Local students explore life beneath the surface of the Platte River
Robert Myers
LAKE TWP. — Thanks to the Benzie Conservation District and its generous partners, high school students at Benzie Central and Frankfort had the opportunity to learn about and observe the the creatures that make their home beneath the surface of the Platte River.
Tim Reznich's sustainable ecology class at Frankfort and Mike Jones' animal science class at Benzie Central each had the opportunity to spend two hours at the Platte River Lower Weir as part of the trip, which was the first of its kind for both schools.
"We've been doing our aquatic invasive species program across Leelanau, Benzie and Manistee Counties, and we had a partner approach us from Manistee County — the Manistee County Planning Department — with grant funds that were available for doing educational programming," said Jane Perrino, aquatic invasive species coordinator for the Benzie County Conservation District. "We had been wanting to do programming with our school system, and that funding made that possible. Last year, they did a snorkel event for Manistee High Schoolers, and we sort of took that as our inspiration."
Perrino set up three different stations for students to learn and enjoy. At one station, students studied macroinvertebrates. At another, they played a board game that taught them all about invasive sea lampreys and the techniques used the combat them. The final station allowed students to suit up with wet suits and snorkels, provided by Trout Unlimited, and explore the exciting world beneath the Platte River's surface.
"There is something to be said about giving students the opportunity to apply what they are learning in the classroom in the field, where they can see the rubber meet the road. A huge inspiration for me getting into this field was all of the opportunities I got in the lab and the field," Perrino said. "To see it up close and personal really does make it personal for the students. It increases our ability to care about what is happening out there."
Overall, the field trip proved to be a big hit among students from both schools.
"When you see it in person, it helps you remember it and makes you want to learn about it a lot more," said Frankfort junior Xander Stockdale. "It's a lot more hands on, and I think that helps me learn a lot better."
Students seemed to take enjoyment in all of the different stations, though Frankfort junior Seth Darling called the snorkeling part is personal favorite.
"My favorite part was definitely the snorkeling," Darling said. "It was very refreshing to be in the water instead of being in school. Catching bugs was really fun too. It's so cool to learn about the macroinvertebrates that live in the water that I didn't even know about. We don't even have text books about these things."
Reznich echoed his students' opinions on the trip and said he wishes he could provide them with more of these opportunities.
"They've read it. They've heard it on the news. They've heard it from adults their whole life that we have to protect or resources, but with this, they saw first hand. It was a great opportunity for these kids to tie it all together," Reznich said.
With the day at the weir turning out to be a resounding success, Perrino and the teachers all expressed optimism that they can turn this outdoor exploration into a yearly event.
I grew up in Manistee County, and I returned home after graduating from South Dakota State University. In my spare time I enjoy running and hiking.