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It’s that exciting time of the year again, campus is alive & bustling! Interns & students have arrived for Session I classes: Literature & Multi-species Kinship, Ecology, and Ecology & Systematics of Diatoms. It’s so great to see old friends & new faces around. We hope you’ll join us for some of the activities going on this summer!
- Tuesday Night Lectures at 7 PM in Mahan Hall, followed by refreshments & discussion in the library.
- Wild Wednesdays at 5 PM in Mahan Hall – for families & kids at heart!
- The Annual Summer Fundraiser on Sunday, June 22nd at 5 PM in the Dining Hall (Tickets are $150)
- Prairie Lakes Conference on August 6-8th – for professionals, conservation enthusiasts, & curious citizens!
- Camper Parent Picnic on August 10th
More details to come! Follow us on Facebook or subscribe to this newsletter to stay up to date on volunteer opportunities, Lab activities, & more.
Lyndy Holdt
Friends of Lakeside Lab, Executive Director
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TONIGHT!
Join us for a night of spoken word, and maybe song?
All are welcome, 5 minute limit.
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The Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat Returns Again!
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The event will take place from September 28th to October 1st, 2025, at the historic Iowa Lakeside Laboratory on the shores of West Lake Okoboji, offering writers and songwriters a unique blend of education, creativity, and community.
With 50+ expert speakers, the retreat covers various writing disciplines, including memoir, playwriting, screenwriting, filmmaking, poetry, and publishing. Whether you’re a new writer or seasoned professional, attendees will find practical insights and tools to enhance their craft in a relaxed, outdoor setting.
Registration for the 2025 Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat is now open. Scholarships are also available to assist writers from all backgrounds.
For more information or to register, visit www.okobojiwritersretreat.com.
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Detection and quantification of E. Coli contamination in freshwater lakes: Implications for public health
Josie Renken & Savanna Degroot from Sioux Center High School, worked with our own State Hygienic Lab (SHL) Analyst, Megan Vigdal, on this project.
The girls went into the field and collected their own water samples in the area, using proper protocol. Megan taught them how to test for the bacteria, E. coli. As a part of this project, with Megan they discussed what the safe recreation limits are for public waters and about the testing process and quality assurance used.
Josie & Savanna presented in the Hilton Colosseum at the Iowa State Science & Technology Fair, where their project was selected by a number of judges to then be presented as a part of the seminar competition.
Great job, girls!
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Analyzing the factors influencing water quality in the Okoboji Lakes system
Lakeside Alumni & former Lab Intern, Tara Pas, collaborated with a classmate and SHL’s Megan Vigdal on a project to tell a success story of how the principles of green chemistry and engineering can be implemented in the real world. They analyzed nitrate and phosphate levels in the Okoboji Lake system using Iowa DNR data that is available online. They investigated which lake had avoided harmful algal blooms and what practices led to this. They found that natural factors like the lake depth in West Lake Okoboji are a large contributor, but watershed management practices are also important to water quality.
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Lakeside intern, Jordan Barry, is working on a project with the IA DNR about the Little Sioux River. Please contact him for more information or to tell your story!
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COFFEE & GROUNDS IS BACK!
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Join our facilities manager, Matt Fairchild, on Tuesdays at 8:30 AM at the Waitt Lab to help manage our 147 acres of land! Work hard, make friends, & learn about native ecosystems while helping to restore Lakeside to its original prairie & oak savanna landscape. No experience required!
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Coffee, snacks, & conversation to take place afterwards, around 9:30-10 AM, on the Waitt Lab deck.
Questions? More information? Call Matt at 712-260-1474
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CLAMP
Cooperative Lakes Area Monitoring Project
Summer is almost here and CLAMP will be starting to sample in June!
Since 1999 this citizen science program has relied on the help of volunteers like YOU to collect samples for testing at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory’s water quality lab. This information is used to monitor the health of all the different lakes in the area & to inform decision makers like those at the Department of Natural Resources.
This year volunteer training will be held on:
- Tuesday May 27th at 2:00 PM
- Wednesday May 28th at 10:00 AM
- Thursday May 29th at 6:00 PM.
Boat not needed to join!
Contact megan-vigdal@uiowa.edu or ashley-scheve@uiowa.edu for more information!
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Join Northwest Iowa Habitat for Humanity in the construction of a 100-year flood resistant rain garden in downtown Spirit Lake!
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This vital project is designed to protect two newly built Habitat homes and the surrounding neighborhood of future builds from future flood risks, while also
restoring critical natural habitat.
The rain garden will help absorb and filter rainwater runoff, serving as a natural flood defense while supporting native plants and pollinators in the heart of Spirit Lake. The event will continue with a Public Volunteer Planting Day on Saturday, May 31st – volunteers of all ages are invited to join and help plant the final wave of native species.
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For more information or to volunteer: 712-363-3479 or
northwestiowahabitat@gmail.com
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Doing some spring cleaning?
We’re always accepting donations of:
- Gently used furniture
- Appliances
- Cold weather children’s clothing
- Recreation equipment
Text or call 712-759-4227 to arrange a donation!
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Study at Lakeside this Summer!
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Summer 2025 Course Registration is still open! Courses include,
- Ecology
- Aquatic Ecology
- Field Archaeology
- Ecology & Systematics of Diatoms
- Environmental Nonfiction
- Wildlife Techniques
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SUMMER UPDATES
WILD WEDNESDAYS
Wild Wednesdays are back, and with a new time! Wild Wednesday will now be at 5 PM in hopes that this new time will make it easier for families to attend! These free programs include fun, hands-on activities for families, kids, and kids at heart.
Programs begin June 4th and run weekly through August 13th. Wild Wednesdays are a great way to enjoy the outdoors, learn something new and meet other member of the Iowa Great Lakes community!
LAKESIDE LAB TREASURE HUNT
We will have a fresh new treasure hunt this summer! Maps will be available beginning Memorial Day weekend and can be found by the map in the parking lot, or in Waitt Lab.
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Kitchen help wanted!
Come work in a fun laid back environment this summer! Iowa Lakeside Lab is looking to hire kitchen help for summer 2025.
Starting pay is $15 – $17/hr. We can accommodate to any schedule if need be. Positions could be 20-40 hours a week.
Call 712-260-1474 for more information or email Matt Fairchild at matthew-fairchild@uiowa.edu.
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712-759-4227
friendsoflakesidelab@gmail.com
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Iowa Lakeside Laboratory is located on the homelands of several Indigenous nations including the Báxoǰe (Iowa), Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha), Póⁿka (Ponca), Dakota/Lakota/Nakoda, and Sahnish/Nuxbaaga/Nuweta (Three Affiliated Tribes) and acknowledges the sovereignty and traditional territories of these people, the treaties that were used to remove them, and the histories of dispossession.
Mitakuye Oyasin – We are all related.
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