Blog
Browse this page for blog postings related to middle- and high-school-teacher Adventure Learning workshops taking place across Idaho. Use the widgets to the right (or at bottom of this page, for smaller devices) to filter blog posts.
Thursday Thoughts
Jamie posted some very thought provoking questions:
How do you think ecosystem services change before and after wildfires on federal public lands?
How should land management agencies like ths USFS prepare for how ecosystem services will likey change in North Idaho's forests under climate change?
What stakeholders should these managers make sure to consider in these types of decisions?
One of the constants in life is change. To that end, organizations seldom have the luxury of perpetually managing the status quo. Circumstances inevitably change. We have a... more
Wildfires, climate change and ecosystem services
Good Morning!
As I write this from back home in CDA, the team is still up the North Fork of the CDA River basin. Today's adventures will be up Grassy Mountain and at the trailhead of Trail 20; a 5 mile, non-motorized USFS trail connecting the headwaters of the North Fork between Jordan Camp and Teepee Creek.
Teachers are spending their morning with Will Young from the USFS, and will be exploring the role of wildfires in management of ecosystem servies on federal public lands in North Idaho. Will has been helping with AL@CDA for three years now... more
How do we teach about these issues?
So, how do we teach about these issues?
We’re learning that Idaho’s waterways have been hurt by farming, mining, city-building, and the timber industry. How do we teach our students about caring for our rivers without demonizing these necessary businesses?
As one of the teachers mentioned, mining is important where he lives, so we can’t just say that we should ban all mining. Here in Pocatello, many people talk about freeing the Portneuf River from the concrete channel it is in. But what about the people who’s houses are right next to that channel? What if one of my students... more
Learning about cutthroat trout
I’ve been able to have some incredible experiences learning about cutthroat trout last summer and this summer. I am in the Murdock Foundation’s Partners in Science program. This program pays teachers to do research with college professors over two summers. Science teachers: you might want to check it out: http://murdocktrust.org/grant-opportunities/high-school-science-teachers-and-research-partners/
I have been working with an ISU biology professor and one of his graduate... more
Three Rafts, One Goal
The team had a fantastic time floating the river and sampling water quality with Idaho DEQ Field Technicians today! Everyone is finishing up the day at Devils Elbow USFS campground to rest up for tomorrow's adventure. Sadly, I had to come home to work the Farmers Market so will give you a sneak peak at what we explored today. :). Stay tuned for a more detailed post coming tomorrow from Leasa and Kim (Ziggy)!
Resources and the mystery of a disappearing stream
I have found a few interesting resources while searching for assignment information and in an attempt to find more about the watershed surrounding Spirit Lake. I had a conversation with Randy Troyer, a long time resident of Spirit Lake, Idaho. He told me that when he was a boy, there was no sewage treatment for the Spirit Lake community. Pipes led the waste to an area near the lake that was a seasonal stream. (The stream no longer exists after the dam was constructed). The waste was carried only ~600 yards, then the stream disappeared as the water went underground. This story makes... more