A few weeks back, the inboxes of faculty, staff and students at Hasler Lab were flooded with requests for interviews about our work on Madison’s lakes. As we tried to field as many requests as possible, it became apparent that what we were dealing with was one ambitious class project – an online news magazine about the history, science, use and more of Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. Guided by journalism professors Patricia (Pat) Hastings and Michael (Mike) Wagner, dozens of undergraduate journalism students tackled reporting, writing, editing, filmmaking and web design to produce the final project – Between Two Lakes.
It’s an impressive collection of everything from more traditional long-form journalism pieces on topics like invasive species and climate change, to culture-section articles on the history of swimwear along Lake Mendota’s shoreline and the rise of stand-up paddle board yoga, to an extremely creative series of short YouTube videos that let you “Choose Your Own Adventure” along Madison’s lakes.
Here are some pieces that caught our eye, but you should really go spend a little time wading around on the whole site – much like our lakes, there’s a lot to see and do (and learn)!
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE – Take a stroll along the shoreline of the UW-Madison campus where you can explore the Memorial Union Terrace, the Lakeshore Path and more.
FRESHWATER IS FOR MORE THAN RESEARCH FOR CFL GRADUATE STUDENTS – This audio story interviews currently CFL graduate students as they talk about their personal connections to freshwater systems and how maintaining a connection to our lakes inspires new questions and insights. (Editor’s Note: Limnology is pronounced [lim-nol–uh-jee] and NOT like a sour yellow citrus fruit. And, also, it’s Holly Embke [Emb-kee] not [Em-bek] – but, hey, we’re willing to cut some student journalists some slack for a great interview!)
STORIES OF HO-CHUNK CEDED LAND ARE YET TO BE TOLD – The true human history of Lake Mendota begins well before European settlers arrived. This article explores the history of settlement, and forced removal, of the original inhabitants of the “Four Lakes,” how the tribe maintained its connection to the lakes and steps the university and city are taking to acknowledge and honor that legacy.