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Elders of the Confederated Tribes, family mem
bers and friends gathered recently at the Cove
Palisades State Park.
The event was the annual Seniors Picnic.
This year the picnic included boat rides on Lake
Billy Chinook.
Native American youth to focus on salmon recovery
The Salmon Camp Research
Team is now funded to provide
54 Native American students
the opportunity to learn science
while helping bring about salmon
recovery.
The research team is part of
the Oregon Museum of Science
and Industry (OMSI).
Through OMSI, the Salmon
Camp Research Team was
awarded a $728,560 grant from
the National Science Founda
tion. Science
By Dave McMechan
Spilyay Tymoo
This summer for tribal mem
ber Christopher Wenzel has
been out of this world.
I lis interest is astronomy, the
study of stars, planets and outer
space.
Because of this interest,
Wenzel could not have asked
for a better summertime expe
rience. He is among eight recent
high school graduates working
on science and engineering
projects at the NASA Jet Pro
pulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,
Calif.
During the nine-week sum
mer program, the students will
visit astronomy landmarks such
as the Palomar Observatory
near San Diego, and the 70
mctcr antenna at Goldstonc,
one of the three complexes of
the Deep Space Network.
The student program is called
the Alliance for Learning and
sixony day at the Cove
The three-year grant will an
nually provide 54 students from
western Native American tribes
with the opportunity to work
with northwest Native American
scientists and resource manag
ers. The students will have the
opportunity to spend up to four
weeks and seven weekends at
OMSI camps and other institu
tions. The students will spend their
time learning how to use such
is focus
Vision for Undcrrcpresented
Americans (ALVA).
The program is sponsored by
the NASA Jet Propulsion Labo
ratory and the University of
Washington.
In the fall Wenzel will be at
tending the University of Wash
ington, to study and prepare for
a career in the field that inter
ests him the most. "I'm very
proud of him," said his mother,
Lois Wenzel.
The Wenzel family lives in
Washington. Lois is originally
from Warm Springs. Her par
ents are Pat Brown and Olson
Mcatuis.
Real life experience
The ALVA program is the
perfect way to prepare for up
coming school year.
Besides the inspiring tours of
the telescopes and laboratories,
the program provides the stu
dents with daily calculus work
shops. "The AIA'A program serves
Spilyay Tymoo,
. " , TV I
-j. : ;Js w
At top, Bertson Simtustus enjoys a boat ride on the lake, while Emerson
Squiemphen manevours the craft (photo above). At left, Floyd Gibson
relaxes by the water. At right, Claude Smith Sr. reads the latest news.
equipment as data recorders,
radio telemetry equipment, sta
tistical software, global position
ing systems and computer mod
eling software in fieldwork and
lab settings.
The students will work di
recdy with university, tribal and
agency scientists, researchers
and natural resource managers
on computer modeling of com
plex ecological, hydrological and
geological problems related to
Northwest salmon recovery.
as students prepare for college
(rv '
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A tour of giant space antenna Is
as a bridge between high school
and college," said Wendic
Donahue, university liaison at
1
Warm Springs, Oregon
"This program can provide
a direct line into college, intern
ships, jobs and professional sci
ence careers," said OMSI presi
dent Nancy Stueber.
"Also, by connecting students
with tribal leaders and research
ers, OMSI is helping to com
bine the most advanced scien
tific technology with traditional
ecological knowledge," said
Stueber.
Using remote sensing (satel
lite and aerial) technologies in
i
11
'IT
Photo oountay ofthtALVA program.
part of the ALVA program.
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
"It gives the students a better
taste of real life and work ex
" " '
Photos by Selena Boise
'i Z'- t I
lis
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conjunction with geographic in
formation systems (GIS) tech
nology, students and research
ers will plan and implement sev
eral salmon habitat restoration
projects.
Students will use hand-held
computers in conjunction with
GPS units to verify that data on
habitats, landforms, cultural re
sources, geology, soils and sur
face water generated through
remote sensing satellites is ac
curate on the ground.
perience prior to college. It's
good in that they arc also able
to see that work is really work -it's
not as glorious as expected."
The program started nine
years ago, and is geared toward
undcrrcpresented minorities in
science, math, engineering and
technology. The students are
selected by the University of
Washington and, once at Jet Pro
pulsion Laboratory, are matched
to projects and programs ac
cording to their interests.
At the end of the nine-week
program, the students are re
quired to do a 15-minute pre
sentation about their experi
ences. The laboratory
The Jet Propulsion Labora
tory is managed by the Califor
nia Institute of Technology. The
laboratory is NASA's lead cen
ter for robotic exploration of
the solar system.
The laboratory telescopes arc
observing distant galaxies in the
August 21, 2005
h
Besides the grant from the
National Science Foundation,
the salmon camp is supported
by the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife, and the
Howard Vollum Scholarship
Fund of the Oregon Commu
nity Foundation.
Native American community
leaders, educators, parents and
students interested in learning
more about OMSI's salmon
camp program can call (541)
548-5473.
The laboratory cameras
and sensors are currently
aboard satellites circling
the Earth.
universe to study how the solar
system was formed.
The Jet Propulsion Labora
tory also manages the worldwide
Deep Space Network, which
communicates with spacecraft
and conducts scientific investi
gations from its complexes in
California's Mojave Desert near
Goldstonc; near Madrid, Spain;
and near Canberra, Australia.
The laboratory cameras and
sensors are currently aboard sat
ellites circling the Earth. They
are studying the ozone, oceans
and other Earth sciences. The
laboratory's main site is at the
foot of the San Gabriel Moun
tains near Pasadena, 12 miles
northeast of Los Angeles.
(Information for this article was
provided by Lois Wenzel and
Enrico Piatfa.)
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