STEM-Outreach Exhibits

Native Freshwater Mussels Exhibit

Native freshwater mussels are important natural purifiers of water and serve as indicator species about the health of an aquatic ecosystem. The Forest Preserve District propagates native freshwater mussels at its Urban Stream Research Center at Blackwell Forest Preserve. 

The Native Freshwater Mussels STEM Exhibit highlights the science behind our propagation efforts, featuring the biology and life-cycle of mussels, technology used to count and track lab-raised individuals, and engineering processes of various aquatic-housing systems. Hands-on activities include: 

• examination of mussel specimens
• use of a microscope to count baby mussels
• exploration of mussel larvae to host fish.

Standards Explored
NGSS:

• K-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity
• K-ESS3-3 Earth and Human Activity
• 1-LS3-1 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
• 2-LS4-1 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
• 3-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
• 3-LS3-2 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
• 3-LS4-4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
• 4-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
• 5-LS2-1 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
• 5-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity
• MS-LS2-4 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
• MS-ESS3-3 Earth and Human Activity
• HS-LS4-5 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Blanding's Turtle Recovery STEM Exhibit — RETIRED

The Forest Preserve District highlights a new conservation-related subject each year, and this STEM exhibit is now retired. This exhibit's success helped us develop additional ways to incorporate the Blanding's turtle in your classroom.

• Learn more about the Blanding's turtle recovery efforts at our conserving wildlife page.
• Attend a professional-development opportunity.
• Explore a project-based learning opportunity.
• Read about a unique Blanding's turtle story.
• Adopt a Blanding's turtle with your students to be raised at Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn and released at a DuPage forest preserve!
  
  

The Blanding’s turtle is an endangered native species in Illinois. The Forest Preserve District not only leads this species' recovery in DuPage County but also the local region. Blanding’s turtle hatchlings are raised at Willowbrook Wildlife Center  before release at a DuPage forest preserve.

The Blanding’s Turtle Recovery STEM exhibit highlights the science behind our recovery efforts and features the biology and life cycle of the Blanding’s turtle and technology used to locate this species in the wild. Hands-on activities include operating a radio tracker to locate a turtle, an egg-incubation simulation and examination of Blanding’s turtle specimens.