From: Vashon Island - Team 7 - Gurkey, Justin and Mitchell
Re: Project Proposal
BACKGROUND:
A century of human settlement and associated landscape changes have taken
their toll on our native wildlife. We are at a critical juncture with
respect to both our attitudes and actions if there is going to be a
meaningful preservation of what remains of our natural wildlife heritage.
One thing is for certain, for these species to survive there must be
sufficient space to meet their minimal habitat needs and most likely some
means of travel between disconnected habitat spaces. Soon after the year
2000 our population will reach 300 million. Can wildlife still have a place
in the midst of so many people and their demands on the land? We remain
optimistic, but only if we show commitment and creativity in our management
and planning of the landscape. Two general features are essential to any
comprehensive plan for wildlife protection whether the setting is urban,
suburban or rural.
First, we need preserves to sustain viable populations of species. These
will range in size from urban rooftops where falcons or night hawks may nest
to extensive wildlife sanctuaries of thousands of acres.
Second, we need networks of habitat corridors connecting small and large
preserves. Besides providing important habitat for many species of plants
and animals with small home ranges, these corridors would also provide
interchange between preserves where temporary surpluses might be exchanged
to sites of temporary shortages.
PROPOSAL:
Our project is designed to develop an awareness of local wildlife heritage
and to help students identify and create ecological preserves and corridors.
We plan to develop a set of activities for students grades 6-12 which will
allow them to make use of national resources and place their particular home
setting in a national context. At the same time we also hope to provide
them with the tools which will allow them to take action in evaluation or
creation of these preserves and corridors on a local level. These
activities would allow the students to:
=B7 be exposed to content in both the life and earth sciences.
=B7 be exposed to a number of traditional data collecting techniques.
=B7 be exposed to the procedures for the access of data available on local=
and
national data bases which are accessible through computer and non-computer
technologies.
=B7 interact with government agencies and volunteer groups in the
identification or creation of sensitive areas for wildlife.
=B7 identify the common threads that connect projects or activities whether
their setting is urban, suburban or rural.
=B7 participate in the same project grades 6-12 at increasing levels of
sophistication. This will help students understand they don=92t have to be=
at
a new location or setting to be involved in new and increasingly challenging
learning.
=B7 help students make a connection between learning and service in their
community.
TEAM TASKS WHILE AT PRINCETON:
=B7 Develop and organize a set of content and process goals for each grade=
level.
=B7 Identify a range of activities which might be used at each grade level
depending on location and resources available.
=B7 Identify and use resources which are in existence as a means of=
assessing
their appropriateness for incorporation in the project, i.e., government and
educational data bases, GLOBE and other existing curriculum, community
resources.
=B7 Each of us brings a different set of talents and interests to the=
project
and we want to remain open ended enough to take advantage of opportunities
which may arise during the course of the summer institute which we are
unaware of now but would want to pursue. We are committed to working
together and to the individual expansion of talents or interests we feel can
only enhance our final product.
TEAM TASKS AFTER PRINCETON:
=B7 Try the program with our students - evaluate and modify.
=B7 Share it with others through our professional organizations.