Volunteers vital to success of outdoor education program

Sisters students plunge into the great outdoors to apply their knowledge in authentic wilderness experience each year. They wouldn't be there without the help and support of a cadre of non-school volunteers.

Volunteers who give their time to the IEE (Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition) class are invaluable to the success of the program.

These individuals mentor, guide and direct students in their spring "group projects."

Teacher Samra Spear said, "It helps the students see the great partnerships they have with community members and makes it much easier to instill a sense of place in our students."

IEE is an integrated, hands-on class offered at Sisters High School during the fall and spring trimesters. In the fall students are given a broad overview of issues concerning the ecosystem and human interaction with the local environment in Sisters. They are involved in team building and practice writing and speaking. During the spring term there is a focused effort to use those skills.

In spring term the students are given a general topic based on the expertise of mentors who volunteer to work closely with the students to focus on a specific problem.

"The students are guided in their research to find problems on a specific issue in our region," teacher Rob Phelps said. "Mentors volunteer time for four weeks and along with the teachers provide guidance and equipment and help the students conduct their inquiry, research or data collection on a given project. They help the students achieve their goal of arriving at a solution for their specific problem."

Rob Phelps, Samra Spear, Glen Herron and Rand Runco collectively teach the IEE class and agree that these projects couldn't happen without the project mentors and the time they selflessly give.

"Without the help of the volunteers, especially Cindy Glick and Dave Priest, it would be very, very difficult to accomplish these projects," said Phelps.

This year five of the 10 projects are with the U.S. Forest Service. Dave Priest of the Sisters Ranger District oversees the Black Butte Swamp Study and the Greenhouse Project.

Former students now employed by the Forest Service are part of the volunteer crew.

Spear said, "It's exciting to see Nate Goodwin, Garrett Brink and Brett VanHouten involved with us on these projects. Some of these graduates didn't want to have anything to do with high school after graduating. Now, they're not only stepping foot in the high school again, but are positively impacting young lives."

Jeff Sims is involved with students on the Trail Project. They're working on a community trail system and mapping out potential trials to hook up the new high school with Tollgate, Crossroads and the middle school.

Cindy Glick oversees the Trout Creek Conservation Easement Project in which students are studying how to best manage the natural area adjacent to the high school.

Scott Cotter heads up the Squaw Creek Studies. In this study students are investigating the possibilities of getting steelhead to return to Squaw Creek.

Other projects include an Urban Tree Survey of the City of Sisters, a landscaping project at the new high school and a Central Oregon recreation directory.

Katie Kause with the Oregon State Department of Forestry volunteers with the Urban Tree Survey project. The Landscaping project is being assisted by SisterScapes, Inc., and Blooming Desert Design of Bend.

Samra Spear is working with two completely new groups this year. These groups are focusing on book publishing and will be teaching a unit to Kelly Powell's and Craig Benton's third grade classes.

The units are on the "History of Sisters" and "An Introduction to Squaw Creek." Students will produce books and use them as tools to teach a two-and-a-half hour lesson to the third graders.

At the end of the term students are required to present the findings from their inquiry to a targeted audience other than their peers. In previous years students have spoken to the city council, the school board, Deschutes Basin Land Trust and the Deschutes Watershed Council.

The volunteers help students connect with an appropriate audience.