Thanks to the professionals working with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, teachers seeking license renewal this summer won't be subjected to lengthy lectures swamped with details.

Kim Swift, education program manager at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, said an educational experience July 27-31 will provide three credit hours for licensing purposes and also will show firsthand the relationship between humans and their environment.

Swift hopes teachers will take the hands-on skills they learn back to their students.

The Dunes Learning Center, a not-for-profit group in partnership with the National Parks Service, continues to be a teaching hub in Northwest Indiana. Executive director John Hayes said the Lakeshore is a perfect place for going-green initiatives and gaining an appreciation for the environment.

The dunes area "has 1,800 species, and everything we do revolves around going green," he said.

For Lakeshore employees like Hayes, a career at the park has become a labor of love.

"I feel my job is to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to build a relationship with their environment," he said. "If people do not grow and understand the environment, they will not care and will not be able to make informed decisions."