Approaches
The research and ethical approaches described below informed the development of the Caring for Clear Lake materials.
Honoring Tribal Ecological Knowledge and Leadership
We would like to take a moment to respectfully acknowledge that the land on which we stand, Lake County and the land surrounding Xa Batin or today’s Clear Lake, is in the traditional territory of:
Danoxa, Mountains by the water (Robinson Rancheria); Elem, The people of the water (Elem Indian Colony); Habematolel, Village of the rock people (Habematolel of Upper Lake); Wilokyomi, Ash Home (Middletown Rancheria); Kuhlanapo, Waterlily People and Xabenapo, Rock People (Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians); Ye-Ma-Bax, People of Above and Beyond (Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians); and Koi (Koi Nation).
At one time there were more than thirty villages in Lake County of which these seven Federally recognized tribes remain today. We acknowledge that each tribe has a rich history and living culture steeped in a reciprocal relationship with the land, and all other living beings.
We acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced occupation of these territories and we respect the diverse indigenous people connected to this land on which we gather.
We acknowledge that as the original stewards of this land, these tribes carry traditional and ecological knowledge that can help to heal the damage that has been done following colonization of these territories.
The materials strive to reflect an Indigenous perspective on the interconnectedness of all elements of the ecosystem: its land, water, animals, soil, and plants as well as human communities. The materials are designed to draw from Indigenous traditions of cherishing and protecting the environment for the benefit of both instead of the dominant Euro-American view in which humans and nature are separate and in which humans dominate and exploit nature.
The materials are intended to support educating the next generation of Tribal and non-Tribal youth environmental stewards in ways that promote academic and professional advancement in scientific careers as well as individual actions. They also highlight the cultural dimensions of ecological knowledge and stewardship. Towards these ends, the materials feature activities that both grow ecological knowledge and help all students to apply this knowledge in building individual environmental ethics and informed collective action to care for the Clear Lake ecosystem as their common home.
Youth Community and Citizen Science
Youth participation in youth community and citizen science (YCCS) projects supports not only understanding science content, but also youth identities with science and agency in taking action for the environment. Youth participation in YCCS projects presents the opportunity for collective learning activities focused on observing changes in one’s place, creating an explicit link between doing science, deepening connection with place, and taking action with science—all of which may influence participants’ identity and environmental science agency in different and profound ways. The UC Davis Center for Community and Citizen Science has distilled these research findings into its YCCS framework, which provides core activities and practices for fostering environmental science agency.
YCCS Framework and this project
These materials integrate core activities, key educator practices, and key youth practices described in the YCCS framework. Learning becomes more powerful when youth are encouraged to take on meaningful roles and view their work as purposeful. In order to position youth as people who do science, the activities provide diverse pathways for expressing understanding and taking action. By centering local environmental issues like invasive species, harmful algal blooms, pollution, and wildfires, students can draw on their lived experiences and existing connections to Clear Lake. The learning is culturally relevant to students, and they can see direct benefits to the data they contribute to participatory science projects to their community. Framing the impact that they are able to have on issues in the Clear Lake region as part of the broader global scientific endeavors ultimately facilitates students’ development of agency.
Environmental Science Agency
When do experiences with science lead young people to create change in their lives and communities?
Key Practices
Explore what works for youth learning
Module 1
iNaturalist
Module 2
bloomWatch
Module 3
Debris Tracker
Module 4
Student Advocacy
Acknowledging and Valuing Youth Expertise and Assets
Young peoples’ knowledge, talents, vision and energy are critical to the success of environmental caretaking efforts; however, they usually are not included in decision making processes that directly impact them. In contrast to the predominating approach of youth marginalization and exclusion, these materials were developed with a focus on youth engagement. The goal of these materials is to center and support youth perspectives and engagement as the driving forces guiding the learning process. By acknowledging, valuing and cultivating young peoples’ expertise, leadership, skills and agency, they can become key contributors to the caretaking of Clear Lake and its interconnected ecosystems.
We drew from a number of frameworks and models to develop these materials, including positive youth development, experiential education, YCCS, and youth participatory action research (YPAR). The resulting process-oriented approach is intended to emphasize hands-on learning, reflection, relationship building, risk-taking and fun in an environment that is conducive to youth’s safety and needs.
To support even greater youth leadership and agency, we also designed a youth-driven pathway through these materials. This suggested sequence of activities pulls from multiple modules and local resources. It also draws upon YPAR principles and practices and includes activities adapted from the Community Futures, Community Lore Stepping Stones YPAR Toolkit from the UC Davis Center for Regional Change and School of Education. Find more information to run a process that is driven by local youths’ knowledge and interests and supports their leadership and action in the Overview of Activities and Modules.
Community Futures, Community Lore Stepping Stones YPAR Toolkit
Learn to use YPAR, community mapping, public data and cultural organizing to generate solutions for our collective future.