Yakima WATERS

Selah Intermediate School Field Trip to Adobe-Wenas Pond

2011-10-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

About 50 sixth grade science students from Selah Intermediate School travelled by bus to Adobe-Wenas Pond, located behind their teacher's home in Selah, WA. After a short walk to the pond, students began their five observation and investigation stations.

One station was searching for amphibians in the pond. WATERS fellow, Sara Healas, and biology professor, Dr. Steve Wagner, came to help students learn about and find frogs. Two frogs were found, and one salamander. Many students ended up very wet, but still had a fun time wearing waders and boots in the water!

Another station taught students how to find snails, then describe and measure them. The teacher, Mrs. Ranger, and WATERS fellow Jonathan Hegna assisted with this process. Students used large nets to catch snails, then observed them up close before releasing them back into the pond.

A third station was designed to teach students the basic method of taking field notes. After a brief introduction to this process, students dispersed into a field and observed sights, sounds, temperature, smells, and other parts of their surroundings and documented them in their science notebooks. WATERS School Liaison, Leah Irwin, facilitated the field notes process.

Students rotated to their fourth station, which was to catch invertebrates, then identify and describe them. Some of the things found were woolly caterpillars, a very unusual-looking spider, grasshoppers, and some aquatic insects as well. WATERS fellows Kelsey Johnson and Jonathan Hegna assisted at this station.

The fifth and final station was doing water quality testing. Students practiced measuring nitrate, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and conductivity levels in the pond water. Geology professor, Dr. Carey Gazis, and WATERS fellow, Renee Holt, led this station.

When students had completed all requirements at all stations and cleaned up their areas, they all retreated back to their teacher's property for lunch on the lawn. The weather had become sunny and warm so anyone who was wet could begin to dry out!

Before loading the bus to return to school at the end of the field trip, students did a scavenger hunt to look for certain types of vegetation in the area.

Overall, a fun time was had by all--even the teacher, Mrs. Ranger, agreed with that!

Students will debrief and analyze some of their pond data in the days after the field trip. Thank you to Mrs. Ranger and WATERS fellow, Renee Holt, for organizing this amazing trip for students, and to all WATERS personnel who helped out!

Harrah Elementary Ecosystem Fieldtrip

2011-06-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

Dale, Dan, and their 5th graders headed out for a fun and sunny fieldtrip to explore some local ecosystems and get acquainted with some awesome birds!
The first stop was to a local pond ecosystem where students, with their chaperons, were allowed to explore the ecosystem. Students were provided with a "scavenger hunt" list of items to look for, but were allowed to explore anything that caught their eye. It was an exciting time of pure exploration and inquiry! We saw tadpoles, a turtle, looked at what types of plants grew near the water and in the water, investigated where the pond's water source was, and collected a number of interesting water bugs. One of the chaperons was incoming WATERS fellow, Meilani, who will be working with Mr. Estock next year!

The next stop was the Yakima Arboretum. We were provided with exploration backpacks and allowed to explore the entire arboretum as guided by an ecosystem map. In the different ecosystems we could ask questions from the guide book and look for interesting plants and animals.

Our last stop was to the Raptor House Rehabilitation Center in Yakima where we were invited to learn about falconry and even met some of the birds that are kept at this location. We learned about falconry and about local falcon species. A couple of lucky students had the chance to help fly the falcons.

It was a great end of the year fieldtrip!!

A special thanks to the Yakima Arboretum for hosting us. www.ahtrees.org
And the Raptor House Rehabilitation Center for the fantastic tour and demonstration! www.raptorhouse.org

Morgan Middle School Reecer Creek Fieldtrip

2011-06-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

In collaboration with Mid Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group, WATERS fellow Jamie took Morgan Middle School 6th graders on a great fieldtrip to visit the Reecer Creek Restoration project at Irene Reinhart park in Ellensburg.
Students measured stream parameters like depth and velocity, searched for flood evidence, learned about the restoration project, and even helped plant some seedlings!

It was a great opportunity for students to invest and learn about restoration happening in their own backyard!
For more information about Mid Columbia Fisheries and their projects visit their website at http://midcolumbiarfeg.com/

Cle Elum BioBlitz 2011

2011-05-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

The 2nd Annual Cle Elum BioBlitz was a great success! Although we were all a bit concerned that the snow might still be falling on BioBlitz day, the weather relented and we actually enjoyed some sunshine and bare soil!
This year, fellow Amber took the lead as the organizer of the event and did a great job collecting the supplies and providing detailed instruction and training to both students and volunteers.
The BioBlitz gives students at the middle school a chance to head outdoors to designated plots and collect a variety of data including soil, flora and fauna, as well as collect detailed observational data.
Expert scientists were available to help students identify plants and other interesting features of their plots. Watershed club students were also on hand and highly trained to help organize each plot and ensure correct measurements.
A special thanks to all the volunteers and teachers who helped make this day possible. And for all the great scientists who collected another year of plot data!

Geography Day Fieldtrip...One More Time!

2011-05-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

Jamie and Mrs. Zentner took their second semester classes of 6th grade science students to CWU for a Geography Day Fieldtrip!
Thanks to some brave and stylish chaperons, students were able to walk from Morgan Middle School to the CWU campus in a timely and safe manner.

Once again, students participated in three stations during the afternoon:

GPS scavanger hunt, including a tour of the CWU greenhouse.

Introduction to GIS.

Stereoscopes and airphotos, lead by WATERS mentor Dr. Lipton.

Once again, students were excited to visit CWU and use some of the tools geographers and scientists use! Another successful fieldtrip!

Glaciers in Thorp!

2011-05-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

Tabitha and Mechelle, the dynamic duo at Thorp School, engaged students in an exciting lesson about glacier movement. Tabitha presented a brief introductory powerpoint reviewing some glacier basics and then every got to play with Flubber aka the glaciers!!

Students were able to compare how glaciers might move as temperature, slope, and surface change. Tabitha's mentor, Dr. Ely, was there to provide further insight and guidance.
The lesson was a big hit! Students were able to explore these concepts by constructing their own experiments. And most of all, they left the class asking for more time to complete their "glacier trials"!

WATERS Attends Annual GK-12 Conference

2011-05-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

In March, WATERS fellows, teachers and PI's had the opportunity to attend the Annual NSF GK-12 Conference in Washington D.C. This meeting gives us the opportunity to share our program's accomplishments, as well as network with other GK-12 grant recipients. WATERS fellows presented a poster at the poster session and were able to attend activities, mixers, and discussions of GK-12 science integration and resources.

In addition, two WATERS fellows, Tabitha and Amber, were selected to present their thesis research and classroom integration at NSF headquarters.

And after a couple days of conference, it's good to get out and see the capital!

Although the Reflecting Pool wasn't reflecting much, Dale did manage to find a prehistoric mosquito, making the trip an overall success!

Digging Up Some Snow Science

2011-05-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

A self-elected crew of Ellensburg High School 9th graders participated in the annual snow fieldtrip to Snoqualmie Pass in March this year.

They dug snow pits under the guidance and supervision of WATERS fellow, Matt, EHS teacher, Roger, and John Stimberis with the WSDOT.

Using these snow pits, students were able to measure the snow density, layer depths, and other parameters which detail the snowfall history of the season.

We had wonderful weather and student worked hard to dig all the way to the ground!

After carefully recording all their data and measurements they filled in the snow pits and headed for home. Matt helped students analyze and interpret the snow data from this year and they presented their findings at CWU SOURCE.

This is the fourth year that EHS has taken students on this fieldtrip and we hope to see quality snow data collection for many years to come!

WATERS Winter Symposium

2011-05-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yakima WATERS teams meet once each quarter to share what they have accomplished, refocus their goals, and share ideas and knowledge.

Each of the WATERS fellows gives a brief presentation highlighting the lessons, activities and fieldtrips their team has incorporated into the classes. We also break out into teacher, mentor, and fellow groups to evaluate and discuss WATERS participation.

This winter we met at the CWU campus and had the additional opportunity to witness some explosive and colorful chemistry demonstrations with Dr. Rivera and Sara.

Selah Junior High- Winter Fieldtrip!

2011-05-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

With frost on the ground...
And a bite in the air...
Tiffany, Mrs. Quincy, and the 8th graders headed out for a chilly day of field data collection at their field site on February 17th.

Tiffany leads the groundwater station.
Dale helps harvest aquatic macroinvertebrates.
Look! A Scud!
Susan and Sara brave the chilly, murky waters of the ditch and students remind them where to measure.
Dr. Pease leads the storm water station.
Mariah and Jim work hard on taking measurements...Skylar looks a little chilled!
Favian gives Skylar some support.
Mrs. Quincy kept us on time and everything running smoothly.
It was a great day for a fieldtrip and we all managed to stay warm AND take some quality measurements! Now that's good science!!

Un-Frozen Frogs!

2011-05-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

Cle Elum Middle School students watched as several Pacific Chorus Frogs slowly recovered from being frozen. That's right, frozen.
Solid. Like ice cubes. And it's a natural part of how these frogs survive during the cold winters in the Yakima Basin!

Amber, following a special protocol from Dr. Jason Irwin's laboratory, was able to freeze these frogs for an in class laboratory about freeze tolerance and other overwintering strategies.
Frogs were removed from the cold water bath at various times so that students could observe the stages of recovering such as the heart beat returning to the seemingly lifeless frog.
Dr. Irwin gave a guest lecture on overwintering strategies and explained the basic physiology behind freeze tolerance in these amazing amphibians!

Thorp Science Night!

2011-04-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

Mechelle LaLanne, CWU Science Education students, and Tabitha helped facilitate the first ever Thorp Science Night on February 24th, an event which we hope will continue annually. Here are few photos for you to enjoy!

Tackling Technology - Selah Junior High

2011-04-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

Tiffany and her 8th grade math students prepared for their second visit to their field site in mid February by reviewing how to set up, calibrate, and collect data using the various probes.
Mrs. Quincy and Tiffany worked diligently to ensure that everyone was ready for data collection!
Students spent a class period reviewing any issues that arose on the last fieldtrip, how they could improve the quality of their data collection, and how they might avoid some of the difficulties of data analysis that arose after the first fieldtrip. In particular, students reviewed the concept of conductivity and determined just "what" was in the water which caused different conductivity readings. Tiffany set up a great example using "poweraid", helping to illustrate how electric current is transferred through solution by ions or electrolytes.

Students also reviewed how to measure the stream. Two days later the students put their skills to work completing their winter data collection at their field site!

Morgan Middle School Geography Field Trip

2011-02-09T14:17:00.000-08:00

Morgan Middle School 6th grade science students participated in a Geography Fieldtrip in November. WATERS fellow, Jamie, organized a fantastic half day fieldtrip. Students walked to CWU campus where they participated in several interactive geography activities hosted by a enormous number of enthusiastic volunteers!

Students created their own watershed and watched it in action with Bob Tuck and the YBEEP Mobile Watershed.

WATERS fellow, Tiffany, helped students calculate the slowest stream velocity ever using an orange, stopwatch, and meter tape. As one student said, "I learned that sometimes when things look like they aren't moving, they actually are." An important water flow concept!

Jamie helped students explore the Yakima basin watershed using GIS (geographic information system). Students looked at land use categories along the Yakima River and marked their home on the map, checking to see if they lived in a floodplain. Several other GIS experts, including 2008-2009 WATERS fellow Chris Hilferty, as well as, were able to help out.

Students also had a chance to participate in "The Amazing GeoRace". Teams, guided by a knowledgeable leader, used handheld GPS units to find three waypoints. Each waypoint was at a unique location on campus and was linked to a science question. Students received stickers at each location after puzzling out the answer to the question in their Geography Fieldtrip handbook.

Jamie managed to round up an impressive number of volunteers to help out on Geography Day! Special thanks to everyone for making the day a real success!

Harrah Elementary Science Exploration Day

2011-01-11T16:05:00.000-08:00

Harrah Elementary 5th graders visited the Central Wasthington University campus for a chance to see and experience different science careers.

Students were able to participate in a variety of science activities including Chemistry, Anthropology, Archeology, Herpetology, Botany, and each group even had a chance to visit CWU's Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI).

Thanks to an army of volunteers who lead stations and chaperoned students the day was a big success!

Cowiche Canyon Watershed Monitoring

2011-01-11T15:41:00.000-08:00

AC Davis Highschool biology students embarked on an exciting partnership with the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy (CCC).

Fellow, Melissa Reitz, in partnership with CCC, organized and designed a fieldtrip to the nearby Cowiche canyon. Students collected water quality data in Cowiche Creek and using thise data and water samples collected by Mel from several areas along Cowiche Creek students provided CCC with written reports of their findings.

During their field day, students collected data at 4 sites along a small section of Cowiche Creek.

WATERS fellow Jamie helped students sample for macroinvertebrates along a faster moving section of stream, known as a run. At first we didn't find anything and then....

Crayfish!

Melissa helped students sample for macroinvertebrates along a riffle portion of the stream, where water is shallow and slower moving.

WATERS fellow Sara helped students conduct and interpret the phosphate test using a small streamside test kit.

WATERS fellow Tiffany helped students measure stream flow. Students also collected the water temperature at each sampling location.

We hope that this will become an opportunity for long standing partnership! For more information about the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy visit http://www.cowichecanyon.org.

Mathematics and Seasonal Water Monitoring

2011-01-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

Selah Junior High math students, under the guidance of Tiffany and their teacher, Mrs. Quincy, are going to put their math skills to use analyzing data collected during a fieldtrip this fall. This hands-on collection of "numbers" allows students to understand how mathematics is applied in watershed research, similar to what Tiffany studies. Students collected data for several water quality parameters: temperature, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen.

At this unique site, students were able to collect water samples from groundwater, stormwater, and ditch water. As an added bonus, students also searched for aquatic macroinvertebrates, tallying them for an assessment of water quality and sketched plants and insects they found at their field site. After the fieldtrip, students spent time organizing, analyzing, and interpreting data.

We headed out for the fall data collection trip on a hot, sunny September day. Students walked to the nearby fieldsite, where smaller groups rotated through the 4 stations.

Tiffany instructed students on groundwater and helped them safely collect their water samples for field testing.

2009-2010 WATERS fellow, Erin Dilworth, helped out with the groundwater station.

Jamie facilitated the Selah ditch station and also helped students explore the local flora.

Dale and Melissa helped students find and sort aquatic macroinvertebrates.

Students will repeat this fieldtrip throughout the academic year, collecting slightly different data for continued data analysis in class and interpreting any interesting seasonal comparisons.

WATERS Chemistry doin' water chemistry

2011-01-05T14:38:00.001-08:00

AC Davis Chemistry students were able to participate in a half day fieldtrip in September to visit the Yakima Sewage Treatment Plant and the Yakima River. It was a great opportunity learn how Yakima's waste water gets "cleaned up" and a chance to measure Yakima River water quality parameters at right near the river's edge.

Yakima River Water Quality

Students were able to test water samples for several important water quality parameters including temperature, pH, conductivity, hardness, and dissolved oxygen. Each of these variables can provide a measurable way to assess river health, both for humans and other living organisms.

Water temperature is a very important water quality parameter, because it can affect both the water chemistry as well as the function and variety of aquatic life in the system.

Did you know that the term pH comes from the French "puissance d'Hydrogene" which means the strength of the hydrogen? Optimum pH for river water is near neutral and extremes in pH can have devastating effects on aquatic life!

Another water chemistry parameter you might not be familiar with is water hardness. Hardness is a measure of the amount of calcium and magnesium ions dissolved in water. In the Yakima watershed water hardness is mainly due to deposits of calcite in the basalt formations and is reported as parts-per-million (ppm) Ca2+.

Conductivity is a measure of how well water can pass an electrical current, thus it is an indirect measurement of the many different dissolved solids in the water. In the Yakima watershed the concentrations of these dissolved solids are affected by the bedrock (containing calcite), agriculture (fertilizers), and road runoff. Decreases in conductivity can indicate the presence of organic pollutants.

Students were also able to make observations about the river, including water color, height, and riverbank vegetation.

Yakima Wastewater Treatment Plant Tour

Students also had the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the Yakima Wastewater treatment plant.

Many thanks to all the fieldtrip helpers and treatment plant for hosting this great trip!

Watershed science gone mobile at Thorp!

2010-10-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

On September 10^th, 2010 the Yakima WATERS program kicked off at the Thorp School District with a mobile watershed extravaganza! Provided by the Yakima Basin Environmental Education Program (YBEEP), the watershed trailer introduced essential watershed concepts using an interactive learning approach.

Students from Mrs. Lalanne’s 7^th, 8^th and 9^th grade science classes took fate into their own hands by designing dynamic watershed landscapes and testing them against simulated natural forces of water erosion. This watershed on wheels may be fun but it also affords students the opportunity to develop a better understanding of how different systems interact and affect each other within the watershed they live in.

Check out http://www.ybeep.org/ to find out how you can bring the watershed trailer to your school!

Summer Fellows

2010-09-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

No rest for the weary!

After the Summer Institute, the fellows continued their summer training with weekly meetings. We had some great meetings this summer and would like to extend a special thanks to all the mentors and previous fellows who lent their expertise on various subjects.

Dr. Jennifer Lipton gave a great hands on lesson on how to incorporate GPS units and mapping into the classroom. We spent a hot, sunny afternoon learning how to use the hand held GPS and then retreated to the cool of the ArcGIS computer lab to plot our points on a map. We also learned some basic ArcGIS skills.

Dr. Dion Rivera reviewed some important water chemistry knowledge and we learned how to use the probes and Hach kits to test for various water quality parameters. We also got to see a couple of really cool chemistry explosions! Mel demonstrates her keen eye for detecting color change as Tabitha carefully titrates.

Remember! If you are interested, CWU Chemistry Club can come visit your classroom and do some pretty awesome demos!

We also had a chance to discuss and plan some education research methods with Drs. Ian Quitidamo and Jenny Dechaine. Dr. Mike Pease and fellow Tiffany Bishop were able to give us an overview of water budget and rights in the Kittitas Valley and we were introduced to a great water rights activity created by Dr. Pease. Jack Lester, a 2009-2010 fellow, met with us to discuss implementation of student research projects in the classroom. We had some great discussion, learned some new skills, and shared some good food!

Many of our fellows have also been busy conducting their summer fieldwork in addition to preparing for their WATERS fellowship and already learning the benefits and struggles of time management!

Stay tuned for updates on the fellows as they begin the school year!

WATERS Summer Institute 2010

2010-07-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to all the 2010-2011 Yakima WATERS teams!

We had a successful Summer Institute July 6th-16th which included an exciting rafting trip on the Yakima River in 50+ mph winds. A great opportunity for team bonding.

We also had an opportunity to drive down the Yakima Valley, stopping to learn about the geologic history of our area as well as the local ecology and land management.

We touched historic riverbed sediments, held snakes (under the guidance and supervision of Dr. Beck, of course!), search for aquatic macro- invertebrates, captured and attempted to identify insects, looked at aerial landslide photos while standing on an old landslide, watched salmon at Roza Dam and learned about salmon management, viewed the majestic Columbia flood basalts, discussed water management and quality in our region, were introduced to our local amphibians, and learned about floodplains, large woody debris, and the cultural and agricultural diversity of the Yakima watershed.

And that was only the first two days!

It was wonderful to have so many experts in the field and classroom with us. All of us were able to learn something outside of our field and share our own knowledge. A great start for the year!

The Summer Instituted ended on a high note with our fellows presenting their team's Action Plan for the upcoming school year. We have a lot to look forward too! Check back for updates on the fellows and their classroom activities and fieldtrips.

Don't worry, they've got everything under control.

Using Liquid Nitrogen to Make Ice Cream at EHS

2010-06-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Add cream, sugar, vanilla and liquid nitrogen to kitchen aid...mix and serve. Delicious!

EHS Chemistry Class makes Temperature Probes

2010-06-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your help Dr. Sorey

SOURCE

2010-05-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

Wayne Quirk-CWU Provost

Great Job to all our presenters

Chemistry Club at EHS

2010-05-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

Members of the CWU Chemistry Club put on a show for students of EHS. With large excited crowds on the edge of their seats Chem Club unleashed large fireballs and explosions that shook the rafters (causing quite a stir in the attendance office).

Kiwanis Pond in the Spring

2010-04-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

Shrub Steppe Investigation-White Swan

2010-04-27T13:57:00.001-07:00

"Winter is Cool!" WATERS field trip

2010-03-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Tom Cottrell and Jason Irwin led a field trip to Blewitt Pass where we learned how to test snow pack strength (Rutschblock test), measure temperature and density of different snow layers, and build quinzhees!

Some pictures outside and inside of the quinzhee:

We also snowshoed and it was a beautiful day.

Snoqualmie Pass Snowpit Digging Trip

2010-03-05T15:11:00.001-08:00

Toad tracking with Walter Strom Students

2010-02-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

Stream Tables at Washington Middle School

2010-02-03T09:22:00.001-08:00

Susan's research students at EHS

2010-01-13T09:00:00.001-08:00

Susan Brady, a fellow from 2008/2009, has been assisting these high school students in science research projects since last winter. Mayra gave a presentation about her work milking spider venom and Brian talked about his research on the algae that lives symbiotically in salamander egg masses.

Stomata lab at EHS

2010-01-13T08:55:00.000-08:00

Snow collectors in Mr. Hume's class

2010-01-13T08:53:00.000-08:00

Walter Strom Water Shed (WSWS)

2010-01-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

http://sites.google.com/site/wswsclub1/home

Check out this link to the Cle Elum Middle School's watershed club made by a student.

--April

Washington Middle School's Trip to Kiwanis Pond

2009-12-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

Nature of the Night

2009-11-30T10:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Sarah, Erin and TJ for helping out with Nature of the Night.

Blogging in the Classroom

2009-11-16T16:33:00.000-08:00

White Swan science teacher Tyler Rice has students sharing their classroom experiences, including WATERS related activities, with the world! See his reasons for digital reflections in a public forum and provide his students with feedback by giving them comments at: http://wshsscience.edublogs.org/

White Swan Poster Session

2009-11-10T14:54:00.001-08:00

White Swan Chemistry investigates water quality in the Yakima Watershed

2009-11-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

Tyler Rice's chemistry class started their field trip at Toppenish Creek near campus then followed it to Granger, stopping near Mud Lake. The class then sampled the Yakima River both downstream of Toppenish Creek at the Satus wildlife area and upstream at Granger Park. They followed the Yakima River upstream to Zillah for a final stop and discussion about human impacts on the Yakima River. At all five sites student teams recorded dissolved oxygen, conductivity, turbidity, pH, temperature and flow rate. Samples were also taken back to class for further analysis of nitrate, ammonium, and calcium ions.

Davis Field Trip

2009-10-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

Photos aren't allowed inside the Chimpanze Human Communication Institute, but Chris demonstrates how to use body language to show the chimps that we are not threatening.

Davis High School visits CWU

2009-10-24T11:25:00.001-07:00

Shawn and Kori explored the wild worlds of herpetology and entomology.

Davis High School visits CWU

2009-10-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Jungle! Jonathan and Jen reveal the secrets of the CWU greenhouse.

Davis High School Visits CWU

2009-10-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

Brittany and TJ let the students explore chemistry with fun activities like "Breathing balloons", "Acrobatic raisins" and "Cartesian divers".

Mt. Stuart Elementary Manastash Ridge Hike

2009-10-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 9th, the 5th grade class of Mount Stuart Elementary and a team of parents and teachers hiked up Manastash Ridge. The goal: epic views of Kittitas Valley - also known as the upper Yakima Watershed.

The students reached the summit, triumphant.

Despite cloud cover, we had a great view of Kittitas Valley

Students listened patiently and passed around rocks from the ridge as we discussed flood basalt lavas, vesicles, and agate formation.

Students pondered the forces that shaped Kittitas Valley, and sketched the Yakima River and surrounding landscape.

Special Thanks to all of the Teachers, parents, and the Central Washington University Yakima WATERS program for making this fun trip possible!

For more information on this hike, visit the Washington Trails Association Web page:
Manastash Ridge Hike link: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/manastash-ridge

Ellensburg High School Field Trip!

2009-10-12T14:30:00.001-07:00

Holly's Adventurous Chinook Pass Field Trip!

2009-09-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to students and fellows alike who shared in the beautiful views and freezing weather!Feeling Glacier Striations with Dr. Lillquist
Tree Coring with Jen, small diameter 100 year old trees, and many students young and old wishing they brought warmer clothing.

Cle Elum-Roslyn School District Classifies Reptiles

2009-09-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

Erin brought a Corn Snake to class which caused some funny faces.

The ball python was a hit too as well as the short horned lizard.

Photos from White Swan lab

2009-09-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

Stonefly Lab at White Swan

2009-09-24T11:41:00.001-07:00

Students were introduced to the phylum arthropoda this week with Hesperoperla pacifica as the beast of the week. Following a brief introduction that included their habitat of cold, highly oxygenated streams and rivers, role in the ecosystem and salmon recovery and their sensitivity to contaminants and increases in water temperature making them an indicator of environmental health, students were allowed to observe the stonefly larvae doing "push-ups". Rather than explaining the behavior is related to respiration by increasing water flow to external gills, students were encouraged to develop a hypothesis and chose something to change from a brainstormed list of environmental factors (light, number of stoneflies, aeration, temperature and depth of water) in order to observe changes in push-up rate. The following day students were given an explanation of manipulated and response variables and then allowed to design a controlled experiment in order to collect data to test their (old or new) hypothesis.

Some Photos from the Institute

2009-09-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

Fellows meet next week

2009-08-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

Let's meet at Wings Central next Wednesday (Aug 26) at 4pm. See you there.

April

Welcome to the Yakima WATERS Blog!

2009-07-03T16:13:00.001-07:00

The Yakima WATERS web log is the place to post thoughts on watershed research, share ideas for integrating research in K-12 schools, and providing feedback on this National Science Foundation-funded initiative.