Science and life merged Friday during the all-day Water Watch 11th Annual Student River Congress.
Convened at Northwestern Michigan College's Great Lakes Campus, the congress drew 275 students from 20 regional schools for a day of learning and fun around a theme of water. The Traverse Bay Intermediate School District sponsored the event, which drew students from schools in Grand Traverse and surrounding counties.
Attendees participated in two breakout sessions during the day, choosing among topics such including alternative energy, invasive species, beach monitoring, fly tying, dissection of a trout and raptors.
Field trips were also available to took participants to the Traverse City Waste Water Treatment Plant, the Drinking Water Plant, TC Light & Power's Wind Turbine and the Kids Creek Streambank Restoration project.
"I did the invasive species class," said Laura Jessmore, a sixth grade student in Central's TAG program of her morning activity; she spent the afternoon with two raptors. "I knew just a little bit but not what they do to the lakes."
Students also completed an environmental project during the year, including research and community service activities relating to water. Schools displayed information about their project, including a description, pictures and results, in the main lobby of the institute. During lunch, students milled around checking out each other's work.
"It's a great day, the kids always look forward to it," said Ann Pasch, an environmental science teacher at Suttons Bay High School.
Pasch brought six students to the Friday's congress and they displayed a poster detailing their work at Spring Brook Creek in Suttons Bay. They conducted research, tested water quality and helped to clean a stream they have taken "under their wing."
"It's a good hands-on project where they feel invested in the project and their community," Pasch added.
Science professionals in fields relating to nature or water assisted or taught at the event. These included members of the Grand Traverse Conservation District, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Grand Traverse County Health Department, the Land Information Access Association, Inland Seas Education Association and the Watershed Center.
"There's a lot of cool teachers," said Elizabeth Sigworth, a sixth grade student in Central's TAG program. "I got to dissect a fish and I've only ever done one dissection so it was pretty cool to do a fish — all their organs are connected."
Tashia Osborne, a sixth grade student at Interlochen Elementary School, was in the same class as Sigworth Friday morning and enjoyed the hands-on learning.
"I did know that with cold-blooded animals, their heart could still beat even after you cut it open," she said of the session presented by the DNR.
Rebecca Lessard's program included two raptors that can no longer live in the wild. She captivated her audience with the regal birds and her stories of injury, rescue and rehabilitation. After the program, students peppered Lessard with questions and examined a variety of raptor feet and wings she brought, noting the razor sharp talons and intricately-colored feathers.
"We also do research and have a couple of research projects going, one on the West Nile Virus, a national project, and another on the Trumpeter Swan reintroduction program," said Lessard, founder and director of Wings of Wonder in Empire.
Kennedy Cullen went off-site Friday morning to check out stream-bank restoration efforts near the Great Wolf Lodge. Even though she has more interest in genetics than the environment, Cullen still enjoyed a day steeped in science.
"There had been a lot of fecal coliform and I have a packet of before and after pictures and it's a huge difference," said the sixth grade student in Central's TAG program. "I learned about erosion and how people are trying to restore the stream bank there."