Thursday's Assignment: the impact of MILES

I think that the MILES projects that will have the biggest impacts on Idaho are all that relate to education, at all different levels. The Adventure Learning program will encourage teachers, possibly from kindergarten through high school, touch generations of Idaho citizens. The projects that involve undergraduate and graduate students will prepare future scientists so that they are better able to educate the public. Plus, as shown in the videos, MILES is already working with the non-scientist public, getting them involved in making decisions about Idaho’s ecosystems.

This last step is extremely important. For many people in Idaho, from sportsmen to ranchers to agriculturalists, the feeling is that we are told what to do with our resources, that some scientists and politicians in Washington, D.C., are making decisions for us. The only way to really make a difference in protecting Idaho is to involve Idahoans.