By Nathaniel A. Lopez
On Nov. 12, some volunteers from the Oracle State Park hosted a presentation at Mountain Vista Elementary School for seventh and eighth graders. The presentation was to introduce the students to a new club that is forming, the Oracle State Park Ecology Club.
OSP volunteer Craig Anderson led the presentation and introduced some guests. The goals of the club are to develop teamwork and collaborative decision-making skills, as well as learning about desert ecology, learning about science related careers, participate in overnight camping experience at the park, and to complete one or more conservation projects for OSP.
The first guest to speak was Bob Eider who discussed ecological units, and field experiences. Speaking next was David Singleton who explained what you might expect to do during the campouts at the Oracle State Park. Speaking last was Maribeth Greenslade who discussed multiple career opportunities in ecology/science.
This club can be a great learning experience for younger students with an interest in science and ecology, or it might just spark that interest.