On September 11th, a group of 11th and 12th grade students from Waubun met with the White Earth Tribal DNR, White Earth Tribal Elders and District III Representative Laura Lee Erickson at North Tamarack Lake in the Tamarack Wildlife Refuge. The purpose was to learn about the history and importance of wild rice and ricing techniques. The students were given instructions by Jason Clark in the correct techniques and methods of ricing. The students were also given instructions on how to correctly paddle and pole a canoe. Other than one incident, good thing we brought changes of clothes, the canoeing went without a hitch. The students were then shown the areas that would contain the most and ripest rice. They were given 90 minutes to see how much rice they could harvest. The students harvested approximately 60 pounds of wild rice. The most rice harvested in the 90 minutes was 10.5 pounds by Jack Zima and Dominick Teiken. The average amount of wild rice harvested per group was 6.7 pounds and the average harvest rate was 0.075 lbs./min..
Some of the comments made by students:
“This is much harder than I thought.”, “People were very strong and intelligent to figure out how to handle, harvest, and cook wild rice.”, “Balancing is very hard and my calves hurt.”
The students also did several tests and sampling to assess the water quality of Tamarack Lake. Prior to the day on the lake, students research the water quality parameters for the lake health on the MN DNR websites. They then conducted the same tests. Students then were able to make comparisons and make determination about the health of Tamarack Lake.
The students also conducted a macroinvertebrate survey. Students were able to gather macroinvertebrates, count them and then depending on the species present, were able to make a determination as to the health of Tamarack Lake.
Overall, Tamarack is a healthy (B) lake. Other than a naturally occurring high phosphorus level that impeded the water clarity due to algae, the other parameters were within normal range for the Buffalo River watershed. The Macroinvertebrates also confirmed this with the majority of those found only occurring in pristine lakes and watersheds.
Photos curiosity of Laura Lee Erickson
