On Monday, August 1, sixteen area high school students arrived at Fort Lewis College for the Environment and Climate Institute (ECI), a weeklong kick-off for the Environmental Pathways Program (EP). Many students arrived as strangers and quickly became great friends - bouncing ideas and sharing stories. They came together with the common interest of seeing the local community and region through the lens of critical climate and environmental issues.
What is ECI?
MSI’s Luke Antonia works with the ECI students to collect water samples.
The Environmental Pathways Program is a year-long program where students study snowpack, water quality, air pollution, and other issues we face in the Southwest and the world. MSI provides real-world, hands-on experiences for students in the program in partnership with Fort Lewis College and the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative. Launched in August 2020, the EP supports academic exploration, career readiness, and student leadership development for students interested in environmental and climate change issues facing Colorado’s ecosystems. The program is open to all high school students attending Bayfield, Durango, Silverton, Archuleta, and Ignacio schools. And it’s free.
ECI KickOff
Students measure E.coli in the river.
On Monday, August 1st, the students were “pitched” four real-world problem proposals by local mentors and scientists and then asked to choose one to work on for the week. The projects included: restoring wetland vegetation at Molas Pass fen and protecting it from wildlife impacts, creating and designing a community garden in Ignacio, E.coli testing in the Animas River near recreation areas, and creating a solution for water run-off at San Juan Mountain School in Pagosa Springs. Tuesday, the groups planned their approach to the project and spent Wednesday and Thursday in the field implementing their ideas. On Friday, they presented their work to the public and shared what they learned and hope to see in the future. Everyone agreed that they would like to continue their projects beyond the week!
Why We Do This
ECI group working at Ophir Fen
“Seeing these kids use the scientific method and spark scientific curiosity is always rewarding. To be able to get these kids invested in the community to do environmental science projects and make inferences from them – is exactly what we want at MSI…environmental science youth coming together to do something good for their communities. Many had never met before, but they left as close friends. They all had such a passion for science and came together because they wanted to do something to help the environment.”
How you or your high school student can get involved:
Join us on a field trip! Also, check out this page to learn more.
Upcoming ECI Field Trips
Please check MSI’s events page for updates
May 13, 2023: Birding and Fire Ecology Field Trip
Contact Jewell Coleman for more information.
