by Floyd Swink
The State Microscopical Society held its annual field trip on June 22, 1947.
The trip was made to Miller, Indiana, which is located in the eastern section of Gary. This region is remarkable for its shifting sand dunes, between which are located shallow ponds. These ponds have a high alkaline content, as is shown by the great number of calcophilous plants that inhabit them. Among these are the bog arrow grass, short-headed rush, beach rush, brook lobelia, horned bladderwort, and golden sedge. The blue-green alga Nostoc is also very abundant here.
In olden times, the region was drained by the Grand Calumet River, but due to man's influence the rate of flow has been almost completely stopped, causing the river's mouth to close some distance from Lake Michigan. This condition has formed a lagoon which is unexcelled for water life. At least 15 species of pondweeds, as well as several bladderworts, eel grass, pickerel weed, several rushes, and waterweed grow profusely in this blocked-off river. The appearance of the dense growth of these water plants at a distance of several feet below the water gives a very beautiful effect, especially in bright sunshine. Of course, such a combination of factors brings about a paradise for the microscopist, and the collecting that day was excellent. The more stable dunes support a wealth of plant life -and at time of the trip the lupine, coreopsis, sandwort phlox, spiderwort, and puccoon helped to make the region gay with color.