Arvon Township School - Arvon Township School Sustainment Garden

The first project location was at the school in the garden that was created the 2022-2023 school-year.  This is year two of the garden and the we have incorporated seed saving, red worm composting, recycled paper and lunch waste composting.  The impact this project has on the watershed is that we are reducing waste by composting our lunchroom food and using the soil made for our garden.  Additionally, our garden utilizes a rain barrel.  We are saving ground water by using water from the rain.

The second project locations were beaches in Baraga County.  Students spent a half-day visiting beaches in Baraga County picking up trash and logging it for Alliance for the Great Lakes  Adopt-a-Beach program.  Students upload their trash data to the Alliance for the Great Lakes website and the trash count for the whole Great Lakes is recorded.  Students really get an awareness about how much plastic gets into the lakes.

LSSI leaders came to our school and did a a few lessons with the students to reinforce what the teachers in the classroom were doing.  I was lucky that LSSI staff was working in my location. 

CLK Elementary School - The Pasty Garden: Soil, Stories and Celebrations

Our project location is our school garden. Students helped to design and plant a pasty garden which involved learning about the traditions and history of our community. We also learned about native species and how they help our watershed by growing effortlessly without any need for fertilizers, etc. 

 Dollar Bay - Tamarck City Area Schools - Garden Finale / Branching Out 

This year, we branched out a bit to learn about the history and nature of our area. We are also trying to finish our garden area, There is one section left to complete, and then it will be done! 

Houghton Elementary - Harvesting Hues: From Farm to Mural 

Students learned about fresh, healthy, local food choices during visits from area farmers. They enjoyed taste testing many new fruits and vegetable, collaborated on informational posters to share with the rest of the school, and updated the Farm to School mural in the cafeteria. They learned that when we shop local and eat fresh, we impact our watershed in a positive way. 

Washington Middle School - Superior Stewardship 

We did a spotted knapweed removal, a beach cleanup, a leaf lab/project, and some forestry work in our school forest. Students are learning about our local watershed and the impact humans can have on it. They are also taking on the roles of foresters and gaining hands-on experience in the field. 

Calumet High School - The Lake Superior Watershed: Educate, Conserve, and Protect

We began this project with questions about what a watershed is and what it means to live and thrive in it. Each student took on an important aspect of the watershed and wrote and illustrated their pages. 

Chassell Schools - Chassell Schools Biodiversity Project 

Chassell students collected biodiversity data in their school forest during the school year.  They used the following tools:  game cameras, digital cameras, awareness and observations, tracking, nature journaling, river sampling, and art. Students learned about the importance of biodiversity. 

Copper Country ISD - Being Better Soil Stewards through Composting

In 2023-2024 Copper Country Learning Center added a composting system to their greenhouse. The team included students, staff, and groundskeeping. Together the team considered many factors to select the best spot to locate composting. Digital and written media was developed to educate the Learning Center community.  Composting serves the watershed in multiple ways including reduction of waste going to land fills and production of organic materials for gardening. Organic materials in gardening retains moisture, reducing the need to water, and provides plants nutrients without the use of chemical fertilizers.