Among the many hands-on activities during the 5th Annual Science Sunday at ND-LEEF, kids could scoop streams and ponds to find plants and insects; pet and learn about small mammals (chipmunks and field mice); and see how tree trunks shrink and swell each day as they absorb and transpire groundwater.

Science Sunday showcases the aquatic and terrestrial research at ND-LEEF, along with the one-of-a-kind streams and wetlands that make it possible. Nearly 100 guests attended this year's event, and 13 Notre Dame undergraduates, graduates and faculty were on hand to interpret their ND-LEEF research. To help tell the ND-LEEF story, researchers who used the facility in 2017 produced videos about their work. To recognize the best of these, we established the new LEEFY Award. It provides a $500 stipend for the winner, to be used for educational purposes such as attending a professional conference.      

Science Sunday visitors also witnessed the official debut of the new, in-nest Eagle Cam. The Eagle Cam’s 100,000 viewers can now track the daily progress of ND-LEEF’s bald eagle pair as never before. The site should prove especially popular when the eagles lay eggs in February and hatch their eaglets in spring.