By January Miller, VP of Education, Conservancy for CVNP
At the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center (CVEEC), we are watershed warriors, and we love our Cuyahoga River dearly. Each year, we connect about 10,000 students to immersive, multidisciplinary learning about the watershed’s history and the importance of caring for and protecting it. And because we all live downstream, our love naturally extends to the entire Lake Erie Basin, where the Cuyahoga River ultimately flows.
Our partner outdoor school, Dunes Learning Center (DLC) in Indiana Dunes National Park, shares this same commitment. They care deeply for their own Dunes Creek watershed, which flows into Lake Michigan. Beyond our shared passion for watersheds, our two schools have much in common: we are both among only 16 outdoor schools located in national park sites nationwide, we both carry long and complex environmental histories, and we both call the Great Lakes region home—a region that holds over 20% of the world’s freshwater.
Through a unique EPA grant, we are engaged in a learning exchange with DLC to better understand each other’s work, explore opportunities for partnership, and share best practices that help young people become watershed warriors in their own communities and beyond. The grant supports a teacher ambassador cohort, school visits to CVEEC, and funding for student-led action projects.
Last week, DLC visited CVEEC and joined local teachers at Haskell Run on the former Brandywine Golf Course site. We learned from Biohabitats about stream restoration (spoiler: beavers remain the undisputed experts) and discussed how local restoration efforts contribute to regional health.
After exploring Haskell Run, the group learned about the restoration and design plans for the Oxbow Meadows Project on the Conservancy side of the property. Later, Alliance for the Great Lakes presented strategies to help educators connect student learning across ecosystems.
We’re excited to see how this project grows and the insights that will emerge from this collaboration!
