The Observer, May 2005

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Youth Area Watch lets Valdez students work with scientists

By Linda Robinson, Community Liaison

On Monday, March 28, Valdez high school students piled out of a school van and carried crab traps onto the beach in three different locations near Valdez. They were accompanied by Jenny Heckathorn, environmental sciences teacher; Michelle Cullen, parent chaperone; Dan Gilson of the council staff, and me. Herring were prepared and placed in the traps, which were then tied to steel bars. The traps were left out for two tides, and then on Tuesday morning we returned to check and collect the 24 traps. The catch: some native sculpin but no crabs.

The Youth Area Watch program is run by the Chugach School District and funded by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. The program goals are to give students “hands on” experience with scientists, to allow them to make contributions to community-based research occurring in areas affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, increase communication between scientists and communities, undertake long-term monitoring projects and increase awareness.

This particular project, European Green Crab Watch, was established by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and the council, and was being introduced to Valdez students by council staff to monitor the nearby beaches for green crabs. This species has been introduced to the West Coast from Europe and is working its way north. It is feared that they may be introduced by the pumping of ballast water into Port Valdez. They kill or compete with many native species and may threaten our native Dungeness crabs, clams, and other important subsistence species. Fortunately, no green crabs have been found yet in Alaska, and the sculpin we captured in the traps were returned to the port. For more information on the green crab, go to: www.pwsrcac.org/NISfiles/F1_GreenCrab.pdf

Other communities that have participated in Youth Area Watch are Chenega Bay, Cordova, Port Graham, Nanwalek, Seward, Tatitlek and Whittier. Some of the projects they have been involved in are restoration projects, water quality, mussel sampling, harbor seal bio-sampling and killer whale identification. For more information on this program go to: www.chugachschools.com/youth_area_watch

Kodiak Whale Fest

The council sponsored a coloring contest in conjunction with Kodiak’s Whale Fest, April 15-24.

The winners were Maddy Metzler, grade 2, Gaby Serrano, grade 5, and Kory Blount, grade 1. The prizes were “adopted” Alaskan whales and included T-shirts and a diary of sightings.

Lisa Ka’aihue, of the council staff, Blythe Brown, Kodiak’s Invasive Plants Coordinator, and I gave presentations to the science classes at Kodiak High School. Lisa and I talked about the council, and about state invasive species issues. Blythe informed the students about local invasive species issues. If anyone would like a presentation on invasive species, please let me know. More information is on the council’s website.

On the Road Again

Donna Schantz, of the council staff, and I will represent the council at a children’s table at Homer’s Shorebird Festival, the booth will be set up at the International Oil Spill Conference in Miami, and Valdez staff will have a booth at the Valdez Marine Expo, all in May. In June the booth will be set up at the Arctic and Marine Oilspill Program in Calgary.