The workshop I went to last week was so inspiring that I even have more career options to check out. The workshop was held at the Shedd and was also part of their partnership with the Great Lakes Alliance, a group working toward conserving the great lakes. I learned so much about invasive species I am bursting with knowledge. It was awesome to learn about the museum itself and see the water labs and hospital area. The vet tech also told us some neat stories about working on unusual animals like electric eels. I was surprised to hear that most people on staff only have bio degrees. The best freebie ever? A 5-minute shower timer with the Shedd logo on it! Ben was not excited. Ha!
Turns out the Shedd's gift shop is independent from it. This doesn't surprise me considering the utter crap they sell. Stuffed animals and posters you can get anywhere. Why not sell a cool water testing kit kids can take to the beach? Or a neat poster that tells you where your drinking water comes from? Or a cool scary poster of invasives? Maybe in the future, I was told.
Some neat facts:
1. It's better to wash your car at the carwash than at home. I thought home was better since you can control how much water and the type of soap you use. As long as they recycle water and use the right soaps, the carwash is better.
2. It's better to sweep your walk than hose it. Sewers weren't meant to handle the runoff from lawns (i.e. fertilizers).
3. Lake Superior will be bone dry in 10,000 years if we keep this up.
4. The Great Lakes used to be tropical. And water is currently being bottled and shipped out west.
5. 1 drop of contaminant in our Great Lakes takes 190 years to dissipate.
6. If sewage gives you the heebie jeebies, you don't want to swim in the lakes. It's always present, just not in dangerous amounts some days.
