Lilly Center ecotours help you get to know your lakes

The Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams at Grace College has been teaming up this week with local lake associations to host educational tours of some lakes in Kosciusko County.

Tours still on tap, beginning at 7 p.m., include Winona Lake Thursday, July 13, and Lake Tippecanoe Friday, July 14. Earlier this week, there were ecotours of Big Chapman Lake on Monday and Lake Wawasee on Tuesday.

Ecotours let people explore what it takes to be a lake scientist. A new format this year means you can help collect data from your local lake with the guidance of a Lilly Center intern.

When you meet the group on the lake, you can allow a member of the student team to board your boat along with a variety of research equipment. College interns provide an interactive experience as they demonstrate how the Lilly Center conducts research.

Participants can follow along from the comfort of their own boat as Lilly Center Director Nate Bosch narrates the tour on an FM radio station. You will have the opportunity to text your question and comments to Bosch at any time during the event.

During an ecotour, you will learn about data and information that is specific to your lake:

• Depth, sediment and clarity.

• Lake food chains.

• Dissolved oxygen levels.

• Lake stratification.

•Algae and aquatic weed identification.

Ecotours are free to the public, thanks to sponsorship from the Zimmer Biomet Foundation. To register for an ecotour and for more information, visit lakes.grace.edu/events.