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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 2000)
Page 10 The INDEPENDENT, October 4 2000__________________ _________________________________ ____ ________________________________________ Camp Wilkerson provides nature for sixth grade Outdoor School By Jean Johnson Special to The INDEPENDENT “I know Australia is fresh in everyone’s mind because of the Olympics. Right?” “Yeaaah!" chorus 12 sixth graders who have chosen places at the picnic tables so they can see a dog-eared flip chart. Bill Eagle, who is Associ ate Director of the Columbia SWCD and has been teaching at the Camp Wilkerson Out door School since the late 1960s, knows how to be cur rent even as he explains clas sic ideas of ecological balance to local youths. It’s a crisp morning in late September; one of those fleet ing, golden days that dwellers in the Lower Columbia River region savor. If you tilt your head back you can see blue sky through a lacy crown of 100-foot Douglas fir trees. Everyone’s gathered in a clear ing to absorb what they can of Eagle’s main message: Hu mans have the power to take care of natural resources and make the world a better place. “Well, in Australia,” he con tinues, “they imported some nice, furry rabbits, but guess what?” The man does a knee dip that incorporates his whole body and lifts his arms out wide. “There were no wolves or other predators that could keep numbers down, so the bunnies multiplied into a huge prob lem." He looks as if he’s about to take flight from the very thought of the idea. The kids reward him with rapt attention, which is sustained to varying degrees as he moves into a discussion of how balance is also important when we think about soil and water. He has props, charts, and various tricks to keep the stu dents" interest as he tries to plant seeds of appreciation for our most elemental natural re- sources. “Did you know it takes 500 to 1000 years to make an inch of topsoil?” he asks the group. “And it’s getting made all the time by rocks breaking down and mixing with stuff like pine needles." He scoops up a handful of duff from the forest floor and holds it out for the stu dents to inspect. “It didn’t just get there by a bunch of di nosaurs pooping all over the place.” The kids chuckle. “And water’s precious too,” visibly energized by the stu dents’ involvement, he flips to a page on the tripod that has a diagram of a human body, showing 50-65% water con tent. “We have to have water to live. We are really just a bunch of old water bags!” Under Ea gle’s magnetic facilitation skills, the kids brainstorm what they can do to help keep water clean. Before the formal session breaks up, students are treated to a last visual aid — a pyramid of life, with soil and water on the bottom, plants and animals in the middle, and humans at the top. “Now,” quizzes Eagle, “who depends on who here?” Practiced now, the kids confi dently dive into figuring out the dynamics of the chart. Around a hundred sixth graders from Columbia County schools — this group is from Vernonia School District’s Washington and Mist Grade Schools, where Outdoor School is part of the curriculum every year — are treated to a week at Outdoor School each year for a variety of activities designed to bolster awareness of natural resource manage ment and conservation. Their interest and enthusiasm leave the unmistakable impression that this younger generation will do quite nicely when its members take their turns as natural resource stewards here in the Pacific Northwest. County-owned Camp Wilkerson again contributed the atmosphere that helps students learn about nature as sixth graders from Washington Grade School listened to Bill Eagle during their annual Outdoor School last month. Students pictured include Brittany Lindauer, Jessie Long, Joreigh Landers, Nandi VanMeter, Amanda Mathews, Jacob Hales, Curtis Holabird, Ryan Peets, Jeff Paleck, Paul Ogden and Luke Johnston. Locks of Love: Long tresses lopped to help others B e fo r e ... A f te r . .. Stella Mailer’s long, blond locks were sacrificed to help weave hairpieces for cancer patients who have lost their hair due to anti-cancer treatments. Stella Mailer liked her long, blond hair, but she had reason to cut it off—actually, she had two reasons. Both of Stella’s grandmothers, Anita Mailer and Irish Bruers, have breast can cer and there’s very little the 11-year-old sixth grader can do about It. So, when she heard about “Locks of Love” she knew it was her opportunity. Locks of Love for Shelby started a year ago with a com ment by Amy King, on KUPL radio’s Waking Crew, about 4- 1/2 year-old Shelby Laud erdale, who lost her battle with leukemia on Oct. 2, 1999. Since then, about 500 people signed up to donate their hair for wigs and hairpieces that will Please see page 11 Free dental flouride program again in local schools Vernonia and Mist students in kindergarten to sixth grades will have the opportunity to par ticipate in a year-long supple mental fluoride program admin istered at school. Students can begin the program at any time during the school year. Permis sion slips are available at each school office. “King Fluoride” is a voluntary program sponsored by the Oregon State Health Division, which provides the necessary supplies at no cost to the chil dren or the district. Each child who participates will receive one fluoride tablet each day that they attend school, and a ♦oothbrush for the year. “We see an average of one student per week with decay severe enough to create an ab scessed tooth,” said Vernonia dentist Dr. Scott Van Dyken. The long range goal is to re duce decay overall, improve health and therefore reduce lost days at school due to den tal disease.” Studies have demonstrated that the 60-second swish and shallow tablet regimen can re duce decay by 30-40 percent. For further information re It also strengthens permanent garding the “King Fluoride” pro teeth forming in the jaw under gram, call Dental Hygienist Pat the baby teeth. Parents will re ceive permission slips to sign Stacklie at 503-429-2675 days or 503-429-7563 evenings. and return to school. VHS Site Council lates election Kari Moeller and Rebecca Brookins are seeking election to two vacancies on the Ver nonia High School Site Coun cil. Elections will be held at the high school during parent- teacher conferences, October 4 - 6. Any interested parent or community member is invited to vote. Broad participation by parents, students and staff is a key element in the success of our students. Among the site council proj ects was the research and completion of the school im provement plans that are re quired by the state. The plan is being used to make changes to improve the quality of educa tion in Vernonia. The silent reading program now in place is a direct result of the work of the site council. Anyone interested in the group’s activities is invited to attend VHS Site Council meet ings on the last Tuesday of each month at 3:15 p.m. The next meeting will be October 31. LOW CO$T CAR LOANS Vernonia Federal Credit Union • 5 0 3 -4 2 9 -8 0 3 1 Annual Fall Dining Sale Going OnNow! Hurry in now for your holiday entertaining! B est Selection - Highest QuaBty Low est Prices o f the Yeari “ptuH ry Waad O U p h a lttrm l F u m ltu r f Rem em ber M a n y Products A re 1 O f A K ind H urry I n F o r Best Selection! Quamaaa anaad *> oax* an ham ’ 2 - , , . - . — n* Baaallna Rd. • Com tllut. OR 97113 (503) 640-1124 • Far mo - m s i 2962 iW ’ L»l I nMauaMa M Sw* ma, mvnaach»». Regular Hour»: Moo - Sa! ,0 to ». Sun 11 le 5. 9 0O A V S SAME AS CASH o AC lay a w a y * and Financing II? ----- — 1(126 S.E. Starti • Portland, OR 97233 (503) 252-5434 • Fax m M22 your D o llar Buy Mora A t M urphy ä Furnltura Fam ily O f Storaa
