Dr. Mauritz and Karen hike in the Sandias
All the Way From Northern Arizona University
Marguerite is the research scientist that I will be working with in Healy, Alaska this summer. In the winter months, Marguerite lives in Flagstaff, Arizona and works at a research laboratory hosted by Northern Arizona University, analyzing data that she and her team collect during the spring and summertime up at the research station in Alaska.
Sharing Knowledge
Dr. Mauritz Explains How Snow Fences Work
Last week, she travelled by train from Flagstaff, Arizona to Albuquerque to teach me and my students about the important research that she and her team conduct. My students and I were honored that she took time out to share her knowledge and experiences with us. It was a great opportunity for students to see how science is conducted and how interesting questions about the nature of the world are investigated. An unsolicited comment from one of my high school students affirmed the value of this experience. Garet said, " Ms. Beamish - Dr. Maurtiz's presentation was one of the most interesting talks that I have attended!" Perhaps Garet will venture into science as a career...
What We Want to Know
What the Scientists Want to Know
For a class assignment, a high school student, Tatyana reflected, "“One thing that I learned from Dr. Mauritz's presentation on Friday was that the thawing of permafrost can actually have a huge effect on plant growth in the Arctic. The thawing of permafrost releases nutrients into the soil which causes increased plant growth."
An 8th grade student, Peter, reflected, "The talk about permafrost especially excited me. I learned that permafrost thaws, but does not melt. I also learned that permafrost is rapidly changing from a carbon sink to a carbon source. I was also very interested by the talk about the snow fences. I found it interesting that the snow fences are an efficient research mechanism, but they have hazards such as killing dormant plant life." ...More on Snow Fences later..Stay tuned!
Karen will get to have so much fun in August!
The Fun to Come for Me in Alaska
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