Reading the Landscape of the Keweenaw:
Shorelands 2007

On August 11, nine adults and two children attended the Lake’s Edge field trip. This was the last of the seven trips held over the summer and one of two sessions that included children. The kick off event had been an evening cruise at the end of June on the Isle Royale Queen to hear about Keweenaw shore with limnologist Judith Budd.

In Lakes Edge, Artist Kayo Miwa and environmental educator Bonnie Hay compared Lake Superior shoreline at Brunette Park to Gratiot Lake shoreline. At the Gratiot Lake Preserve the group met students from St. Mary’s College who were doing research at the Noblet Field Station. Mary Heady explained her survey of the lake’s crayfish, Valerie Renosto talked about the microscopic study of the lake’s plankton, and David Schwartz explained mammal survey techniques including making plaster casts of shoreline tracks. Kayo led the group in making prints of various natural objects from leaves to fish! Participants also experimented in making their own paints from natural clays which are found in pockets in the local sandstone.