Feature Articles Archive Page

Calumet Region-090609: You know, "back in the day"--well, not all that far back, and "the day" we'll just leave to speculation--I recall some of my greatest memories originated in the Girl Scouts. Starting out as a Brownie and working through the levels until I reached Cadet was my first real sense of learning collective responsibilities and teamwork, outside my large family.

My community was ethnically diverse, and my girlfriends and I were of African-American, Croatian, Greek, Hispanic, Serbian, and a few other melting pot ethnicities.

Even though we had sort of hung out from time to time as classmates, it wasn't until we all joined Scouts and took our first wilderness journey to the great outdoors that we really got close. A few had camped out before with their families, but for the majority of us, the hills, trees, and animals hiding all around were new and wonderful.

We were all inner city kids, and none of us learned at home about our environment and the role of nature in sustaining our planet, nor the responsibilities we had to sustain it through proper care of its waters, trees, and wildlife.

So what's my point?

This past August, I had the pleasure of bringing a number of our "Vision Committee" members to the Dunes Learning Center, in Chesterton, Indiana, where John Hayes, who I met at the 2009 Dunes BioBlitz, was our host and tour guide. He has such a clean-cut looking appearance--almost (sincere compliment) like a Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard, in "Happy Days"--Ed.), but when he started talking about the Dunes Learning Center, the wildlife, and the various programs available for the communities, I could swear that a coonskin hat and a buckskin outfit seemed to materialize on him instantly. Questions came from everyone. We could see that he loved his JOB.

Before we left, John gave us a mini-tour of the bunk houses. Walking in total darkness from the lodge, you could hear squeals and giggles, laughter, and a high-pitched scream from one of the ladies when a small critter of some sort ran across our path. It was hilarious! Teachers, doctors, medical personnel, historians, moms, and more of those serious adults were instantaneously transformed into a group of giddy child-like campers, just like my old Troop!

Since then, our Male Empowerment Group and church organizations have expressed interest in using the Dunes Learning Center for their activities.

Sometimes, as adults, we can forget how much the simplest pleasures of yesterday can still be found today, and close by.

For great education, fun, and warm hospitality wilderness-style, look no further. The Dunes Learning Center is for everyone

Thanks to Kevin Murphy and Joann Podkul, and Linda and Richard Cook for directing us "back home, again," to Indiana.

*Founder and CEO of the United Urban Network, Inc., Gary, Indiana.

Environmental work group discovers--not a "Who-dunnit," but a "What-wazzit?"-- at Eggers Grove!

(Text and photos by Kevin P. Murphy)

Chicago-March 13, 2009:

It was a wet and foggy day (seriously), when a mixed group of environmental scientists, students, seniors, and a community bank's environmental volunteers, set out to clear away invasive brush from a stretch of the Eggers Grove Forest Preserve, between the Burnham Greenway and the road that serves the forest preserve. This Stewardship Workday, co-sponsored by the Calumet Ecological Park Association (CEPA) and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, included participation by staff members of the Field Museum's Calumet Environmental Education Program (CEEP), staff members of the East Side Branch of U.S. Bank, members of CEPA and the Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative (AWLI), along with Service Learning students from two Chicago area high schools.

While the group worked to clear away (and burn) invasive brush from the site's savanna and woodland, one of the workers discovered a mystery relic of animal life that no one could positively identify at that moment (see accompanying photos). While we await identification of the remains, it is useful to point out that such finds are not uncommon in the Calumet wilderness areas. After all, Nature rules there, and the life-cycle is Nature's domain. Finds like these often ignite a scientific curiosity in students that sometimes shapes their life pursuits. What better outcome for a foggy, misty day in the wilderness?

If you have an opinion about the type of creature represented by this find, please go to the Calumet Stewardship Facebook Fan Page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Calumet-Stewardship-Initiative/365926695700?ref=mf and leave your comment. Help us to solve the mystery, if you can. --kpm

04/17/10: Mystery solved! According to Field Museum Ornithologist, Doug Stoltz, it was a duck.

Does this perspective help?

How about this exterior view?

The Discovery! Field Museum"s Abigail Derby-Lewis shows animal skeletal find to colleague, Laura Milkert. Both are mystified by the remnant.

Close-up of skeletal interior. What's your guess? Was it an animal, a bird, a reptile, or . . . ?

Chesterton Middle School Students Experience Winter at the Indiana Dunes State Park

by Erin Crofton

While most students spent February 11, 2010 in the classroom, approximately 160 seventh graders from Chesterton Middle School (CMS) were outside exploring the Indiana Dunes State Park. Save the Dunes hosted the event as part of its Leave No Child Inside Program to promote environmental literacy. This was the 2nd annual winter field trip to the State Park for CMS.

This year’s stations included:

•A hike to the top of Mount Jackson and discussion of dune formation led by Erin Crofton, Save the Dunes.

•Orienteering activities that trained the students how to read a topographic map and use a compass led by Thomas Anderson, Save the Dunes.

• A survival course that taught the students how to survive in the woods in winter. The students worked together to make a shelter out of branches and other found materials. This activity was led by Dustin Kirby.

•The Incredible Journey game, where students were transformed into drops of water and took a ride through the water cycle. This fun adventure was led by Jennifer Nebe and Anita Seidelman, Save the Dunes.

•A walk to the Great Marsh where students took a moment to listen to the sounds of nature and observe it’s beauty led by Cheryl Chapman, Save the Dunes.

It was a perfect sunny day to spend at the Indiana Dunes State Park and the students enjoyed spending time outside in the snow.

Save the Dunes would like to give a special thank you to Brandt Baughman, Property Manager of the Indiana Dunes State Park. Mr. Baughman provided much needed support for organizing the field trip and provided help with preparing the shelters and providing use of the facilities for the activities.

We would also like to recognize Samantha Hayes, Chesterton Middle School Science Teacher, for her commitment to include outdoor education experiences into her curriculum. Mrs. Hayes has done an outstanding job of engaging her students in the local environment by giving them hands-on activities using Chesterton’s great natural resources.

All 3 photos by Save the Dunes volunteer, Carl Swisher.