WINONA LAKE – The Center for Lakes & Streams hosted over 700 students at Pike Lake early this month for Lake Education Field Days. “We take students to the shores of a lake so they can experience the fun of being at a lake and learn how to take better care of water resources,” said Center Director Nate Bosch. “For many of these kids this is their first time even holding a fishing pole.” Students get to fish, test the water, build their own watershed, compete in a water conservation exercise and keep a nature journal as they rotate through stations along the lake. Fourth-graders from local elementary schools including Claypool, Eisenhower, Harrison, Jefferson, Leesburg, Milford, North Webster, Sacred Heart, Syracuse, Warsaw Christian, Washington STEM Academy and homeschool groups attended the two-day event. “One exciting change this year is that rather than holding one field day in the fall and one in the spring as we have in the past, we're instead holding both days during the same week in the fall,” said Program Manager Anna Burke. “This allows us more flexibility to expand the program to three days to accommodate more schools if it continues to grow as it has.” A partnership with the Grace College School of Education gives education majors outdoor education experience as they serve as instructors for the field day stations. Event sponsors include Biomet, City of Warsaw Stormwater Utility, Culver Family Foundation, Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, The Papers and Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club. The Center for Lakes & Streams at Grace College conducts research, provides resources, engages and educates residents and collaborates with local organizations in efforts to make the lakes and streams of Kosciusko County cleaner. More information is available at lakes.grace.edu
