Long Lake Field Station allows science students to study prairie, forest and lakeshore habitat, while giving artists the perfect place for inspiration.
Researchers can study water quality, prairie restoration and the effect of different environments on small mammals. Science majors can bring in samples from the water using the pontoon boat and dock, along the protected shoreline.
“I get to experience nature and see things I’ve never seen before,” said Maddie Johnson ’15, a biology researcher.
This hands-on experience usually isn’t available until the graduate level.
There’s even an environmentally friendly classroom building in the forest, facing the lake, which Concordia opened in 2009 and fits 25 students. Many classes use the site, including Ecology, Plant Taxonomy, Mammalogy and more.
Besides being the perfect place for Concordia members to study wildlife, the site hosts retreats and writing workshops. Through its 120 acres, Long Lake covers it all.