off with an activity to get an idea of the group’s knowledge of water quality parameters the Hydrolab, a sophisticated data-gathering instrument, is capable of measuring.
 
TePas asked the educators to write down what each parameter is, why it’s measured, and what affects it.
 
One of the parameters, “turbidity,” struck one Indiana educator, as a cool name for a band. After a good laugh, he and the larger group were able to come up with descriptions of what kind of information the Hydrolab is gathering when it’s submerged, like calculating dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, conductivity, and chlorophyll a.
 
The remainder of the afternoon was spent familiarizing educators with the equipment, how to borrow the Hydrolab through the Limno Loan program, and a variety of lessons and activities that would work well in their own educational settings.
 
With hands-on training under their belts and implementation plans drawn up, the Hydrolab is likely going to make some extra visits to Indiana in the coming months.

IISG Instagram

Looking for engaging, place-based literacy resources this school year? The Great Lakes: Our Freshwater Treasure by Barb Rosenstock is a beautifully illustrated dive into the geology, ecology, and history of our Great Lakes—perfect for sparking curiosity in learners of all ages. 📖 Learn more at the link in bio.#GreatLakes #BookRecommendation #TeachingTuesdays@brosenstock
Shorelines never stop moving.Our new video series, Shaping the Shoreline, shows how water levels, waves, storms, sediments, and structures like revetments, seawalls, and groins shape the Great Lakes coast.Clear, quick videos designed for coastal decision makers and anyone curious about coastal change.Watch now at the link in bio.
Skip to content