Ames Lake Partnership

A group of 60 eighth grade students from Cleveland Jr. High are involved in a year-long interdisciplinary project to learn about our local watershed and the part we can play in restoring and maintaining its long-term good health.   Students looking at Phalen Lake This is a collaborative project with Cleveland Jr. High, which shares a common watershed with its community partners. A flower at Swede Hollow We have chosen Phalen Lake and the wetlands south of the lake as our focus. This is the ninth year of the project, each year building on the last.   Several years ago we expanded our partnership with Friends of Swede Hollow and Great River Greening, integrating social studies and science classes to learn the history of the land and the people who have lived there. Our students Students removing invasive species participate in invasive species removal and water quality monitoring at Swede Hollow Park. We will be continuing our part of the Ames Lake restoration. Historically, the restoration process-taking place in Ames Lake neighborhood is an example of observing the environment in all its complexity and working toward a positive and productive environmental health that can support the land and the The heron sculpture people that that live there. A highlight of one of our projects was the installation at Ames Lake of a bronze sculpture of a heron designed and created by students in the Ames Lake Project. The project is led by a group of 5 faculty at Cleveland Jr. High.  ∑ Our Community Partners include: ∑ Get Ready! ∑ Ramsey/Washington County Metro Watershed District ∑ Friends of Swede Hollow ∑ Community Design Center (Swede Hollow area) ∑ District 2 City Council ∑ NENDC Northeast Neighborhood Development Corporation ∑ Real Life Town home ∑ RiverRun Realty ∑ Great Greening ∑ Minnesota Department of Natural Resources ∑ St. Paul Park and Recreation ∑ St. Paul Public Works ∑ Ecoeducation ∑ Phalen Corridor Project

Image Gallery: 2005 Ames Lake project
50 of our 8th grade students are in the field working. These are just a few of our pictures. In September, we learn about the Ames Lake area with a tour. At each station a community teaches us about the watershed. In October, we go to Swede Hollow and remove exotic species. In November, we are a part of the adopt-a-river program. We collected trash from the Ames Lake area.
See all 13 images.