The 8th grade and freshman class at Mercer School once again participated in The Loon Project with the Iron County Land and Water Conservation Department. This project involves three field trips to local lakes, Fox Lake and Deer Lake. The first trip is focused on placing nesting platforms and collecting water quality data. The students took samples of water chemistry (pH levels), water temperature, dissolved oxygen, secci disk (water clarity), and macroinvertebrate sampling. Studying water quality helps students understand the healthiness of a lake. The next two trips will focus on checking platforms for eggs or chicks, collecting more water quality data, checking for chick survival, and removing platforms for winter.