Written by Heather Rickard (K12 Environmental Education Division Coordinator) and Bari Talley (Sípnuuk Division Coordinator)
Píkyav Field Institute staff recognize it’s been a difficult transition for students, teachers and families with school closures and a shift to remote learning, and we sincerely hope this finds you all well. Read on below for an overview of our pre-pandemic K12 lessons with the Karuk Agroecosystem Resilience Initiative: xúus nu’éethti.
Before schools were closed, Happy Camp Elementary 7-8th grade class completed a 4 week series on Fire Ecology and Cultural Fire with DNR’s Fire & Fuels staff.
Orleans Elementary 7-8 th grade class applied fire lessons during a field trip to experiment with DNR’s new Fire Simulation Table with Margo Robbins of KTJUSD and DNR staff including Chook Chook Hillman, Sylvia Van Royen, Scot Steinbring, and Carley Whitecrane.
Laser pointer simulating fires on ridges 
Recreating topography with sand
Orleans Elementary 3-6th grade class completed a 5 week series on the social, cultural, and ecological dimensions of Climate Change. Here’s a few pictorial highlights:
Yellow foot mushroom 
Resiliency through the lens of a microscope
Climate change through tree rings 
Students examine effects of climate change
For access to Nanu’avaha Curriculum and so much more, go to https://sipnuuk.karuk.us/ or contact Bari Talley at btalley@karuk.us. For questions about Environmental Education activities above, feel free to reach out to Heather Rickard at hrickard@karuk.us.
We wish you all a great summer! Take care everyone!