Students gathered samples from the Ottawa River, then analyzed them at a laboratory bench during a new summer enrichment program last week at The University of Toledo.
EcoLab, a hands-on environmental science camp that invited 30 middle and high school students to explore scientific techniques for the field and laboratory as they investigated a simulated water crisis, ran Thursday, July 30, and Friday, July 31.
“EcoLab encourages students to think in new ways about the water that comes out of their taps,” said Dr. Heather Conti, a professor and associate dean in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. “As they collect and analyze their own water samples and design filtration systems, they explore how contaminants like salt, algal toxins and heavy metals can create crises and how scientists can use a variety of techniques to respond.”
EcoLab was a free and first-time program supported by the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics along with the Division of Enrollment Management.
Students began the program by learning to collect water samples, analyze them for potential sources of contamination, present their data in simple graphs and then use their findings to design and test filtration systems. EcoLab culminated on the second day of the program in an escape room-inspired challenge, with teams of students working together in a race against the clock to restore safe water and a healthy ecosystem.
EcoLab camper Abigail Yarnell collects a water sample from the Ottawa River near the Law Center. The hands-on environmental science camp invited 30 middle and high school students to explore scientific field and laboratory techniques as they investigated a simulated water crisis.
EcoLab Camp staffer Linnea Vicari talks with students about the Ottawa River. The two-day camp was a free and first-time program supported by the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics along with the Division of Enrollment Management.
