Mid-Michigan Watershed Connections sent educators to meet with staff at NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab to learn about work done by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the Great Lakes. Researchers at the Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI), in conjunction with Grand Valley State University, discussed both research and education programs there, with a special presentation on the NOAA funded buoy gathering data on Muskegon Lake and how students can access the data and use it in the classroom.
Educators went out on AWRI research ship to run tests on Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan, analyze data, learn about invasive species, and impact of watershed on these lakes. A trip to visit the National Weather Service hydrologist at gaging station provided the opportunity to learn about river stage measurements.