It’s not an everyday occurrence when someone is able to watch five members of an endangered species from a few feet away, but that is just what Leelanau students were able to do this spring. For the 17th year, Leelanau students in the Environmental Science and Chemistry classes worked with the National Park Service at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to help protect the small population of Piping Plover, a small shorebird, whose Great Lakes population was placed on the Endangered Species List in 1986.
Students worked to install “Psychological Fencing” around the Piping Plover nesting areas. Psychological in that the fencing consists of signage, posts, and orange twine and can only protect the birds if people choose to keep themselves and their dogs out of the nesting areas, which is critical for population recovery.
In the time Leelanau has been involved with the Piping Plover Project the Plover population has almost doubled from just fewer than 40 breeding pairs to nearly 80 last year! Some of the birds are nesting in different areas based on water levels, so fencing was placed in a new location this year – just down the road from the School in Historic Glen Haven.
The opportunity for students to be so closely involved with an Endangered Species Program is a fantastic opportunity for experiential and service learning. To learn more about the Piping Plover or how to get involved with Endangered Species Recovery visit U. S. Fish and Wildlife.
MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH BENEFIT
Sunday, May 13, 2018 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
To Benefit Habitat for Humanity
The Leelanau School Dining Hall
Prices are: $15 for Age 13+, $10 for 5-12 Years and Under 5 years is free
NO Reservations Needed – just show up!
Awesome Food, Awesome Auction, Thank you to our Sponsors!
Water is a natural resource that evokes an emotional almost visceral feeling in many people, especially those of us lucky enough to live so closely to the Great Lakes. Water is life, beauty, bounty, and livelihood.
Today, as the second part of our Environmental Speaker Series, we will host representatives from FLOW |For The Love of Water, a public trust policy and education center based in Traverse City, MI.
Liz Rosan Kirkwood, Executive Director and Kaitlyn Bunting, Intern, will present to Leelanau students and will allow for interesting and engaging conversation where students will learn about Great Lakes issues, threats, and opportunities to take action and will understand what is truly at stake. Liz and Kaitlyn will also show how humor can be used to illustrate environmental, economic, and social problems with privatizing water through video and FLOWs new campaign, Get Off The Bottle.
Students will have the opportunity to break into small groups to come up with a bottled water pledge, similar to Get Off the Bottle, including one actionable community item such as talking to a local business about getting rid of straws.
FLOW’s Mission: to protect the common waters of the Great Lakes Basin through public trust solutions. As the Great Lakes Basin’s only public trust policy and education center, we demonstrate how policies like the public trust and commons can provide an overarching policy framework that empowers decision-makers to safeguard 20 percent of the world’s fresh water. FLOW’s groundbreaking policy work demonstrates how the public trust empowers decision-makers to protect these majestic waters by equitably balancing competing users, buttressing the federal government’s billion-dollar Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) investment, and heralding the lakes as a living dynamic ecosystem. FLOW develops policy programs and educates high-level decision-makers, city and community leaders, and citizens to adopt and incorporate public trust ideas into decisions affecting water, energy, food, and climate change in the Great Lakes.
With the mounting evidence of the many negative human impacts on the health of our planet, it has become increasing evident that Earth Day, and everything that it represents, must be in the forefront of our minds not just for one day each April, but must become a part of our lives each day of each year.
Developing awareness of the issues, backed by the knowledge of how we as individuals and communities can make positive choices that will impact our environment is essential to the future of our planet.
Today, we will begin the first part of an Environmental Speakers Series held during the months of April and May, focusing on the issues that impact our home in Leelanau County, Michigan and the greater world. Peter Wolcott a long time Docent at the Leelanau Conservancy will be on campus to speak about microplastics in water and how pollution affects remote areas.
Peter is a retired American Foreign Service Officer who has lived in Australia since 1979 where he has worked as an economist for the Victorian State Government. A third-generation Leelanau summer person, his Grandfather built in Leland in 1908. A life-long environmentalist, he studied ornithology at Kalamazoo College (BA 1961), International Relations at Syracuse University (MA 1962), and Public Policy at the University of Melbourne, Australia (MA 1987). A career highlight was a year he spent as a staff member of the White House Council on Environmental Quality in 1972-73 when the National Environmental Quality Act was launched. Peter has developed and supervised overseas programs on energy and environment for the United States Information Agency, is active with Birds Australia (National Audubon Society equivalent), and when in Australia, develops public policy positions and comments on major projects which impact birds.
Photo credits: NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association)
Robert C. Hansen has been chosen as 15th Head of The Leelanau School
A nationwide search which produced numerous qualified candidates from all over the country to fill the Head of School position resulted in the Board of Trustees selecting a local, Leelanau County resident and Head of The Pathfinder School in Leelanau County as the most qualified to be their next leader beginning in July, 2018.
Mr. Robert C. Hansen was first a parent of The Pathfinder School, and then a board member, before becoming Head of School in 2012. He leaves after establishing a new strategic vision, expanding their instructional program, strengthening the arts, implementing a counseling program, improving student success, growing enrollment, fundraising and balancing their budget. Prior to his time at Pathfinder, he was the Supervisor of Instructional Services at the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District and Technology and Data Integration Specialist.
Hansen began his career as a scientist after obtaining a Bachelor’s in Chemistry from University of Illinois. He returned to school to pursue his Master’s Degree in Education from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids realizing that education was his passion. He taught in both Bullock Creek High School in Midland, Michigan and in Northport Public Schools in Leelanau County, Michigan before moving into administrative work.
Hansen sought this position in part because he believes that Leelanau County can become a model for what an ideal education looks like. Hansen says, “I have seen Leelanau School students and alumni in action. Their self-confidence, joy and leadership are apparent. I know the reputation and dedication of The Leelanau School faculty and have deep professional and personal admiration for the administrative staff.”
Carolyn Helmlinger, Board Chair and Co-Chair of the Search Committee, said, “We were fortunate to find an outstanding leader who has experienced and thoroughly understands the culture and mission of The Leelanau School. Rob has classroom experience, financial acumen, and a plan to grow our school through collaborations, curriculum enhancement and program visibility.”
Rob Hansen will follow JD Friley at The Leelanau School, who plans to retire from education at the end of the school year. Coincidentally, Friley also served in a leadership position at The Pathfinder School from 2000-2006. As The Leelanau School’s leader since July 2016, Friley was responsible for the re-accreditation by the Independent Schools Association of Central States (ISACS) and the completion of the first phase of a Strategic Plan, as well as continuing to improve financial stability and enrollment practices at Leelanau. Friley said this about Hansen, “Throughout the process, I have been impressed with Rob’s passion and energy and love of learning. As a strong champion of independent schools, Rob truly exemplifies our mission to ‘ignite our student’s passion for learning.’ It has been exciting to watch him engage with our faculty and students and to consider all that is possible for Leelanau’s future.”
The Board of Trustees made the choice for Hansen from an original slate of 20 candidates from all over the country. The pool was narrowed to four semi-finalists, and two who visited campus, by a specially appointed Search Committee. The Search Committee of 12 individuals met for 16 months and was made up of parents, alumni, faculty and administrators, local business leaders and board members. Surveys were conducted and all faculty, staff and students were given time to interview each candidate during a recent campus visit by both finalists.
Hansen will continue his post at The Pathfinder School and begin his tenure at The Leelanau School on July 1, 2018. He leaves Pathfinder with solid enrollment numbers, balanced budgets and strong educational programs.