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Environmental science students are learning through interactive field ecology where they explore the fascinating components of our environment by conducting field research and investigation.
Special Thank You to the Partners of the Woods and Water Program:
- Iron County Forestry Department
- Iron County Land & Water Conservation Department
- Great Lakes Indian Fish & wildlife Commission
- Wisconsin DNR
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Iron County Ecosystems |
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Saxon Harbor
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Lake Superior is the world's biggest freshwater lake in surface area coming in at 37,700 square miles.
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There have been over 300 shipwrecks in Lake Superior and it has been estimated over 10,000 people have lost their lives in her waters...
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Lake Superior has a max depth of 1,332’.
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If all the freshwater were to disappear in North and South America Lake Superior would be the lowest point.
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With the amount of water in Lake Superior if you were to spread it across North and South America everyone would be in 1’ of water.
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Some of the oldest rocks to show up on the shore of Lake Superior after a big storm have been identified as 1.7 billion years old.
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Corrigan's Lookout When you look out over the iron county forest, right now, you’ll see a lot of orange and brown and a hint of green. The most common trees are the Northern Hardwoods, such as walnut, maple, and oak. |
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nightcrawler Scientific name: Lumbricus terrestris
How to identify them: they are pinkish to reddish brown in color and typically reaches 10-25cm in length
Where to find them: you can find them easily right after a rainfall above the ground/dirt or near a sidewalk near you
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Old Forest The old forest was covered in fallen trees and holes perfect for martins. The old forest has been untouched by humans for many years. When you compare the old forest to the new forest there are many similarities and differences. The old forest was a self-sustained EcoSystem, with fallen trees being the spawn for the new trees and homes for martins, while the new forest's fallen trees were removed. When you compare how much sunlight each forest gets, the new forest gets significantly more sunlight due to the trees being cut so more trees can gain sunlight. The old forest has been unaffected so the canopy of the trees block most of the sunlight making less saplings grow in the environment. The old and new forest are both very different and alike but personally I enjoyed the experience of the old forest and its EcoSystem.
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This frog is known as the Spring Peeper. |
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Norther Green Frog Scientific name: rana clamitans melanota
How to identify: doesn't always have to be green, they can be a little bronze or brown, but are usually green on the upper lip. They are usually 2.5 to 4.5 inches long with external eardrums and prominent ridges on either side of their backs. Their bellies are white with a darker pattern or lines or spots
Where to find them: you can find them in most swamps, marshes, ponds, lakes, and springs
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New Forest The new forest is much more vibrant and contains more new growth than the old forest. This is due to the fact that the new forest has been managed, allowing more sunlight to reach the forest floor. |
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