Hi! My name is Sam Lucheck and I also a counselor for the CCL program. Between driving up to Northland and the excitement of a new place we have been very busy with all of our activities, making it hard to fit in blogging time.
Yesterday was our first full day at Northland, we were given a presentation on the Superfund site in Ashland by the DNR and given the chance to go down to see it ourselves as well as take samples of the coal-tar that is polluting the area. We also visited other nearby areas and various artesian wells where we collected more water samples from and took a nice hike through a small wetland close by. At Prentice Park we had some time to hang out and play frisbee in the gorgeous weather while we ate our sack lunch.
Then we went back to the lab with one of Northland’s chemistry professors, Rick Dowd and used an electro mass spectrometer to measure the amounts of sodium in the water samples that we collected. Here we also talked about the role of science in understanding and protecting the environment.
After dinner, we were privileged to be given a tour of the USGS fisheries research vessel the KIYI and learned about the importance of collect data and research on the fish from the lake to better understand how ecosystems are intertwined. We learned a lot about the equipment that they use on the ship and that safety and prevention are key components of working on the ship.
We ended our day at Waverly beach with a bonfire and a majestic view of Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mountains. Here Joe Rose a professor at the college and a Chief Elder of the Bad River Tribe, talked to us about the Anishinabe-Ojibwe people. He taught us about their beliefs and practices involving Mother Earth and all of the organisms that depend on her for survival as well as the role that we play in protecting and preserving her.
