A dozen days spent in national parks in Alaska this summer helped high school students from Ohio learn a little bit more about climate change up close. Their experience was part of the first “Climate Change Academy,” an immersive, comprehensive climate change course offered through the National Park Service.
"I am glad that I came to Alaska and learned about the harmful effects of climate change for myself,” said Sydney Young, a sophomore at West Geauga High School in Chesterland, Ohio. “I have the knowledge to define my own opinion. I feel comfortable and confident in my ability to make a change."
The Academy is a partnership between the National Park Service Climate Change Response Program and the non-profit No Barriers Youth.
“This is a model for experiential learning,” said Ray Sauvajot, acting associate director for natural resource stewardship and science in the National Park Service. The partnership began with the successful Night Skies program, which led to the development of the more intensive immersion program. No Barriers Youth solicited applications for the “Climate Change Academy” from middle and high schools across the nation. After several rounds of review, Mike Sustin, a chemistry and environmental science teacher from West Geauga High School, was selected as a group leader, and 10 students were selected to participate in the academy.
Sydney and her fellow students, ages 14 to 18, spent time in Kenai Fjords and Denali national parks following a pre-trip curriculum. The students dedicated time over weekends and summer days to complete the five sessions of extra-curricular lessons in preparation for the trip.
In Alaska, the group hiked the Harding Icefield Trail in Kenai Fjords National Park with park rangers Luke Rosier and Jenna Giddens. They were sworn in as Junior Rangers and took a full-day wildlife and glacier boat tour of the fjords with John Morris, interpretive program manager for the National Park Service’s Alaska Region.
Ricky Greene, a high school senior on the trip, said, “Every animal we saw on the cruise to Holgate Glacier became a story with a ton of interesting facts. The most amazing thing John told us was the idea of 'The Dancing Spheres' that described the relationships between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere, biosphere and even the heliosphere. It gave me a whole new way to look at the way global warming affects us. Now I can explain it better to people who don't understand.”
In Denali National Park, students participated in a climate change scenario planning activity with Alaska Region Science Advisor Bob Winfree. On their last day in the park the group overcame personal challenges by hiking a strenuous Cathedral Mountain route with Dave Schirokauer, physical and social science program manager in Denali.
Now back in Ohio, the students are developing a project to share their discoveries with their community. Additionally, each student will enter the first No Barriers Youth Climate Change Art Contest, also sponsored by the NPS Climate Change Response Program, in which anyone ages 12-21 can submit an artistic entry responding to: “When thinking about climate change, what is your hope for the future?” The aim of the contest is to inspire conversation around the subject and to encourage youth to approach it from multiple disciplines and value the intersection of arts and sciences.
The National Park Service and No Barriers Youth work together to promote awareness and action on climate change. The National Park Service Climate Change Response Program and No Barriers Youth partnership is a commitment to provide climate change learning opportunities for youth and educators nationwide.
Comments
Oh, and I'm not sure that the monies to Alaskan citizens isn't currying favor. What is the purpose of the distribution? luring residents? Bribing ones there to tolerate drilling?
It appears that a new polar vortex is setting up. Here's a prediction. The folks who don't or won't understand atmospheric patterns will try to declare that it's somehow proof that the planet's not warming.
But satellite thermal images show something different. Remember the warmer and dryer than normal weather we experienced in the west last winter? Take a look at the image here and note that as the vortex pushes south in the middle of the country, it simultaneously pulls warmer, dryer air north on both its western and eastern peripheries. One thing that's easy to foget it the fact that all the circulation patterns of our atmosphere are interrelated and interconnected. Colder weather in one place will often mean warmer weather somewhere else.
Then we also need to recall that weather and climate are NOT the same. Now let's see if I can successfully post the satellite image here.
Agreed, Lee. Another definition is 'that sand that rubs you inside the wet waistband of your swimsuit'.
Really? Tells us, who has declared that? Another of your baseless strawman accusations.
Here is a good site. You can always get an overview of temperature around the planet. One thing you almost always notice is that while it may be "cooler than normal" in your neck of the woods, that's not always the case when you take in the mean temps around the entire globe.
However, bring on the polar vortex. I absoultely had a blast during last years even if it was short-lived.
Hey, thank you Gary. That is one impressive website.
But you go ahead and keep your vortex. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy my milder than usual winter.
I'm starting to understand why people migrate south in the winter because it seems that the older I get, the colder I get.
Here's a simpler image. Perhaps this will be more understandable for those who need it.
US temperatures have declined over the last 85 years, and are near record lows now. Other than a sharp warm up of half a degree at the 1998 super El Nino, the US has been cooling almost continuously since 1930. Something to think about.