Lakeside Lab
Owned by the state of Iowa and operated through the Board of Regents, we seek to provide science classes and research opportunities for university students, and offer Outreach Programs and provide services through the state universities.
What's Happening at the Lab
Lakeside Laboratory offers experiential learning at its finest! Any student preparing for a career in the sciences will find high quality field-based experiences that will give your resume an edge. All students; artists, business majors, pre-service teachers and more, will engage in valuable learning that will take you to the next level. Join us for a summer of learning beyond the classroom. At Lakeside Lab, we are helping you build career ready skills!
Dr. Kata McCarville presents "Rocking Iowa Lakeside's Stone Labs" at 7 pm in Mahan Hall, August 1st.
Learn to “read the rocks” and uncover the geologic story of Iowa and the secret of Iowa’s agricultural wealth. The walls of Lakeside Laboratory’s five historic stone labs display a variety of beautiful and interesting stones. These stones, brought to the site from the north by glaciers, reveal a story of North America’s geology. We will also discuss the construction of the labs. Enjoy the talk, and feel free to join us afterward for a short optional walk to explore the stone labs and practice our rock-reading skills!
Iowa Lakeside Lab is proud to host the 2023 Okoboji Writers Retreat September 17-20, 2023. During 2.5 days, attendees can choose from over 30 small group sessions, ranging from hands-on workshops to panel sessions on memoir, storytelling, fiction, non-fiction, and the business side of publishing.
Join adult women 18 years+ for an opportunity to discover new outdoor recreation skills, build a nature-loving community, and experience the natural landscapes of Dickinson county! Fall WIND registration will open September 5th and can be found using this link. Click 
here to see the session offerings.
WIND is a partnership program between Lakeside Lab, ISU Extension & Outreach, Dickinson County Conservation and Clay County Conservation. Fall WIND will be held at the Maser Monarch Lodge.
No School and Homeschool Explore Camps are available for students on no-school days as well as homeschool students! Registration for our fall camps will open at 12pm on Monday, September 25th and can be found using this link. Click here to see our K-4th grade camp and here to see our 5th - 8th grade camp. Questions? Call Ashley Scheve at 712-337-3669 ext 7 or Mary Skopec at 712-337-3669 ext 5.
Scholarships are also available. Click here to apply. Join our mailing list for updates!
Summer Camp registration opens Wednesday, February 1st at 10am! Click HERE to register. Click here to see the list of camps. Questions? Call Ashley Scheve at 712-337-3669 ext 7 or Mary Skopec at 712-337-3669 ext 5.
Scholarships are also available. Click here to apply. Join our mailing list for updates!
Wild Wednesdays are free, family friendly programs happening every Wednesday during the summer. Check back here early 2024 for our new list of programs!
Dr. Kalina Manoylov and the Ecology and Systematics of Algae class produced a new document "Let's Talk About Harmful Algal Blooms". Check out this wonderful resource!
Students are able to access all the information they need through the MyLakeside Portal. Registration, Enrollment Status, Scholarships, Tuition and Billing and more!
Meetings are being held by Zoom. For more information, please contact Mary Skopec at mary-skopec@uiowa.edu
The Friends of Lakeside Lab was founded in 1994 to support Iowa Lakeside Laboratory and Regents Resource Center through scholarships and as a community resource for water quality monitoring, environmental education and research. The Friends is a tax-exempt, 501c3 non-profit organization.
The goal of CLAMP is to provide long term monitoring data on regional lake conditions and educate local citizens about lake ecology. Click here to see CLAMP videos!
If you are interested in becoming a CLAMP volunteer, please email Ashley Scheve, Education Coordinator, at ashley-scheve@uiowa.edu.
The Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network conducts innovative science by sharing and interpreting water quality and weather data on West Okoboji and Big Spirit Lake
In its partnership with the State Hygenic Lab, we provide water testing services, and educate citizens on how to better care for our natural lakes.
Lakeside Lab offers many opportunities for experiential learning. We will work with you in developing a program that is appropriate for your school. Contact our Education Coordinator Ashley (Hansen) Scheve at 712-337-3669 ext.7 or ashley-scheve@uiowa.edu.
Lakeside is committed to empowering citizens to engage with science.
During the school closures, there are lots of great options for learning. Check out:
NEW** All About Bald Eagles (submitted by our friends Stacey and the Lyndhurst STEMettes) https://wizardpins.com/blogs/education/all-about-bald-eagles
PBS Learning Media: A variety of topics and age levels https://iowa.pbslearningmedia.org/
Iowa Outdoors: http://www.iowapbs.org/iowaoutdoors
University of Northern Iowa On-Line Lesson Plans.
Discovery Education: Take a virtual field trip
Pinterest and Iowa STEM activities
Discover birds in your backyard from tools at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Watch Birds Nesting Cameras
Iowa Ornithologists' Union of the birds of Iowa checklist
Lakeside Lab features a variety of classes that offer hand's on learning. Alex Braidwood's Acoustic Ecology class was featured on Iowa Outdoors.
Events
Recent News
Iowa Lakeside Laboratory is honored to be one of the groups honored as part of the Six Pillars of Character Award for the Iowa Great Lakes.
Lakeside Reads is a book club focused on nature or science topics. We meet the 4th Thursday of the month at 11:00 (April - Oct). Come for the conversation, beautiful view and snacks! Call Mary at 712-337-3669 ext 5 for more information.
Community Pages
June 1 – October 1
This self-guided nature exploration and tour of Lakeside grounds is perfect for children, families, and “kids at heart” of any age. Pick up a treasure map at Lakeside entrance and go exploring for hidden clues and secret messages.
COFFEE AND GROUNDS
Work hard and learn about native ecosystems while restoring prairie and oak savanna at Lakeside. Then relax and make friends over coffee and rolls. Meet at the Waitt Lab at 8:30 am each Tuesday during snow-free months.
VOLUNTEER FOR WATER QUALITY!
The Cooperative Lakes Area Monitoring Project is looking for volunteers to monitor lake health. Free training and equipment provided. Contact 712-337-3669 Ext. 7 for information.