Rising to the challenge, setting an example

SEELEY LAKE - "We are trying to clean up the school forest to protect it from future wildfires," Seeley-Swan High School senior Walker McDonald said. "We are looking to use this as an example for the community and a standard and try to get motivation throughout our community to clean up their property. We know how wildfires have been in the area and we know it is only going to get worse."

McDonald along with six other students in Gretchen Watkins' chemistry class won the 2021-2022 RISE Challenge with their proposal "Protection Against Wildfire, An Issue of Concern." The students received $1,000 to implement their project treating hazardous fuels on an acre of land on Seeley-Swan High School property. The students hope that this project will not only make their school more defensible to wildfire and cleaner but also set an example for proper fire prevention tactics within the community.

Watkins likes to incorporate the project-based, student-driven process into her classroom as much as possible. When she read about the RISE Challenge, she was intrigued.

This is the second year the RISE Challenge Big Sky has been offered by Brightways Learning, Watershed Education Network and Earth Force to western Montana educators and students in sixth through 12th grade. The mission of the Challenge is to create a generation of citizens with the knowledge, skills and motivation to improve community resilience to natural disasters. Part classroom learning, part competition and part summit, RISE Challenge Big Sky engages students in exploring natural hazards impacting their communities. Students then selected an issue to focus on, conducted in-depth research, engaged community stakeholders, defined a strategy for addressing their natural hazard issue and presented it in an action plan proposal.

"Here was one that was built around the natural world," Watkins said. "I thought these kids are really into it."

She presented the RISE Challenge to her chemistry class since they were several chapters ahead.

"They are really diligent students," Watkins said. "I figured these guys could probably do it, if they wanted to."

Watkins said the students took the idea and ran with it. In early January, they did an inventory of the different natural disasters that affect the area. While analyzing the past 10 years of water monitoring data collected from Morrell Creek, located about 600 feet from SSHS, the students observed an increase in nutrient loading following the Rice Ridge fire of 2017 with a spike of nitrogen in 2019. The fire also increased sedimentation, algae promoting nutrients and heavy metals.

"Through this activity, we were able to see the direct effects of wildfire has had on our local water bodies," said narrator Owen Hoag in the video.

"That really got them thinking [wildfire] was a huge thing," Watkins said. "It got them sharing all their different stories about how and where they were specifically during [the Rice Ridge fire of 2017 and the Jocko Lake fire of 2007]."

The students identified that the most reoccurring natural disaster in Seeley Lake is wildfire. When they looked at the school property they realized they could write a proposal for the school property to reduce hazard fuel and increase forest health.

"We thought this would be a great way to take initiative," McDonald said.

The students met with Seeley Lake Ranger District fire personnel and District Ranger Quinn Carver to discuss nutrient recycling, reducing ladder fuels and increasing tree spacing to promote a healthier forest by allowing more sunlight and reduced competition.

They discussed personal protective equipment (PPE) that should be worn when performing the work and were given training on how to safely use the equipment and how to complete the work to meet project objectives.

Students also met with the Clearwater Resources Council and The Nature Conservancy to help them understand how to treat the school property.

The students recorded these presentations and produced an eight-minute educational video that they hope will help community members understand how to reduce hazardous fuels and create a healthier forest on their property. The students also interviewed members of the Seeley Lake Lions Club Lions to see what the community thought of their project on the video.

"They felt this lead-by-example thing was the best way to do it," Watkins said. "The Forest Service brought tons of map and explained how the parcels are all slated for different [treatments] and explained how that decision process all goes. That was really cool for the students to see how they plan and figure out treatments for this huge land mass."

The proposal from the chemistry class was among the top 10 proposals selected by the judges. They were invited to present at the culminating summit hosted by Brightways Learning April 28 in Missoula. They gave a presentation, shared their video and fielded questions in front of a panel of professionals including the state emergency coordinator, the Forest Service, UM professors and other scientists. Based on their combined score for their written proposal and summit day presentation, the SSHS students won the $1,000 grand prize.

"It was so awesome," Watkins said. "There were really good presentations, some that they were up against, so I was really super proud and happy."

"It was really cool. I've never gotten to hold one of those big checks before," said Owen Hoag, a junior in the class. "I've enjoyed the project."

Hoag said his family has practiced fuel reduction on their property for years. However after the presentation from the Forest Service, he has a new appreciation of how big of a project active forest management is since they are responsible for so much land.

Watkins said they will use the money to help implement that project. They have already purchased tools and some safety gear and students have been out thinning. They are hoping to contract with a logger to remove some of the larger trees but that will depend on partnerships and more funding.

"It is just good to get the idea out there," said Klayton Kovatch, a junior in the class.

For Kovatch the project really sealed the knowledge he already had. He felt even though it was on a small scale, it was neat to be able to teach other SSHS students.

"It is fun to see our project mature and see it through the end," Kovatch said.

Watkins said projects like this are key for the upper classmen. It helps them understand how they can help solve problems in their community. This has also encouraged the underclassmen in her other science classes.

Watkins said, "Here we are, actually taking our knowledge, solving problems and standing up and being really good people."

For more information about the RISE Challenge Big Sky visit https://www.brightwayslearning.org/rise. The student video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mgBVKgNlug.