March 20, 2018
ALBUQUERQUE: Biology students from Freedom High School in Albuquerque are set to visit the Valles Caldera National Park and Preserve on Friday, March 23rd as part of a unique curriculum implemented through the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and the Albuquerque Public School system. Freedom High School, a magnet school serving students grades 10 – 12 who have faced barriers to success at more traditional high schools, has partnered with NMWF to give students a unique learning experience.
At the beginning of the new semester in January, NMWF staff began collaborating with one of the biology classes on a newly developed Decision Makers Curriculum. The curriculum allows the students to analyze the Las Conchas fire as different stakeholders: private landowners, Native tribes, and environmentalists, to better understand land management decisions. Each week students are introduced to different aspects of land management and given the opportunity to debate different strategies in fire suppression and management. At the Valles Caldera they will be able to see the areas affected by the fire and meet with agency staff to discuss the conversations they’ve been having all semester.
“This has been a great opportunity for students to learn about the different careers available through land management and debate the sometimes complicated relationships that go into land management,” said New Mexico Wildlife Federation Action Executive Director Todd Leahy who has been guest speaking at Freedom all semester. “I think this type of partnership could easily be applied to schools across New Mexico to give students additional access to career opportunities available to them in their home state.”
“The students have really appreciated the opportunity to debate ways different stakeholders can manage fire,” said Freedom High School teacher and collaborator on curriculum Seth Shapiro. “Anytime we can use a cross-curriculum strategy to engage students in a new way, we see great results. I’m looking forward to bringing this all together at the field trip, a place many of the students have not had the opportunity to visit.”
During the field trip students will:
- Meet with top officials of the Valles Caldera including a wildlife biologist, the Superintendent, and the Chief Education officer. They will be led through a discussion of wildlife and fire ecology. Students will have an opportunity to then ask questions of these officials, from those that will help with debate preparations to career development, students will have the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the Las Conchas fires’ effect on the Valles Caldera ecosystem.
- Tour an area of the Valles Caldera damaged by the Las Conchas fire. Students will hike the Coyote Canyon trail and discover how, if at all, the landscape has changed as a result of the fire. Students will be given handouts that show what the native ecosystem is, and a second handout that shows what plant and animal life is active in that area today.
Press are welcome to meet at the visitor center and join the students on the trip which will begin around 10 am.
