Curtis Suttle Sharing his MARSLIFE research

Nicky and I were afforded the unique professional development opportunity to participate in real-time, field-based, multidisciplinary science. The Pavilion Lake Research Project, which developed from an interest to map and explore the distribution of fresh-water microbialites in Pavilion Lake. Each year the project has expended and for 2011 has moved to a new site – Kelly Lake. Kelly Lake is a few kilometers from the village of Clinton in Gold Trail School District. Both Nicky and I work within this district as public school teachers. Currently, Nicky teaches at the elementary level in Cache Creek and I teach at the secondary level in Clinton.

We were both ecstatic about being selected as the exclusive two teacher-participants this year. With some trepidation, we arrived on site at the Cariboo Lodge base camp on our first day at 3:00 pm, not sure what to expect. We met the education outreach coordinator, Jennifer Stonehouse, and were immediately put at ease. Our two and a half day schedule was jammed-packed and, busy; full of a variety of informative sessions with different team leaders, researchers and engineers. We were awed at the extent of the expertise, the scope of the project, and the willingness of participants to share with us.

Highlights include:

• Learning about the communication network that was established for the large amount of data that was gathered.
• Being right there with the DeepWorkers on the barge and observing the launch, and collection of data (voice, stills, and video information).
• Conversation with NASA astronaut, Mike Gernhardt Meeting many incredible and welcoming NASA and CSA personnel.

Microbialites with Tyler

It was a much more casual and informal environment than what we had anticipated. We soon realized that patience and adaptability were valuable character attributes that all participants possessed. Besides the obvious science and technology applications of this analogous MARSLIFE site, we learned a lot about scientific collaboration and collegial interactions. The evening roundtable discussions with all science teams represented were absolutely illuminative to the true nature of the scientific process, often generating more questions than answers, initiating cross-disciplinary connections, and exciting pure, animated passions for science. Even the inclement weather did not dampen the spirits of those attending. It was an intense, personable, and inspiring experience, in which both Nicky and I feel so fortunate to have been included.

Written by: Gloria Mertens and Nicky Patterson

Teachers getting the inside scoop on DeepWorker

Learn about the PLRP’s operations, and tour the field site with Heather and Ben!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bekah Shepard explores the highway side of the North Basin of Pavilion Lake. Click the wrench icon in the Google Earth plugin window to slow down the animation speed.

Download the KMZ file for your Google Earth software here: 20100629C

This is a question that we ask our students on the first day of school in September. Boy, we have some interesting things to share on our first day of school. This summer, we travelled together to the Pavilion Lake Research Project to learn about the science that is being done here and how it can be incorporated into the classroom. During the year Bree and I are both immersed in the classroom, and most of the time we are teaching science. Today we have found ourselves writing a blog which neither of us have done before. We seem to be entertaining the people around us with our different ideas of how best to compose one of these, and we will find out if we get a gold star later. The crew here have been very welcoming and happy to share about what they do here. In fact, our first night here we were allowed to get inside one of the DeepWorker submersibles which are used during the scientist flight missions (we were still on dry land, but still very cool). Part of us being here at Pavilion Lake was to integrate teachers into the different activities that go on here, and integrate us they did.

From left, Bree Riddell, Ricky Arnold and Jen Stonehouse

So we are sure you are wondering what we were were able to do at the lake. Unfortunately we were not allowed to drive the subs but we had many other cool opportunities to be part of the team. We sat in on science meetings, pilot meetings, classified data from the submersibles, talked to scientists and astronauts, observed the launches of the submersibles and helped record data from the flights as a science stenographer. One of things that we did was classify the images returned from the underwater flights. During the flights images of what the pilots see is recorded on camera. The pilots see very cool things when on their mission – microbialites. After the mission this data then has to be classified. We looked at images to identified what was in the image – microbialites, algae, rocks, sediment, trash – oh my! This is something that can easily be transferred to the classroom. We classify every day just like the scientists (just on a different level). As the team here classifies these images for science and further understanding, students can also classify these images in the process of learning how to do science. Trust us (or read the rest of these blogs if you don’t), microbialites are very interesting!

How did we do with our first blog? Did we get a gold star?

-Jen and Bree

Community Day was a great success this year - with nearly 100 visitors from Pavilion Lake, the surrounding communities, and as far away as Kamloops

On Saturday evening, the PLRP opened its doors to the Pavilion Lake community! Roughly 100 people visited our community open house to learn about our project and how we study the lake they call home. We especially enjoyed the enthusiastic questions, the smiles and good wishes from everyone who attended the event.

Community members were invited into the Mobile Mission Command Center to check out our communications and lab equipment.

We are very grateful for the support of the community at Pavilion Lake and the Ts’kw’aylaxw First Nation. Thank you all, from PLRP.

-Ben

Arguably, the most important part of doing science is telling people about your discoveries. It is only when you share your results that your experiments can be verified, and others can learn from your successes (and yes, mistakes)! However, a different type of communication is called Education and Public Outreach, or EPO. Education and Public Outreach covers a broad range of activities, from those as simple as arranging visits to schools from our scientists or developing this blog, to more complicated programs like podcasts and website design. These types of activities make science both accessible and exciting!

This year the PLRP is engaged in several EPO activities with teachers, students and Pavilion Lake community members so we can share our excitement about the lake with others. For example, on the evening of July 11 we will host our annual Community Day and Open House, where the local community is encouraged to come to the Lake, meet our team, and discuss our science and exploration activities. Our science team has benefitted greatly in the past on Community Day from hearing stories from the local community about the lake and its history. As always we are looking forward to seeing familiar faces, and meeting new people who are interested in our project at Pavilion Lake.

Ben Cowie (right) speaking about Pavilion Lake at Alexander Hamilton Elementary School in Richmond, BC with teacher Leanne Shortridge (left)

A second project we are developing is a field science integration program for elementary and high school teachers. This year the PLRP will host several teachers at Pavilion Lake for a few days during field operations. During their time in the field, they will have the opportunity to work alongside our science team, receiving hands-on experience doing real field science.  Our aim is to provide these teachers with the materials and experience to train the next generation of young scientists.

Another unique opportunity we have developed this year is a partnership with Shad Valley – UBC Campus. Shad Valley (www.shad.ca) is a summer camp for talented high school students interested in science and engineering. In the field, we will touch base regularly with the Shad students via videoconference, simulating a discussion between an active science operation in space and Mission Control on Earth. This program will give the students insight into a large-scale science operation, develop their interest in space, robotics and analogue research, and help them develop inquiry skills by developing scientific questions for the scientists at the Lake. I am excited to work with some young and very bright people at Shad Valley. Welcome, Shads!

With all the amazing science happening at Pavilion Lake, our team thinks it’s important to share with the community around us, and around the world. By developing effective EPO, we hope to make our science accessible, exciting and engaging for everyone.

Cheers,

Ben Cowie
EPO Project Lead, PLRP