Students study science, art in wild

Two busloads of Sisters High School biology and IEE (Interdisciplinary Environmental Education) students traveled to Janet Zuelke and Forrest Babcock's place overlooking the Wolftree Whychus Creek Discovery Outpost downstream of Deschutes Land Trust's Polk Creek Meadow.

One group went off to watch a golden eagle mom feeding young in the nest while another group released steelhead fry into the creek.

All morning, students from Rima Givot's biology class - with the assistance and leadership of Nate Dachtler, U.S. Forest Service fisheries biologist, Bess Ballentine and Colleen Fix of Wolftree - were going up and down the creek slowly releasing a total of 32,000 steelhead fry. The release is an attempt by several restoration partners to bring wild salmon back to spawn in Whychus Creek.

Mornings are rarely warm and toasty in the Sisters Country spring, and Tuesday morning was no exception. In spite of the wintery temperature, not one of the students complained (at least not too loudly) about having to wade through ice-cold Whychus Creek, slowly releasing salmon fry.

Just about noon the biology students returned from their fish release on the creek, putting away waders and release nets, when another school bus came rolling into Janet and Forrest's yard. More SHS students stepped from the bus, this group under the leadership of Kolleen Yake, education director for the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council and SHS IEE instructor Samara Spear, who met up with Forrest Babcock to learn about the camera setup streaming golden eagle information into homes and schools nationwide.

Babcock is an optical engineer with vast knowledge of telescopes and how they can be coupled with the Internet to transmit information. All one has to do to enjoy the results if his work is go to the Wolftree website: http://www.beoutside.org, and scroll down to Golden Eagle camera, or go direct to http://www.goldeneaglecam.com.

Babcock spent time explaining to the students how he designed and set up the camera to his home-made telescope, while students learned about the life and times of golden eagles.

Golden eagles are currently undergoing a state-wide population survey under the leadership of Frank Isaacs, the man who spent 30 years studying and establishing the procedures and guidelines that have brought the American bald eagle back from the brink of extinction.

The habitat along Whychus Creek is essential to the education of Sisters students.

"I have been working with these students for the past two weeks," Kolleen Yake said. "Our primary objective in our environmental education projects is to create opportunities for students to explore and connect to the creek.

"These kids have been so enthusiastic and inspired, I think that the best thing that I can do is to get out of their way! During our time out on Whychus, they have been writing amazing songs, creating botanical sketches, and painting a mural of the canyon. All of their creations will be presented and displayed at our annual event, 'Students Speak: A Watershed Summit" (scheduled for May 15 in Bend).

Elize van der Laan wrote in her journal: "To me, seeing the golden eagle has given me a new perspective of the place that we have been studying and exploring for the past two weeks. We have learned so much about Whychus and this area - seeing such a beautiful creature has shown me that what we are learning is real and we need to ensure the conservation of the sacred place."