A dozen days spent in national parks in Alaska this summer helped high school students from Ohio learn a little bit more about climate change up close. Their experience was part of the first “Climate Change Academy,” an immersive, comprehensive climate change course offered through the National Park Service.
"I am glad that I came to Alaska and learned about the harmful effects of climate change for myself,” said Sydney Young, a sophomore at West Geauga High School in Chesterland, Ohio. “I have the knowledge to define my own opinion. I feel comfortable and confident in my ability to make a change."
The Academy is a partnership between the National Park Service Climate Change Response Program and the non-profit No Barriers Youth.
“This is a model for experiential learning,” said Ray Sauvajot, acting associate director for natural resource stewardship and science in the National Park Service. The partnership began with the successful Night Skies program, which led to the development of the more intensive immersion program. No Barriers Youth solicited applications for the “Climate Change Academy” from middle and high schools across the nation. After several rounds of review, Mike Sustin, a chemistry and environmental science teacher from West Geauga High School, was selected as a group leader, and 10 students were selected to participate in the academy.
Sydney and her fellow students, ages 14 to 18, spent time in Kenai Fjords and Denali national parks following a pre-trip curriculum. The students dedicated time over weekends and summer days to complete the five sessions of extra-curricular lessons in preparation for the trip.
In Alaska, the group hiked the Harding Icefield Trail in Kenai Fjords National Park with park rangers Luke Rosier and Jenna Giddens. They were sworn in as Junior Rangers and took a full-day wildlife and glacier boat tour of the fjords with John Morris, interpretive program manager for the National Park Service’s Alaska Region.
Ricky Greene, a high school senior on the trip, said, “Every animal we saw on the cruise to Holgate Glacier became a story with a ton of interesting facts. The most amazing thing John told us was the idea of 'The Dancing Spheres' that described the relationships between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere, biosphere and even the heliosphere. It gave me a whole new way to look at the way global warming affects us. Now I can explain it better to people who don't understand.”
In Denali National Park, students participated in a climate change scenario planning activity with Alaska Region Science Advisor Bob Winfree. On their last day in the park the group overcame personal challenges by hiking a strenuous Cathedral Mountain route with Dave Schirokauer, physical and social science program manager in Denali.
Now back in Ohio, the students are developing a project to share their discoveries with their community. Additionally, each student will enter the first No Barriers Youth Climate Change Art Contest, also sponsored by the NPS Climate Change Response Program, in which anyone ages 12-21 can submit an artistic entry responding to: “When thinking about climate change, what is your hope for the future?” The aim of the contest is to inspire conversation around the subject and to encourage youth to approach it from multiple disciplines and value the intersection of arts and sciences.
The National Park Service and No Barriers Youth work together to promote awareness and action on climate change. The National Park Service Climate Change Response Program and No Barriers Youth partnership is a commitment to provide climate change learning opportunities for youth and educators nationwide.
Comments
I'm with Jim, above, about the predictable squacking of the ideologues.
Come on up here and live here for a while, see the changes as they occur. Or, instead, sit at home in a randian selfish world.
Global climate change does occur naturally. It does. The only thing is, the effects of mankind on it, just like gasoline to a campfire, is an ACCELLERANT. Arson investigators look for it; so do climatologists.
http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/detect/human-shishmaref.shtml
Yes, even so we should listen to what Lee, Jim, Gary, rmackie, justin, Rick et al say without calling them names or questioning their motives.
BTW - arson investigators have models that work. The AGW climatologists don't.
On Climate Change Deniers Displaying their Ignorance of Understanding basic Science:
http://www.examiner.com/article/climate-change-deniers-display-their-ign...
Present -Day Earth's Atmosphere with 7.5 Billion Humans burning fossil fuels is Not the same as an early Earth's Atmospheric Chemistry with only Neanderthals and other primates discovering fire. (now there is over 160 yrs. of increasing CO2 and otherGreenhouse Gas Data)
It is amazing how many people deliberately ignore the scientific facts in the Climate Change 2014 Synthesis Report, issued by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The report contains 116 pages of data that prove unequivocally that climate change is real, but some people continue to stretch their imaginations to come up with incredible reasons why they don’t believe in climate change
One reader even posted this ignorant comment on the article UN Report Slams Those Who Deny Climate Change.
“I suppose the rise in oceans that sank part of London was caused by SUV's during the medieval period. Or the Yellow River in China, centuries of flooding but just now being caused by human consumption of fossil fuels.”
Historically, London sank in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance because it had been built on unstable land. The land under London was initially drained by the Romans and then drained again in the Middle Ages, and again in the 1630s. Draining the land was a success in that people could build on the land. But draining also had the roots of their own demise. Dry soil shrinks. The level of the land sank, and eventually became inundated with water.
So it is pure ignorance to claim that global warming does not exist because the land under London sank in the Middle Ages. But that is what some global warming deniers have been reduced to as they scramble to ignore scientific reality and justify their gas-guzzling lifestyle.
Visit http://www.examiner.com/article/climate-change-deniers-display-their-ign... for The Rest of the Story
Who? Who claims that climate doesn't change? I suspect your answer will be as empty as Lee's.
So now we're down to debating whether or not mankind is an accelerant.
On one hand is anyone not in thrall of the corporate America who has open eyes. On the other hand is my old stubborn mule I named "Box o' Rocks", refusing to budge. I don't need a 'model' to notice what happens when I throw a cup of kerosene on the campfire.
Congratulations, by the way. The Koch's bought and paid for Senator Inhofe [Inhofe has received $1,189,050 in political contributions from the coal and oil industry. One of his top contributors is Koch Industries ($62,750 since 1999). ExxonMobil has contributed over $16,000 since 1999.] is now likely to be in charge of the Environment and Public Works commitee. It's like naming Ronald McDonald as your nuitrition consultant.
LOL! I thought you AGW believers said the rate of sea level rise has been increasing, sure looks pretty linear to me.
By the way, all partisan sniping aside, I think we all have to agree that this must have been a marvelous experience for these kids to travel to Alaska and see these marvelous sights.