From ravens to volcanoes, Girl Scouts learn about science

AMY VON DIEST

May 09, 2008 at 11:27AM AKST

For The Tundra Drums

More than 100 Girl Scouts participated in Bethel’s third annual Women of Science event.

The event, hosted by the Girl Scouts Susitna Council on April 12, a sunny Saturday , saw the Girl Scouts embrace workshops led by local women involved in science.

In addition to Bethel attendees, eight Kasigluk Girl Scouts and their teacher, Vicki Nechodomu, flew in for the event.

Lorraine Gill, Kit Eischen, Donna Patel and Denise Evey gave their time to help make the first part of the day fun and exciting, setting the tone for the rest of the afternoon. These women hosted health discovery stations and shared their interest in science with every girl in attendance.

Eischen coached girls to listen to their heartbeat with a stethoscope. Gill worked with girls and a variety of fun fake food to assemble the components of a healthy meal, complete with correct portion sizes.

The girls also worked with pharmacists Patel and Evey to learn about different types of drugs, their uses and precautions.

Bob Ward, a dental hygienist at Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corp., put together dental "goodie" bags for each of the girls. The bags were full of toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss and guides for keeping teeth and gums healthy.

Amy Ponsness hosted the dental station so the girls could get their bag and be encouraged to take care of their teeth. The girls also participated in self-guided activities, such as making balloon-propelled rockets, and investigating surface tension through a water-drop experiment.

Saturday afternoon, many of the girls learned about dog mushing and observed their environment on a nature walk.

One of the outdoor sessions, led by Angela Denning Barnes, involved the science of dog mushing. Barnes has volunteered to lead sessions during each of the three years of this annual event. She brought a full truck of dogs, two sleds and typical mushing gear.

Two separate groups of girls spent 90 minutes with Barnes and fellow musher/dog handler Jen Peeks to learn the ins and outs of dog care, handling and using the sled. The girls worked with the sled on their own without an adult riding on the runners behind them.

Many seemed apprehensive at first, but with bit of encouragement from the rest of the group, every girl gave it a try.

The dog-mushing session would not have been successful were it not for long-time Girl Scout Janessa Warren, who incorporated her knowledge and skill of dog handling.

Another outdoor session was led by Christine McCaffery, a park ranger with the Yukon Delta Wildlife Refuge. McCaffery used her skills as an environmental educator to draw attention to the natural details often overlooked.

When McCaffery was closing a session, a small girl in the very back yelled, "Hey, look over there on that satellite dish. It’s a momma bird on her nest."

All turned to watch as the raven fluttered her wings over the edges of her nest.

For the second consecutive year, Amy Wald, Kuskokwim University Campus talent search program coordinator, led a session on discovering invertebrates. She shared her passion for insects and aquatic invertebrates, allowing the scouts to use microscopes. The girls examined a live crayfish and watched coral in a saltwater aquarium.

Tisha Kuhns Woolley, originally from Bethel, now works as a geologist in Anchorage. With support from Sue Gamache at Calista Corp., Woolley was able to encourage her employer to fly her out for the event.

As part of her geology workshop, Woolley built a diorama to demonstrate the workings of a volcano.

Among volunteers who helped with the event were Sheila Leinberger, Ponsness, Vivian Korthuis, Ronda Sargent and Margaret Herron.

For the third year, Bethel’s Women of Science event has been provided in partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ continuing education program.

Pam Twitchell, a lifelong Girl Scout and Kuskokwim Campuses Continuing Education Program coordinator, helped arrange housing.

More than 900 girls have been involved in Girl Scouting throughout the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta this year. Many participate in Girl Scout camps that this summer will be hosted in 22 villages.

Many villages have Girl Scout groups led by local adults who plan activities for the girls with support for ideas and supplies from the Girl Scouts Susitna Council.

Girl Scouting depends on caring adults to lead the programs.

For more information, call the council at (800) 478-7448 or e-mail at avondiest@gsscak.org.

Amy von Diest, rural outreach manager for Southwestern Alaska, can be reached at (800) 478-7448 or by e-mail at avoindiest@gsscak.org