Since 2008, the Pribilof School District has devoted a week of classes to scientific and environmental issues unfolding in its own region. Reasearchers from across North America visit St. Paul Island to teach students about the world around them.
This year, KUCB's Zoë Sobel and former KDLG reporter Mitch Borden also taught middle and high school students the basics of reporting — and by the end of class, they had written questions and conducted interviews with the visiting presenters.
You can find those conversations below. They also aired on KUHB in St. Paul and KUCB in Unalaska.
Josh Lynch
"I spent a lot of time as a young person in science classes and studying for science-related fields. It really allowed me to do what I wanted in my career. Now, I get the opportunity to travel. I get the opportunity to conduct my own research and come to classes like this. I think science opens a lot of doors for people."
Hillary Burgess
"I like St. Paul. It's very beautiful and everybody is very friendly. I had a secret hope of seeing fur seals and arctic fox, and I've seen both already. Two foxes this morning were eating a Giant Pacific octopus!"
Dave Rosen
"I work with sea lions, fur seals, sea otters, walruses — and all of their populations are going down. I study physiology — how their bodies work and how much food they need — to figure out what might have changed in the environment that would cause populations to drop."
Jasmine Shaw
"I'm interested in what happens to berries due to climate change — what's happening to berries as the falls get warmer, the winters come later, or perhaps there's no frost or snow at all. How does that affect the berries, abundence, timing, and harvesting for both humans and wildlife?"
These interviews were produced by 6th-12th grade students from the Pribilof School District, including Aiden, Amos, Alexia, Antonio, Arianna, Brittney, Brynn, Chauncey, Cordell, Diamond, Diamond, Ethan, Gavin, Ian, Janelle, Jaylene, Jaylynn, Justin, Katrina, Khalia, Leslie, Marjorie, Maurice, Maxim, Miles, Miron, Nova, Presten, Riley, Shaun, Sonia, Thomas, Vincent, and Xavier.
