Project Descriptions

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Students Involved with Their Environment Project Descriptions Name of Project: Feasibility Study of Tidal Energy for the Community Location: Angoon, Alaska School/School District: Angoon Elementary, Angoon Jr. High School, and Eli Katanook Memorial High School, Chatham School District Project Director: James Parkin, Science Teacher Participants: 28 students, 2 teachers, 2 administrators, 4 community members During this project students will explore the potential of tidal and wind energy to offset the costly (economic, social, and environmental) use of diesel in our community. Students will learn about greenhouse gases and how they contribute to climate change, how to calculate the pounds of carbon that the community uses to generate electricity, and principles of electricity and magnetism. Students will research various alternatives for electricity generation and develop and test a hypothesis for an alternative energy source (wind or tidal) for the community. Students will develop a science fair project based on the project and display and explain their research and experimentation at the regional science fair in Juneau, Alaska.

Name of Project: Project Website: Location: School/School District: Project Director: Participants:

Huslia Hot Springs Sustainable Energy Project http://www.yksd.com/Page/425 Huslia, Alaska Jimmy Huntington School, Yukon-Koyukuk School District Steve Swatling and Samuel Barney, Teachers 45 students, 2 teachers, 1 administrator, 4 parents, 7+ community members

This service learning project is important because of the extremely high cost of energy, especially in rural communities of Alaska. Our goal, in cooperation with Jimmy Huntington School (JHS), the Huslia Tribal Council, and the City of Huslia is to raise community awareness of sustainable energy resources. Students will research and experiment with realistic and sustainable geothermal energy production. Students and teachers from JHS will travel to the hot springs near the village of Huslia to install a thermal electric generator to charge a battery for lighting two existing cabins adjacent to the hot springs. Students will also research and determine the feasibility of installing a geothermal electric generator at the hot springs to power the village of Huslia and share their results with local offices and the community.

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Students Involved with Their Environment Name of Project: Location: School/School District: Project Director: Participants:

Learn, don’t burn! Chuathbaluk, Alaska Crow Village Sam School, Kuspuk School District Benjamin Henderson, Secondary Generalist 12 students, 2 teachers, Chuathbaluk Traditional Council members

Chuathbaluk, Alaska is a Yupik village located along the Kuskokwim River between Bethel and Aniak. Being situated in an area that cannot support large amounts of waste, the village has resorted to the practice of open burning to diminish its accumulation. The students of this community propose that through this project they would like to reduce and work toward the elimination of open burning practices in their village and improve the overall quality of the village landfill. The project involves the collection, compilation, and distribution of informative materials detailing the impact of open burning on health and the environment; student-directed presentations to the community; the establishment of collection methods for reusable, recyclable, and hazardous materials throughout the village; collaboration with community organizations and regional agencies for the removal of these materials; implementing strategies for the improvement of undesirable conditions at the landfill; the proper containment of waste unable to be removed by the practice of reusing or recycling; and the installation of composting facilities.

Name of Project: Location: School/School District: Project Director: Participants:

Yakutat’s Cannon Beach: Keeping it Beautiful Yakutat, Alaska Yakutat School District Debbie Caron, Environmental Science Teacher 98 students, 10 teachers, 2 administrators, 10-20 community members

Yakutat is a commercial fishing community (population 600) on an isolated coastline in the northern panhandle of southeast Alaska. The Cannon Beach cleanup project involves ALL district students, teachers, and administrators (plus citizens from seven different community agencies) in cleaning up marine debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami and other sources. Students will monitor and sort the debris collected by type (rope, nets, foam, plastic, metal, floats, glass, tires, etc.), volume, weight, source and use the data in studying and tracking environmental pollution.

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Students Involved with Their Environment Name of Project: Location: School/School District: Project Director: Participants:

Timberline Forestry Class Weippe, Idaho Timberline High School, Orofino Joint School District 171 Valerie Armichardy, Science Teacher 80 students, 1 teacher, 15+ community members

This project supports a variety of activities for a new forestry class for students in grades 9-12, and includes field trips, numerous guest speakers, volunteer projects, learning proper forestry techniques, documentation of field work, and participation in the State Forestry Competition. We are partnering with the USDA Forest Service, the National Park Service, Department of Environmental Quality and Empire Lumber to explore available forestry trades in the area. Students will use GPS units, a clinometer, and compasses as they collect data and identify trees, noxious weeds, and learn silviculture. Some of the field-based activities include learning about salmon/steelhead restoration at the Dwarshak Dam Fisheries, participating in riparian restoration on Ford’s Creek, visiting a water/wastewater treatment facility to learn about sustainable water use, comparing healthy, recently burned forests with forests that are overgrown, and practicing Leave-No-Trace Wilderness Ethics.

Name of Project: Location: School/School District: Project Director: Participants:

Trail Creek Stream Keepers Sun Valley, Idaho Community School Scott Runkel, Science Teacher 325 students, 7 teachers, 6+ community members

Students of Community School will start a systematic monitoring and data collection program on the section of Trail Creek near our school. Students will learn the value of healthy streams and see the impacts that human development can have on water. We will create a public site to display out data with the goal of moving the community to make changes to improve the lealth of the river. Eventually we hope to extend out monitoring to create a more complete assessment of Trail Creek from its headwaters to its mouth at the Big Wood River, home of an endemic fish, Wood River Sculpin, that is found only in the Big Wood River system and is a crucial habitat for numerous other species. Various activities include a macroinvertebrate and fish species inventory/count; riparian habitat survey; collecting and analyzing water chemistry, including dissolved oxygen, nitrate and phosphate levels; analysis of stream flows, turbidity, and bank erosion, and statistical analysis of the data. In addition, each grade level (6-12) will develop and test a question focused on Trail Creek (e.g. changes in fish population above and below the dams) that they will work on all year. Students will also be involved with trash removal along the stream banks, willow planting in sections of bank erosion, noxious weed removal, and reclaiming riparian habitat.

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Students Involved with Their Environment Name of Project: Location: School/School District: Project Director: Participants:

What’s in Our Water? Albany, Oregon Timber Ridge Middle School, Greater Albany School District 8J Britten Clark-Huyck, Science Teacher 130 students, 4 teachers, 12 partner agency staff

Eighth graders at Timber Ridge School in Albany, Oregon will measure water quality and identify invasive plants and invertebrates in Cox and Periwinkle Creeks, two local streams that run through the city and flow into the Willamette River. This project is a cooperative effort between the school and environmental education staff from the City of Albany Public Works, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department (OFW) and the Calapooia Watershed Council (CWC). The students will be trained in scientifically sound collection methods and use Vernier LabQuest Water Quality monitoring equipment to measure water temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and PH levels. They will also use GPS plotting for accurate data mapping. Students will post their data on Streamwebs.org – a central collection point for water monitoring data collected by schools throughout Oregon. They will also provide valuable benchmark data to OFW and CWC on the presence of invasive plants and invertebrate species such as the rusty crawdad and the Chinese mystery snail. These organizations lack the staff to monitor smaller streams such as these. Plans are to make this an annual event at Timber Ridge and, hopefully, expand the project to other district schools to compile long-term data.

Name of Project: Location: School/School District: Project Director: Participants:

Clark Creek Investigation and Restoration Salem, OR South High School, Salem-Keizer School District Dottie Knecht, Biology Teacher 290+ students, 3+ teachers, 2 administrators 40+ community members

This project will take place along a channelized portion of Clark Creek that is on Salem-Keizer school district property adjacent to South High. A group of students will conduct independent, inquiry based research projects along this reach of Clark Creek to establish a baseline for monitoring. They will develop research posters and present these to the community at Willamette University during ‘Darwin Discovery Day’ in April. Students will organize and work with our local community partners to restore/replant the riparian habitat along this reach of stream, and they will design and install a permanent interpretive sign at the site. They will also design and distribute educational brochures to the neighboring community that explain the need and benefits of the project.

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Students Involved with Their Environment Name of Project: Connecting High School Students with their Local Watershed through Hands-on Science and Service Location: Keizer, OR School/School District: McNary High School, Salem-Keizer School District Project Director: Emily Parent, Teacher Participants: 200 students, 2 teachers, 1 administrator, 6+ community members The goal of this project is to connect students taking Environmental Studies and Environmental Science at McNary High School with their local watershed and their community. Through partnerships with Adopt-a-Stream, Claggett Creek Watershed Council, and the City of Keizer, students will engage in investigative field work and develop a riparian and aquatic maintenance plan for the section of Claggett Creek that runs in front of Clagget Creek Middle School. The plan will include recommendations in the following areas: planting and invasive removals, structural needs and maintenance, pollution control, and community outreach. Students will aid in the completion of any part of the Claggett Creek riparian and aquatic maintenance plan approved by the City of Keizer.

Name of Project: Location: School/School District: Project Director: Participants:

Long Creek Field Science and Monitoring Long Creek, Oregon Long Creek School and Monument School, Long Creek School District Roy Durfee, Superintendent and Agricultural Science Teacher 39 students, 4 teachers, 1 administrator, 7 community members

High school students at Long Creek School and Monument School will protect declining ecosystems, collect data, evaluate trends, and determine the effectiveness of local restoration projects in collaboration with the local watershed council. Students will participate in various projects, including aspen clone protection, forest restoration through fuels reduction, and riparian planting implementation with long term evaluation. The project aims to assure that every student in this sparsely populated, 1.7 million acre watershed develops a direct relationship with their local environment and understands the ecosystems within which they reside. Students will use sophisticated monitoring equipment to collect field data, evaluate the site, plan research processes, observe and record the ecosystem, and determine further actions in conjunction with the North Fork John Day Watershed Council.

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Students Involved with Their Environment Name of Project: Location: School/School District: Project Director: Participants:

Protecting America’s Waters Gladstone, Oregon Gladstone High School, Gladstone School District Kevin Zerzan, Science Teacher 115 students, 5 teachers, 3 administrators, 40 families

Students in grades 9-12, teachers and administrators, volunteers, families of the Rinearson Council, SOLVE, and the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife are all involved in this project, which is an expansion of Rinearson Creek restoration and student-led water monitoring already underway. Students participating in this project will pull out invasive vegetation, replace with native plants, remove invasive wildlife species, measure water quality, and provide information to the City. This project will utilize reusable, quality, lab-grade water testers to provide accurate data on the water tested in place of the disposable and unreliable test kits previously used. Students will use water quality testing in an inquiry-based approach to discover the effects of a number of variables and will present their findings to City of Gladstone officials to aid them in determining whether or not the Rinearson Creek dam should be removed.

Name of Project: Location: School/School District: Project Director: Participants:

Tonasket Agriculture Development Impact Research Project Tonasket, Washington Tonasket Middle School, Tonasket School District Bob Ashmore, GEAR-UP Director 77 students, 2 teachers, 2 administrators, 8 community members

Students at Tonasket Middle School will collect and disseminate data that will examine whether agricultural development alters temperatures of the surrounding atmosphere and soil locally. They will collect soil and air temperature data from within and at the perimeter of orchards located in the North Okanogan Valley. Students will analyze their findings, possible causes, and connections to local, regional and global climate changes. The project will education students about the effects of land use and development on the environment. Students will learn about the climate history of North Central Washington, will compare historical records to present day climate and examine climate models for the future. They will look at the current water supply, rising demand, increasing temperatures and use statistics to compare with scientists’ forecasts for local water demand in the next three decades. Students will learn how to collect and map field data using GPS and GIS technologies, will collect soil and air measurements, graph data, create digital maps, and develop reports based on their findings that will be shared with the community and students in Quincy, Washington, which is embarking on a similar exploration.

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Students Involved with Their Environment Name of Project: Local News Release: Location: School/School District:

Carlisle Lake Interpretive Trail Published in The Chronicle, January 10, 2013 Onalaska, Washington Onalaska High School and Onalaska Middle School, Onalaska School District #300 Project Director: Johnny Garcia and Robin Schmidt, Science Teachers Participants: 55 students, 4 teachers, 1 administrator, 8+ community members The goal of the Carlisle Lake Interpretive Trail is to repair the worst sections of the existing unimproved lake trail and its accompanying drainage system. The objective is to allow for yearround access to facilitate and enhance environmental education opportunities for the Onalaska and surrounding school districts, as well as for community hiking, high school cross country training, and use by diverse community groups. Students will research plant species and identify existing plant varieties (including native and invasive plants); an interpretive guide for the trail will be created, and permanent markers identifying native vegetation will be placed.

Name of Project: Location: School/School District: Project Directors: Participants:

Field Survey and Cleanup of Hip Deep Creek Richland, Washington Delta High School, Pasco School District Deidre Holmberg, Principal, and Mary Beth Tilson, Biology Teacher 90 students, 1 teacher, 1 administrator, 10 community members

Students at Delta High School will collect baseline water quality data for Hip Deep Creek in Richland, Washington, about 3 blocks from the school. The creek has the potential to be a high quality riparian area, though now it is unattractive, littered with debris and trash, and malodorous. There have been very few studies of water quality on this creek. The area is in need of habitat monitoring and restoration. The design, data collection, and analyses for the field survey will provide the skills necessary to make informed environmental decisions and take responsible actions. Students will study ecosystems and native vs. non-native species. They will perform habitat surveys (including temperature, habitat features, water flow, and chemistry), take water quality measurements, inventory the riparian plants, and conduct fish surveys/tagging. Students will present the results of their field surveys at the local science fair as well as to partnering agencies. Students will remove trash and debris from the creek and will make recommendations for further improvement of the stream health.

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Students Involved with Their Environment Name of Project: Location: School/School District: Project Director: Participants:

Recycling in the School and Community Kettle Falls, Washington Kettle Falls High School, Kettle Falls School District Marti Axtell, Science Teacher 30 students, 1 teacher, 2 administrators, 2 community members

Students will collect data regarding the school’s and community’s recycling habits, costs and benefits of recycling, landfill capacity, and both perceived and real barriers to recycling. They will create a web diagram to illustrate environmental, social and economic impacts associated with everyday items (their ecological footprints) and examine various retail components and their hidden costs in order to understand the impact of the products they purchase. Students will then debate how to deal with the community’s growing trash. Students will tour the landfill and a recycling center, determine data needed, possible solutions, and obstacles within the community. Students will create educational materials to distribute to all district buildings, and establish a plan for educating school district employees, students, and the community on the need to recycle. The project will place bins and outside recycling centers at all school buildings in the district. Students will also compost school lunch leftovers and use the composted material as a medium for growing plants in a horticulture class.

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