Sisters students learn in the snow

Sixth graders from Carol Packard’s middle school science classes spent a day last week playing in the snow and walking on snowshoes near the Methodist Youth Camp on the east shore of Suttle Lake.

They weren’t playing hooky — they were learning about the winter environment from science educators.

Four sixth-grade classes of about 30 students worked under the instruction of Wolftree, a northwest environmental educational organization.

“The students studied how to measure snow depth, to identify the various types of snow crystals at various levels of the snow, to measure the pH of the snow, and to determine water content at different levels,” said Walter Gardowiecki, a mentor with Wolftree. Students also learned how to identify different species of trees in the area and how to measure wood volume, he said.

Gardowiecki is a research forester with the Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station in Portland. He traveled to Sisters to spend the week with the outdoor classes.

Just learning to navigate in the snow was the first lesson. A bright winter sun made it a perfect day for the students to learn how to place snowshoes on their boots and then to get used to walking in them over the snow. Youth-size snowshoes made it easier for the students to do both.

The classes broke up into small groups and headed off in different directions with their group leaders during the outdoor session. Some headed towards the shore of Suttle Lake while others climbed up the slope behind the youth camp to explore.

Field expeditions have become part of the curriculum for Sisters science students. Last year, students from Sisters Middle School made a field trip to study water quality and enjoyed playing in the waters of Lake Creek.

“These students will return to the Metolius Preserve on Lake Creek next June for a follow-up visit to see how conditions might have changed there,” Packard said. “On these outings students follow and stay with one subject of the environment, rather than looking briefly at eight or ten separate ones as is usually the case with other outdoor learning experiences.”

Wolftree was established over 10 years ago and has provided instruction for students on past outings. The organization is headquartered in Portland and maintains a branch office in Sisters. Jay Hopp, the education director for the organization, was on the scene last week to help direct the winter session.