Student-Run Summit takes stock of our resources
Royce Hinjosa presents the opening remarks at the 2022 San Juan Resilience Youth Summit.
““I truly began to love learning because MSI and ECI had shown me what it could really be.” ”
The San Juan Resilience Youth Summit (SJRYS) is a highlight event for Mountain Studies Institute, and we look forward to experiencing it with our community every year. By showcasing the voices of our youth, we engage them in finding opportunities to solve the environmental issues of today and tomorrow. We recognize that to protect the future of our planet and its resources, we must also invest in its future stewards. MSI is proud to support student success and stewardship through the student-run led SJRYS.
Early introductions to these experiences can influence careers and interests. For example, a second-year veteran of the Environmental Pathways program (formerly ECI), Royce Hinjosa says, “I truly began to love learning because MSI and ECI had shown me what it could be. Testing river water with MSI… showed me that there was more to learning than a classroom and memorization.”
This year’s students were no less enthusiastic to demonstrate their knowledge and research at the summit. On February 9th, MSI hosted over 100 middle school and high school students from across the San Juan Mountain region at the 2022 San Juan Resilience Youth Summit. The annual student-run Youth Summit is in its third year and is designed to create space for students to share research they have conducted on local environmental issues or topics relating to resilience. Together, with our partners the Fort Lewis College Environmental Pathways Program, The City of Durango, and the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative, a diverse audience gathered at Fort Lewis College to listen and learn from the next generation of environmental stewards.
The Summit grew out of a desire to give students the opportunity to preview a professional conference and to encourage them to learn from one another. Twenty student presenters covered a wide range of topics from water quality, wildfire ecology, and agricultural production. Presentation topics were left open to allow students to generate ideas based on their interests and priorities.
We need your support to continue building up future leaders to steward the San Juan Mountains!
Ideas for Change
Jerum Reeder shares his ideas on Magnetic Transportation
Jerum Reeder, a student at San Juan Mountain High School, discussed his ideas for a Magnetic Transportation System, describing it as “a futuristic way to get to point A to point B, and a much faster and [efficient] way to get to where you will need to go.” Jerum explained the theory behind his ideas for this new system of transportation “that can better our future.” He showed diagrams and models that he had constructed at home and answered hypothetical questions from interested students.
Another presenter, Sophie May-Ostendorp of St. Columba School, studied the lifespan of E. coli in natural conditions. She began with the question “How long will E. coli live in natural conditions?” to further our understanding of potential contamination in our watershed and the need for responsible recreation. She says she will use this information to educate visitors and those who want to recreate in our community, “I would show them this data to encourage them to choose campgrounds with restrooms, so we avoid more contamination.”
Sophie May-Ostendorp of St. Columba School presents her research on E. coli lifespans.
Student-Driven Research: From Solar Flares to Bioplastic
During an open discussion walk around, fifteen students presented poster board displays. This gave an opportunity for students to discuss and learn what their peers were interested in and exchange ideas on the subjects. It was incredible to see the initiative and creativity displayed by students.
““I wanted to do something like that, but then I did some research and found out that it’s a little illegal- so this is kind of the next best thing.” ”
Tenzing Matt, a middle school student at St. Columba School, presented his poster project titled “Detecting Solar Activity with a Homemade Magnetometer.” When asked what inspired his curiosity in the subject, Tenzing explained that he was watching a heist movie that involved the characters knocking out the electronics to hack into a safe. “I wanted to do something like that, but then I did some research and found out that it’s a little illegal- so this is kind of the next best thing.” In his experiment, Tenzing built a magnetometer. He took measurements three times a day for five days and noted that “the changes corresponded with solar flares and other solar activity.”
Other poster presentations included an examination of water resources in “The Future of Lake Powell” by Nell Taylor of Pagosa Springs High School and “Animal Crossings: A Safer Way for Animals to Travel” by Annabeth Hanson of Mountain Middle School. Madalynn Tharpe from Animas High School shared her research on bioplastics and posed the question - are they more environmentally friendly than regular plastic?
Exploring Higher Education
Amanda Kuenzi leads a group of students to tour the botany department at Fort Lewis College.
After presentation sessions, students were given a menu of seven campus experiences to choose from to explore various labs and resources at the college. Students had the opportunity to pursue two options from an interactive tour of the biology, physics, or chemistry lab. In the chemistry department, students visited the laboratories that housed spectrometers and had the chance to conduct an explosion by lighting a hydrogen balloon on fire!
Inspiring others
Our goal for future summits is to lead more students to an active role in the conversations surrounding conservation. By introducing students to environmental issues early on in their schooling, MSI hopes to inspire more of the future generations to bring stewardship into their lives and academic careers.
““Testing river water with MSI… showed me that there was more to learning than a classroom and memorization.””
Royce Hinojosa, a senior at Bayfield High School, credits his experience with the previous Youth Summit as “integral in [his] educational successes.” Royce plans to major in Environmental Studies and Economics next year. We are so proud of Royce and all our Environmental Pathways students, and we hope to continue to share that inspiration and aspiration with future students!
If you find programs like the Youth Summit valuable for our community, please consider supporting MSI's education work with a donation today.
For more information, go here or contact Amanda Kuenzi at amanda@mountainstudies.org.
To learn more about the Environmental Pathways program, contact Shawn Whitehead at slwhitehead@fortlewis.edu
