Lopez Island School Principal Lisa Shelby has announced the launch of a new elementary level after-school science club that will use school gardens to learn about soil geology and chemistry, plant growth and physiology, insects as pollinators and pests, the ways plants defend themselves against grazing, and partnerships between plants, bacteria and fungi. Kwiaht botanist Madrona Murphy and ecologist Russel Barsh join elementary school science teacher Lorri Swanson for six hands-on afternoon club sessions beginning April 23. Student registrations (Grades 3-5) will be accepted through April 12.
Science club activities will complement the existing L.I.F.E. program, and reflect the school’s commitment to strengthening STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). The three-month trial program is supported by a private donation and equipment donated by Kwiaht, including six cordless microscopes designed for young children. A longer program, possibly including Grade 6, will be considered for 2014 depending on interest.
Kwiaht and Lopez School have partnered in a number of other science activities this school year. Weeks Wetland is a focus for Jill Rain’s high school chemistry class. Working with Kwiaht landscape ecologist Nathan Hodges, students mapped the soils and hydrology of the wetland, identifying locations where contaminants such as metals and oils would tend to accumulate. They sampled sediments throughout the wetland, and are testing for copper, petroleum hydrocarbons, and synthetic estrogens.
Jennifer Romo’s Marine Biology class tested sediments from Fisherman Bay and from streams in the Fisherman Bay watershed for antibiotic resistant bacteria, under the supervision of Kwiaht genetics researcher Madrona Murphy. Fresh water bacteria were more resistant to antibiotics than bacteria from tidal water, suggesting that local use and disposal of pharmaceuticals is affecting the environment. “It’s clearly not all coming from Victoria,” Murphy says.
Marine Biology students also tested a wide range of shampoos from their homes for toxicity to Daphnia, a tiny crustacean frequently used to predict the risks of products to aquatic ecosystems. With repeated testing, they learned that all of the shampoos killed Daphnia. Shampoos containing traditional detergents suffocated most of the Daphnia within an hour or two, but “green” products containing vegetable oil derived surfactants and essential oils had immediate effects on behavior and were fatal after a day or two.
Class projects this year were made possible by a grant from the State Farm Youth Advisory Board, a national education foundation directed by youth.
For further information contact: Madrona Murphy, kwiaht@gmail.com
