In Awe of Placed Based Learning

posted by Angie

Last Friday I was honored to be able to attend a field trip with my youngest son's Middle School 7th and 8th graders. Chris goes to a local public K-8 school with a small environmental middle school program (60 kids). As the program is fairly new, half of the students are 6th graders and the other half are 7th and 8th graders. This field trip was only the 7th & 8th graders, so 3o students. The other half of the middle school went to Avery park to muck around at Mary's River. We went to the Santiam River, up past Sweet Home, to check out a fish hatchery and a river restoration site. Our students will be raising chinook salmon and one of the types of trout in the classroom this year for release later in the year. The science focus study this year is "rivers and the Ocean", so their field studies will be centered around these themes.

Because they are studying it in class, they came to the fishery with a base of knowledge already present. I, however, did not. I think it was fascinating for all of us, but it was totally new for me.



This fishery worker is clipping the fin of a steelhead fry before it gets popped out into the growing areas. There is a tube that leads outside attached to the black basin she's puts the fish in after clipping. The hatchery grown steelhead are clipped as a way for fisherman to know that they are legal to keep. Wild steelhead must be released back into the wild when caught. It's extremely important for the long-term success of steelhead that fishermen play by the rules and don't keep any wild steelhead. For some reason, the prodigy of hatchery steelhead are not viable and don't survive. There is apparently an edge that natural selection has provided wild steelhead ensuring their success in breeding not present with hatchery steelhead. Fishery biologists are working diligently to close that gap, but it's a time consuming venture and it's a race against the clock to keep our steelhead from dying out in the mean time.



The students are feeding the fish held in the water below them. The kids were so excited when the fish would pop up to the surface. One of the things I love about this middle school program is how delighted our kids are in little things like feeding fish. At a time that is agonizing for most people (the dreaded middle school years), our students are allowed to be what they are: kids.

Another part of the field trip was looking at a river restoration site. Our students will be working on a restoration site through this year, including growing native plants to place at the site they choose. They grew plants last year for their wetland restoration projects, so it will be interesting for them to grow different types that will work along the river beds.

The first picture is of a part of the river that hasn't been restored, the bottom picture is of a site that was restored recently. Our tour leader is a fishery biologist with the department of forestry (I believe) who lead this restoration project, got the grants for it, and guided the work. The big difference in the river to note is the fallen trees that have been placed throughout. The trees will provide hiding spots for growing fish and slow down the river in places so that the fish can rest. But, probably most importantly it will cause gravel that is traveling with the current to gather along the shore. This will provide future spawning ground.





In the art scene here, Chris and Andy went to a puppet workshop at The Majestic (as Andy posted below) and Chris came back inspired. Since the workshop he created this dragon, which is chicken wire covered in duct tape, and his new lunch box "fuzzy".





He took fuzzy to school a couple of times last week, but told me that fuzzy needs to "lay low" for awhile. Apparently he was getting too much attention at lunch, and Chris had a streak of shyness and started to feel funny with random kids coming up and petting his lunch box. Funny, funny. He's gluing the eyes on another box for Scott, who I am sure can't wait for strange kids to come up to him at lunch time and pet his new lunch box.

I was the happy recipient of a large box of gapes from a friend's vine this week. I'd been wanting to try making jelly, so it was the perfect opportunity. Overall it was very easy to make. I used about half of the sugar the recipes called for, so the jelly actually tastes likes grape. It turned out wonderful, I can see this is going to be another annual canning project to add to the list. I like it even better than the strawberries. Believe me, that is saying something. If you are local and read this, holler and we can work out a way to get you some. If you aren't local and you're family, you can holler too. If you are real nice to me and Andy doesn't see me putting any precious jars of jelly/jam in a box, I'm sure I can get you some.