Lake Superior maps, ongoing school activities raise Earth Day awareness Barb McTaggart ’Äì education program assistant for the Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Outreach ’Äì uses a Lake Superior cloth floor map to conduct a lesson with a local third grade class in April 2000. This year 12 local schools will receive the maps for teaching environmental stewardship. (Photo courtesy of the Center) HOUGHTON ’Äì The Center for Science and Environmental Outreach, the Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education, Copper Country AmeriCorps and Michigan Tech students have  teamed up to help local schools create awareness of environmental stewardship for Earth Day, 2001. First, the Center for Science and Environmental Outreach at Michigan Tech is providing 12 Lake Superior Floor Maps to interested schools in Houghton, Gogebic, Ontonagon and Baraga Counties. The Center recruited fifteen students from the Michigan Tech student chapters of the Michigan Water Environment Association and the Society of Environmental Engineers to paint the twelve 12'x10' cloth floor maps at two Saturday Paint-Ins held in March. "These large cloth maps are a very useful teaching tool in the classroom," explains Barbara McTaggart, who coordinated the project. ’ÄúThe maps can be used to teach about Lake Superior geography, watershed boundaries, ecology, land use, cultural history, environmental cleanup and stewardship of the Great Lakes."  The maps, on a limited, first-come basis, are available to 12 schools: C.J. Sullivan Elementary School, L'Anse; Philip Latendresse Elementary School, Baraga; Pelkie Elementary School; South Range Elementary School; Chassell Township Schools; Dollar Bay - Tamarack Schools; Hancock Elementary School; Hancock High School; Houghton Elementary School; Ontonagon Area Elementary School; Ontonagon Area High School; Washington Elementary, Bessemer. The Center  began delivering the maps this week. Another Earth Day celebration is the first annual "We Can Make A Difference" Program sponsored by the Center for Science and Environmental Outreach, the Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education and Copper Country AmeriCorps. Over 400 students from eight schools and youth groups in Baraga, Houghton and Gogebic Counties are participating in a variety of Earth Day 2001 activities in April and May. These students will make a difference in their own communities by learning about, protecting and improving the environment.   "This program encourages students to gain a sense of environmental stewardship and enhances their awareness of the natural environment," explained program coordinator Andrea Hinsenkamp. "The 30th anniversary of Earth Day is April 22.  We thought this would be a good way to get kids involved in their local communities (while) commemorating Earth Day."   At C-L-K Elementary in Calumet, Kathy Wetton's fourth grade class is working in cooperation with art teacher Susan Rosemurgy to learn about "The Art of Recycling." Their recycled artwork is on display at the school during the month of April. "Our artwork will be a great way to raise awareness about Earth Day activities and projects," Rosemurgy said. Lake Linden-Hubbell Elementary School students will be enhancing their schoolyard with a butterfly garden. MTU student Elly Bunzendahl and 2nd grade teacher, Erin Guili will work with the K-3 students to plant the butterfly and wildlife flower garden.   "The garden will enhance the appearance of the school and more importantly attract butterflies and birds," explains Bunzendahl.   Older students will conduct community education about stormwater runoff. They  will learn about storm drains ’Äì what they are, and why it's important not to dump wastes into them, since they drain directly into the lake. Houghton Cub Scout Pack 201's first year Webelo Den #1 is building birdhouses for the nature trail near the Pilgrim River. They began by learning about what birds live in the area, and they will survey the area to decide where to put the birdhouses along the trail. The Cub Scouts are also learning what they can do for birds in their own backyards.   Said their leader, Marty Sikarski, "Providing places for local birds to nest will help the community because the birds will eat mosquitoes and other insects and many people enjoy seeing and hearing them."   Students at Arvon Township School in Baraga County are concerned about conserving resources and they intend to do something about it ’Äì Reduce, Reuse and Recycle! After Sandra Bozynski's K-6 students discussed and read about pollution, they decided to sell reusable cloth shopping bags. They have created a design for their bags and are selling them at grocery stores and other businesses throughout Baraga County. The students hope to persuade community members to use their bags instead of getting new paper or plastic bags each time they go to the grocery store. Their cloth shopping bags went on sale April 17. Heather Grentz's fourth and fifth grade science classes at C. J. Sullivan Elementary School in L'Anse are starting an in-school recycling program. Science classes are bringing recyclable household materials to school. They plan to display their efforts at the end of each week in order to make an impression on their classmates, by showing the amount of accumulated household waste that can be recycled. Gogebic County students from Theresa Anderson's 7th-12th grade special education class at A.D. Johnson Middle School/ High School are learning about the geography of rainforests and raising awareness about them in their school by writing, illustrating and binding a class book of endangered rainforest species.  They're creating a "Rainforest Jungle" experience inside the school so that all students will be able to "see, hear and smell the uniqueness of the forest." The students intend to make their concerns known by writing letters of persuasion to higher government leaders as well as local leaders in support of rainforest protection.   In Bessemer, Kristen Semo's first graders at Sleight Elementary are "helping to save animals" by learning about the local and global Skink populations. They are researching skink habitat requirements, visiting habitat sites, learning things they can do to help protect these sites and teaching others about skinks by making posters to exhibit around their school.  "The students, teachers and parents are doing some wonderful things in celebration of Earth Day this year," noted Hinsenkamp. Each participating group will receive a recognition certificate in honor of their accomplishments. A follow-up newsletter will be distributed in the community so that others can see what everyone did and encourage greater involvement in the program next year. In addition, all of the elementary school and youth groups will receive a special environmental education kit containing children's books, outdoor education equipment and activity guides for teachers. The one secondary group will have the opportunity to canoe in an authentic birchbark canoe with French voyageur, Ron Hobart, who will be entertaining students at the Lake Superior Youth Symposium May 17-20 on the Michigan Tech campus.