Students speak at watershed summit

A rapt audience got to see hands-on science education at McMenamins Old St. Francis School in Bend last Thursday. Sisters High School joined others from around the region in the third annual "Students Speak: A Watershed Summit."

Fifteen students from Rima Givot's biology class used an illustrated presentation of their work on the Trout Creek Conservation Area (TCCA) to student audiences from REALMS (Rimrock Expeditionary Alternative Learning Middle School, Bend) eighth grade and Crook County Middle School on subjects ranging from the study of snags (dead standing trees), to bird populations in and around the TCCA.

Each student used strict scientific methods to arrive at their conclusions - including whether their hypothesis in the given area was correct or incorrect. After each presentation there was a lively discourse between student presenters and student audience during the short question-and-answer period.

Rachel Manzo, Wolftree program manager, one of the people who helped set the course for the students to demonstrate their work at the summit, said, "From this study, students gained a direct connection and sense of place to the TCCA through hands-on bird studies; a deeper understanding of the necessities of a healthy bird habitat, and a collective species list.

"As they became more deeply involved in their respective projects, they also developed skills used in the careers of wildlife biologists. Their work will be used by the Land Trust and USFS Sisters Ranger District in land-use decisions, and especially for the improvement of bird habitat at the TCCA."

REALMS students from Bend presented their investigations to an audience of Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition (IEE) students from Crook County High School; after which REALMS eighth-graders presented their investigations and results to IEE students from Sister High School.

Samra Spear, language and arts teacher, supervised as her students worked closely with the instructors from Wolftree and Upper Deschutes Watershed Council (UDWC) on environmental projects that brought about dedicated research and awareness of their environment. To achieve this, she split her students into four groups:

•â¯"Creative Engineers" with the goal of communicating their work through a universal language.

•â¯"Art Scientists" who investigated water health, macro organisms and plans for the restoration process.

•â¯"Communication Specialists" who shared the plans of the art scientists and creative engineers through advertisement mediums.

•â¯A "Project Manager" to keep everything organized and make sure the right and left hand knew what each was doing.

The scientists shared their factual findings, while communication specialists shared poetry, prose, sketches and photos. Creative engineers presented beautiful drawings, hand-made art pieces, and a mural that is on display at Sisters High School.

Kolleen Yates of UDWC said, "By spending time along Whychus Creek, these students have developed a new sense of place and self in a way that is unique, innovative, and beneficial for both the student and the community."

Spear summed up her feeling about the summit: "My IEE students were given the great opportunity to conclude the watershed summit with their unique presentations. What impressed me most was that it was clear that each of them was clearly impacted and personally touched. Through various forms of the arts, they were able to present individual perspectives even when looking at the same area or projects. The presentation stood out because it really added to the scientific focus of the day and showed that people can find ownership in different ways when given creative

opportunities."