Environmental Science Workshop!

On November 22rd, we held our Environmental Science Workshop at the Logan Heights Library.

First, participants learned the core definition of environmental science and discussed the various roles of the environmental scientist, including an overview of the work from the famous oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle. A key discussion on why plants matter was given to emphasize that in each ecosystem, plants always play a foundational role, whether on land or in water, at the base of every food chain. Key takeaways included that plants provide habitat, release essential oxygen, and absorb CO2​, which is very important in regulating the planet's temperature.

Participants defined the different roles within an ecosystem, such as producers (like plants), which make their own food; consumers (like lions or foxes), which eat other organisms; and decomposers (like fungi and bacteria), which break down dead matter. They also learned about trophic levels and the 10% rule, which explains how energy is transferred and lost from each successive level.

Our first activity was a web-of-life activity. The different organisms of a food web were each participant, holding a piece of string to show how energy flows from the sun and how all species are connected. Each could literally see and discuss how the stability of the whole web and every other organism was immediately affected by cutting one piece of string, which in this case represented when a species dies out. This activity provided a powerful visual of the impact of events such as the introduction of an invasive species.

It continued with a deep dive into two critical global processes: the carbon cycle and photosynthesis. Through this, participants traced the steps of the carbon cycle and were able to identify carbon sinks, areas that absorb carbon (oceans and forests), and carbon sources, areas that release carbon (fossil fuel combustion).

This was the knowledge base for the definition of climate change, its main causes-that is to say, burning fossil fuels and manufacturing products-and its effects, among which are the greenhouse effect and increase in natural disasters. They learned about positive feedback loops, such as the ocean absorbing CO2​, which in turn accelerates ocean warming and acidification.

Then, participants applied their knowledge through an "Overheating Design Challenge." Presented with a scenario where a school's blacktop and playground were getting too hot for kids and plants, teams banded together to draw and present a design solution. Among the creative ideas were adding water parks, increasing tree planting, sprinklers, and reflective pavement. The participant teams then presented their solutions to the group, coming up with a variety of innovative ways for helping the environment within their local community.

After enjoying the snack, attention was turned to the structure of Earth and the forces that shape it. Participants became familiar with basic geological processes, including identification of the main Earth layers (crust, mantle, inner/outer core) and tectonic plate movements (continental/oceanic plates). Convergent and divergent plate boundaries were introduced and explained.

With the marshmallows and toothpicks given, the goal of the participants was to make a building that would sustain seismic activity. They needed to construct a building that could withstand an earthquake simulation model and apply principles based on structural engineering and stability.

Overall, our participants had a great time engaging with the complex environmental topics through hands-on learning activities! Our next workshop is in December. We hope to see you there!

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