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| Group photo with Smokey and Sandy Baker, (Photo by Kayla Burton) |
Otto, NC.--The Southern Research Station (SRS), in cooperation with the Community and Recreation Services of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, held two events to expose young people to science and the great outdoors. They held the first, a youth science day, on the Eastern Cherokee Indian Reservation (officially known as the Qualla Boundary) on July 13, 2011, and the second, a one-day science camp at the SRS Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory (Coweeta) near Otto, NC, on August 3, 2011.
The July 13th event at the Qualla Boundaryincluded two 30-minute science presentations to four groups of youth from the Kituwah Academy, the Painttown Day Camp, the Birdtown Day Camp, and the Youth Center. Stephanie Laseter, a Coweeta hydrologist, presented information to each group on the scarcity of fresh water and how important it is to not pollute our water supply. Julia Murphy, a technical transfer specialist from the SRS Bent Creek Experimental Forest, presented information to each group on tree identification and the many important uses of trees and the forest ecosystem. Approximately 126 youth ages 5 to 15 participated.
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| Stephanie Laseter talks with youth about aquatic insets. (Photo by Kayla Burton) |
Twenty-four youth, ages 8 to10, and their teachers attended the one-day science camp held at the Coweeta on August 3rd. "The purpose of the one-day camp was to teach the young participants about the diverse categories of science in a manner in which they could identify with in their everyday lives," said Bernie Parresol, SRS biometrician based in Asheville, NC, and coordinator of the two events. "Most people know that the forest ecosystem consists of trees and wildlife; we wanted them to see first-hand that the Nation's forests also include aquatic animals and terrestrial habitats. Additionally, we wanted to spark what will hopefully become a long-term interest in the field of science."
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| Laseter shows youth how to net aquatic invertebrates. (Photo by Kayla Burton) |
The camp was a mixture of classroom presentations, outdoor activities, and hands-on experiences in the field. University of Georgia scientists Jason Love and Joe Davis led the youths on a field trip to observe and catch salamanders and other amphibians. The youths learned that salamanders are a diverse group of amphibians that can be found in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Coweeta scientists Laseter, Neal Muldoon, and summer intern Maria Sandercock helped the youths observe and catch aquatic invertebrates. The youths learned that all aquatic invertebrates—which include insects, crustaceans, spiders and worms—have two things in common: they live in water or moist environments, and they do not have a spinal column.
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| Laseter and youth catch aquatic invertebrates. (Photo by Kayla Burton) |
After lunch, Love and Laseter, assisted by Patsy Clinton, took the youths on a nature walk through the woods to show them how to identify trees, and along the way, explained the importance of trees for habitat, shelter, food, and medicines. Toward the end of the day, the youths assembled in the Coweeta Conference Center to learn how geography is integrated into other sciences. GIS specialist Lloyd Edwards explained how the spatial perspective provided by geography ties people, places, and natural phenomena together. Finally, Smokey Bear and his spokesperson Sandra Baker gave a presentation on Smokey Bear's Five Rules for Fire Prevention and offered individual and group photo opportunities for all participants. Parresol credits the success of both events to the long list of assistants and presenters who did an excellent job engaging the youth and maintaining their attention.