Rose Foundation grant funds equipment for EvCC ecological research
Press Release
Release Date: Aug. 28, 2017
Contact: Dan Murphy, Grant & Contract Specialist, 425-259-8264; dmurphy@everettcc.edu
Rose Foundation grant funds equipment for EvCC ecological research
Photo: Kerry Lyste
EVERETT, WA – An Everett Community College instructor will soon have a set of new tools to help his students gain a deeper understanding of the environmental challenges involved in protecting the Puget Sound ecosystem.
The Rose Foundation awarded $22,656 to EvCC geography instructor Kerry Lyste to purchase sampling instruments for students to conduct ecological research in his Physical Geography 205 class. The class goes on a weekend field trip each quarter in the Puget Sound to locations such as Orcas Island.
“The students will use sophisticated scientific devices to collect field data in local saltwater and freshwater environments,” said Lyste, who has taught at EvCC for 10 years. “They’ll use this equipment to measure water quality and gather sediment data that will contribute directly to the work of scientists, researchers and environmental advocates working to restore one of Washington’s greatest natural resources.”
The field trips, which will connect students with leaders from Native American tribes in the area, are designed to teach EvCC students about complex geosystems and how scientists map and monitor the dynamics of coastal ecologies.
Students will collect and analyze their findings, then publish their data online as visual “Story Maps” explaining their research, which will be accessible to the college and community.
Lyste said his students will be better informed, more knowledgeable and thus better advocates for the importance of protecting the environment, thanks to the grant.
“We want to help students understand how environmental impacts are affecting the health of Puget Sound, and that they can make a difference right now,” Lyste said. “They need to know how researchers measure those data, and most importantly, why we need sound science to inform the interventions aimed at protecting the Puget Sound for future generations.”
The grant is part of the California-based Rose Foundation’s Puget Sound Stewardship and Mitigation fund, which was created by the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. For more information about the Rose Foundation, visit rosefndn.org. For more information about EvCC geography classes, visit EverettCC.edu/Geography.