“I want you to unwrap what’s before you, examine it, and pass it along” were the instructions given by Susan Diachun [pictured in (5) below], a geologist at Fort Niagara State Park in Youngstown, to our group, which is seated outside in the round (4). Each of us has a different rock that is representative of the greater Niagara region, along with a brief description on the inside of the cloth wrapping. Mine (1) read, “The Whirlpool Sandstone is made up of sand grains cemented together. It is in the [Niagara] gorge at the Whirlpool.” Whirlpool sandstone is the oldest near shore sedimentary rock in the Niagara Gorge, formed from sediments during the Silurian Period over 400 million years ago.

As we continued this “wrap and pass” game, Susan gave us some history on how the area came to be. Near the end of the last Ice Age, around 12,300 years ago, the Niagara River (which, today, flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario) began to flow over a large cliff known as the Niagara Escarpment. Located at the northern end of the Gorge, it is here that Niagara Falls first formed. Over thousands of years, the Falls carved through the underlying rock and, as they receded, the Falls formed the 7.1 mile Gorge that we see today - a combination of layers including erosion-resistant limestone and Lockport dolostone (3) (6), as well as shale and fine sandstones (2). Niagara Falls straddles the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York.

Susan’s overview on the region, and the game, too, soon wound down, and the floor was open for questions and comments. Scott Krebbeks, a middle school teacher in Conesus, NY, said, “I had no idea that the geology of Lake Ontario was so diverse, particularly the unusual rocks left behind as the glaciers retreated.” Kim Ferguson, a high school teacher in Buffalo, considered the activity “a quick and fun way to learn about the variety of rock types that make up this portion of the Great Lakes region.” Several other teachers, including Paulette Morein from Dunkirk and Erik Bauerlein from Hamburg, said they found the informative exercise, or at least the method in which it was presented, a good example of what they would like to do in their respective classrooms.

Following Susan’s activity, our group walked down to the Niagara River, where we found some Cladophora (7), a common filamentous algae, in the nearshore area.

While the sight of Cladophora may not be pleasant to visitors of the shoreline, it is not harmful to humans. However, it is believed to create, as NYSG’s Helen Domske described to the teachers (8), anoxic conditions (an extreme form of hypoxia or “low oxygen”) ideal for botulism, a neurotoxin that has affected a number of fish and bird species in the Great Lakes, including, respectively, round gobies and loons. Eunice Reinhold, a teacher in Hamburg, said, “I was surprised to learn how botulism can disrupt a food chain and cause havoc in an ecosystem.” For example, botulism is potent enough when present in Lakes Ontario and Erie to make round gobies sick. Eating just two gobies affected by the toxin can, and often does, kill a loon. For more on botulism, see Sea Grant’s “Botulism in Lakes Erie and Ontario” Web site (click here).

Following our visit to Fort Niagara State Park, we made our way over to the Aquarium of Niagara (9), where the group was treated to a lively discussion by Helen (once an Aquarium employee before coming to Sea Grant about 18 years ago) on aquatic species commonly found in the northeast. These included hermit crabs (10), the American Lobster (11), and crabs (14). The teachers then explored the touch tank themselves (12), also discovering sea stars, blue mussels, horseshoe crabs, clams, and sea urchins. “I loved the touch tank,” said Kristin Sheehan, a teacher in Pulaski. “It just solidifies the idea that the best kinds of learning are hands-on.” Experiences like Kristin’s were duly noted by Buffalo News reporter Richard Baldwin [pictured in (13), with Helen], who was working on a story about this year’s Lake Ontario Exploration Workshop. Baldwin arrived just as group finished a one-on-one session with Opus, a 22 year old female Humboldt Penguin (15). Humboldt, or Peruvian, Penguins are medium-sized South American penguins, breeding in coastal Peru and Chile and growing to 26-28 inches long and weighing around 8-13 pounds. During the meet-and-greet, the teachers were able to pet Opus’ small, stiff overlapping feathers, which help to keep her body temperature between 100-102 degrees Fahrenheit. She often flapped her sturdy wings as a means to keep herself cool.

Public exhibits at the Aquarium included some “fish of the Great Lakes” tanks, which featured, among other species, carp (16), lake sturgeon (17), brown bullhead, white perch, rock bass, walleye and both small and large mouth bass.

We couldn’t leave the Aquarium without taking a walking bridge over to sights way above the Niagara River (20) and, not far off, the Niagara Falls. As Helen explained at one of the displays along the way (18), Niagara Falls continue to be renowned both for its beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power, although managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the Falls since the 1800’s. The Falls is a large draw for tourists, many of whom get up-close through a Maid of the Mist boat tour (19). While not exceptionally high, Niagara Falls is very wide. More than 6 million cubic feet of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow, and almost 4 million cubic feet on average. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America.

Early this afternoon, fifteen 4th -10th grade teachers and other educators from around the Great Lakes basin arrived at the University of Buffalo in New York to take part in 2010’s Lake Ontario Exploration Workshop. The week-long event is presented by New York Sea Grant (NYSG) and the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) Great Lakes and sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Teachers came from as nearby as Buffalo and other areas in Erie County (Hamburg, Grand Island, Angola, Springville and Williamsville) to as far as North East Pennsylvania and Carolina Beach, North Carolina, the latter through an exchange program where a teacher from the marine environment comes to learn about the freshwater Great Lakes and vice versa. Others arrived from Rochester and the Oswego area, as well as Conesus (in NY’s Livingston County, north of Dansville) and Dunkirk (in Chautauqua County, bordered on the north by Lake Erie).

In just the first few hours of the workshop, the teachers were sharing how much they were already learning, one saying, “I am astounded at how little I actually know about the awesome features Mother Nature created just outside my backyard. It’s incredible the impact that glaciers have had in what we’re witnessing today in this area.” This teacher is reflecting on a geology lesson on the Great Lakes, which I’ll cover tomorrow.

This is the second time in as many years that I (NYSG’s Science Writer and Web Content Manager, Paul C. Focazio) have had the opportunity to shadow a group of teachers and educators as they discover all they have yet to learn (and take stock in what they currently know) about Lake Ontario and the vast Great Lakes system. My first experience was aboard the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 180-foot R/V Peter L. Wise Lake Guardian in July 2008 for some “Shipboard and Shoreline Science on Lake Ontario” (see COSEE blog entries and NYSG’s event follow-up resources). Through this week, though, I’ll make a number of stops along the lakeshore with this new group of teachers (and our leader, NYSG’s Coastal Education Specialist Helen Domske) instead by foot (and, for those more distant excursions, by van, of course).

As you’ll see in the clickable Google Map below, the members of our group have quite an extensive itinerary laid out before them - from stops in the Buffalo region (including Fort Niagara State Park, the Aquarium of Niagara and, even around Niagara Falls) to stops in Rochester (like its Museum of Science) and Oswego (such as its eastern Lake Ontario’s sand dunes and the Salmon River). Along the way, educators will meet with a number of researchers and other local specialists. We welcome you to join us for the journey, so be sure to check back daily for updates on our group’s Lake-learning experiences.

View the activities for “2010’s Lake Ontario Exploration Workshop” as a larger, more detailed map

From July 25-30, 2010, the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) Great Lakes will host 15 selected educators to learn from lake scientists at research sites on the Niagara River and in Rochester, Oswego and other locations along New York’s Lake Ontario shoreline.

New York Sea Grant (NYSG) has invited 4th through 10th grade teachers and non-formal educators from the Great Lakes region to take part in this National Science Foundation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration (NOAA)-sponsored event. NYSG Coastal Education Specialist Helen Domske leads this week-long experiential workshop.

We’ll be blogging daily starting on Sunday, July 25th. For more information, contact Helen Domske at hmd4@cornell.edu.

Today we packed our bags and left the Lake Guardian for the last time. We gathered where our voyage began, at the Water Institute in Milwaukee to give our final presentations and say our goodbyes. We have traveled a great distance together and learned even more along the way.
Here are some reflections from the team as we close this session:

I have noticed that these schools of freshwater education are pretty new. The schools in Traverse City and Muskegon are training young people to fill a niche that is in demand. This is great information to turn my students in this direction for great careers. - Marty Baker

Everything is interconnected and entwined. Small changes can have unexpected impacts, but sometimes big improvements can be made. –Susannah Hamm

I feel strongly that after these days of exposure to resources and information it is our duty to repay those who contributed by incorporating the message into our lessons as well as our lives. Still, to impart the knowledge to our students is only step one. Sharing the initiative with our peers to reach even more children is the next step that can best be achieved when our passion for the Great Lakes begins to reflect those who we have been exposed to during this expedition. That is the fundamental goal of COSEE. -Stephanie Crook

I’m now aware of the complexity of the Great Lakes ecosystems and how much I have left to learn! Beyond a doubt, I am privileged to have the opportunity to go on this voyage of a lifetime. It will be a story to tell my grandchildren someday. This experience has fired me up to vigorously pursue environmental science relative to the Great Lakes. Probably the “big idea” I take away as passionately believe is this, “The Great Lakes and humans in their watersheds are inextricably connected.” –Gwen Bottoli

This workshop has given me a lot of new information on invasives, food webs, and Great Lakes issues that I will implement in my lessons. It was a great experience. –Aneal Padmanabha

The crew of the R/V Lake Guardian was fabulous! They spent an incredible amount of time explaining the techniques, equipment and science used aboard the boat. Thank you. –Isaac Cottrell

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that everything is connected. All living things, including humans, and the nonliving parts of the environment have a great impact on each other. If we want our impact to be positive, we have to make some changes! –Jeannie Navarro

My awareness of Great Lakes literacy has been expanded 100 fold. The importance of Great Lakes ecology is an essential learning for my students, adults, all of us. Great Lakes are a resource that we must protect, manage, and educate at every level of education as well as adults. Thank you COSEE. – Matt Katzer

I am inspired to be among other educators that are as passionate about water issues! COSEE has treated us to a very comprehensive experience living the life of a freshwater researcher. I am eager to share my experiences with friends, family and my students. –Tracey Marchyok

The homogenation of the waters is such a sad thing; to think that we have lost 20 species of native mussels on the Great Lakes alone (not to mention all the river species). I was most amazed with the speed of some of these changes. The Sutton Bay travel catch statistics from the educational schooner ‘school ship’ showed the round goby increase from about 4% in 2004 to 93% of the catch in 2008. That’s a huge decrease in biodiversity really fast. –Chris Hedge

What I have learned from this great COSEE/Sea Grant Lake Guardian cruise is just how important it is to continue to not only be stewards of our land, but also of our waters. We are an interconnected basin, which can contaminate other areas very easily with drainage. At minimum this will be emphasized with my students along with the specific information/data on Lake Michigan. –Karla Hammond

One thing I learned: The diporeia could disappear in 10 years. The loss of diporeia is linked to the spread of zebra and quagga mussels. –Mary Kultgen

I will take from this experience many great ideas and resources which I will incorporate into my classroom. Of course I also had a great time and visited many facilities I may have never seen without this trip. –Gregory Alberding

One thing that was beyond my expectations was being surrounded/introduced to so many scientists with amazing knowledge that they were anxious to share with teachers knowing it would get back into their classrooms. It energized and humbled me at the same time. These scientists seemed to have the ability to challenge us but keep the information on an understandable level. –Donna Browne

Everything is connected! The physical science impacts the chemistry which impacts the biology-and so it goes! – Chris Hedge

A Thank you from your Blog Writer-
I will miss this ship again, it is more than just a steel hull to the crew that live here, the scientists that depend on it to gather their data and the teachers who visit. Warm smiles, soft cookies, and a common goal of spreading the message of the waters we all love make this place something far more special.
To the crew of the Lake Guardian- Thank you for making us feel at home and for everything that you do with and without us. To COSEE/Sea Grant – Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be a part of this amazing experience. To the teachers of this year’s Lake Michigan Lake Guardian – Thank you for letting me blog for you, work through your pictures, and post your thoughts. It has been an amazing experience and being your blogger has helped me to savor every moment through 15 perspectives. I wouldn’t trade the opportunity in a million years and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Thank you all again. - Steph

Today was another fun and busy day for the teachers aboard the Lake Guardian. We all woke up early, but our drowsy state of mind was quickly cleared with Carl’s fabulous breakfast.

Then it was off to the Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum in Muskegon.

Along the walk to the museum there was limestone lining the side walk that was riddled with fossils, and so we stopped for a moment to observe.

At the museum Mark Gleason led us on a tour. Part of the team visited the submarine ‘Silversides’ while others visited the museum inside.

Parked outside the museum was a research vessel called the Laurentian. Dr. Hook explained to us that the Great Lakes are sometimes called the Laurentian Lakes because they are all connected to the St. Lawrence.

After the museum tour, the team visited NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab station (GLERL) where we leaded about the Green Boat initiative to make all the GLERL boats run on bio-diesel.

On the way back to the Lake Guardian the group came upon a fisherman who had just catch a goby. We all stopped for a few moments to observe the specimen.

Lunch back on the Lake Guardian was next on our itinerary and was followed by a field trip aboard the WG Jackson. This educational vessel allows students to take and analyze samples around the Great Lakes.

Aboard the Jackson the team was treated to the opportunity to try their hands at controlling an remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Everyone found the task to be fun but much more challenging than they anticipated.

The Jackson took the group to the Annis Water Resource Institute where we observed working research labs.

Richard Rediske also spoke to the group about human impacts on the Great Lakes over the years.

When the team returned to the Lake Guardian for the evening it was time for flag presentations. Each person took a turn describing their flag designs and what the design stood for. Everyone enjoyed the assignment and all the flags turned out wonderfully.

In the evening, and under the close supervision of the captain, everyone was given the chance to steer the ship for a few minutes. It was fun and a bit more challenging than expected. Captain’s superior parking ability was appreciated even more!

As our last night wore down groups finalized their projects, exchanged picture files and emails, and the working deck began to empty. It seems as though the week has just begun and just as fast it is coming to an end.