Twin Lakes kid's day

"Building a local community of young people who understand lake ecology and their stewardship responsibilities is a key goal for the future of Twin Lakes."

-- Twin Lakes Conservancy President Gretchen Miller

Learning about the water by getting in the water. Photo by Lee Ann Casper.

Held in late August 2005, Twin Lakes Conservancy's first "Kids Day" attracted twelve kids and ten adults to the shoreline of Twin Lakes in northwestern Marquette County.

Laura Hutler, a naturalist from Pine Lake Camp near Westfield, led a game designed to teach us about the diversity of life supported by wetlands. We used nets and tubs to gather specimens of aquatic and shoreland creatures. We discovered crickets, baby rock bass, bluegill, baby big-mouth bass, water beetles, and other insects; observed an osprey on the far shore fishing in the lake; and identified raccoon, deer, and turkey tracks in the sand.

Hutler also brought several animals from the Camp's Nature Center for the children to hold and observe. These included our native green frogs, blue spotted salamander, fox snake, musk turtle, and a newt! We learned about what each animal eats, and how to treat each animal with respect.

Lee Ann Casper entertained us with stories describing past inhabitants of Twin Lakes. Casper, who has researched and written a history of the area, shared stories and photos evidencing Native American and pioneer presence on the lands near Twin Lakes.

Excerpted from an article written by Gretchen Miller for the
Fall 2005 Lake Connection newsletter.