Reciprocal Learning and Forest and Climate Leaders Retreat at Kemp Research Center

By Cherie Thunder

Wisconsin Fast Plants/ POSOH Intern

Sustainability Leadership Cohort 2013

Forest and Climate Leaders Retreat at Kemp Research Center

June 21-June 24

Woodruff, WI

With Memories of capture the flag, jumping from the high dive, and midnight Sun Drop raids, how can we forget the time spent at UW-Madison’s Kemp Research Center? High school students, community members, scientists, undergraduate and graduate students all gathered for the Forest and Climate Leaders Research Retreat in Woodruff, WI from June 21^st to June 24^th. The four day event was a great way to explore different careers in the STEM fields and to mutually learn from each other. Students and scientist alike were given the chance to exchange ideas and explore other cultures.  

Kemp Natural Resources Station is a research and teaching facility operated by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Located in the heart of Wisconsin's Northwoods, Kemp Station's 235 acres support some of the last remnants of old-growth forest in the Lake States as well as research by many of the university’s scientists and students. 

Dr. Ankur Desai with the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department at UW-Madison brought several of his graduate and undergraduate students to teach students about climate change topics related to the forest. SDI Education Coordinator Kate Flick collaboratively designed the retreat with Ankur Desai. “Ankur and I had been talking about how to spark students’ interests in science and decided to try exposing high school students to what scientists really do and the career pathways of how they got to where they are…shift their perspective that scientists just wear lab coats to something like they are actually real people and fun to boot. What better way than to hang out and do real science in the woods?” Kate said. In fact, the retreat was the first ever of its kind to involve high school students at UW-Madison’s Kemp Research station.

The retreat gave students the opportunity to begin understanding some of the impacts of climate change locally and globally and to acquire new science skills such as, performing real scientific research and carrying out experiments in the field.  One of the experiments included setting off smoke bombs to understand how air flows (or fluxes) through a forest and eventually ends up at a flux tower. These giant towers continuously take measurements on important green house gases. Two days were spent learning from the scientists and the of team graduate students in both the classroom and in the field at research sites in the area.  The students were able to do some soil and water testing, tree coring, and learning about meteorology and lakes. 

During the evening the students participated in nightly fires, talking circles, medicine wheel teachings, and a climate change decision making activity. The fire provided informal times to understand the stories of how students and scientists found and followed their career pathways.  By doing the decision making activity students gained an understanding of why important climate change issues need to be discussed and voted upon in order to find community consensus. We held a mock community meeting where participants took on different roles of community stakeholder interests in whether to build a wind farm near the College or not.  Stakeholders included College of Menominee nation students and staff, Menominee Tribal Enterprise employees, near-by homeowners, coal workers at a power plant, community interest groups, and scientists. The medicine wheel teachings provided a great way to share the Menominee culture and remind everyone involved why we were participating in the retreat in the first place. SDI food sovereignty intern Lloyd Frieson said, “The medicine wheel is something that brings all our nations together."  Dr. Ankur Desai also emphasized that science had its own strong traditions rooted in curiosity. 

Throughout the retreat everyone had responsibilities like cooking meals, washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen. Being a community leader is one of prominent goals of this cohort and was represented through doing chores daily and giving back to your place or community. These duties helped bring the group together and teach the students to be in charge of and responsible for their own actions. 

Everyone was surprised at how well they were able to relate to one another. The scientists, students, and interns all seemed to express and appreciate that their knowledge of science and culture was expanded by the end of the weekend. Overall the trip was a great success and we have high hopes for the future forest and climate leaders of the Wisconsin area.

Tsachila Indian Nation of Ecuador Cultural Exchange Visit

On Tuesday, October 23^rd 2012, College of Menominee Nation welcomed guests from the Tsachila Indian Nation of Ecuador. It was their first visit to the United States. College of Menominee Nation, CMN Sustainable Development Institute, and Menominee Tribal legislature representatives were excited and honored to welcome them to Menominee soil. “We are always interested in learning from other Tribes. It helps us understand our responsibility with other Indigenous Peoples,” said Dr. Verna Fowler during a welcome address, “It also helps us understand how lucky we are to live in the United States.”

Tsachila representatives Henrry and Diana Calazacon gave a presentation and shared their story. They were accompanied by UW Marathon County Host and Interpreter Dr. Ronald Lippi.

The Tsachila live on seven small reservations in Ecuador. The people are known for their medicines and diverse knowledge of rain-forest plant use. In addition, Tsachilas are fine musicians as well. “The music helps us harmonize with nature,” said Henrry Calazacon.  And although the Tsachila honor both a sun god and waterfall goddess, Henrry tells that their real god is nature itself.

Today, the Tsachila are faced with many challenges including deforestation and even relocation due to the discovery of oil under Tsachila reservation lands. Urban sprawl from nearby cities, primarily Santo Domingo, threatens land use development and accelerates pollution.

Legally owned Tsachila forests have been and continue to be taken over by loggers, ranchers, and issues are ignored by the Ecuadorian government. “When it came to standing up to firearms, it really wasn't much of a match,” said Henrry, “Traditionally, we have our own resources and food with fishing and harvesting, but now it’s becoming polluted. We have a very healthy diet when we can get our own food, but don’t know how much longer it will last.”

Though there have been lawsuits filed in efforts to keep rivers clean, Henrry notes that the big powerful influences disregard the Tsachila and have the following mentality: ‘They are a small minority, so who cares.’ Recently, developers found petroleum under one of the seven reservations. Henrry noted that although the people were initially happy to have this source of revenue, the Tribe was soon devastated when government officials began to re-claim the land for themselves and tell the Tsachila they must move. This is just one of the unjust issues the Tsachila people are facing today.

Like many First Nations, the Tsachila face the danger of losing cultural knowledge and traditional ways - for example, how to traditionally make Tsachila cotton skirts. As the great grandson of the one of the last great Tsachila chiefs, Henrry more than ever sees the importance of preserving this knowledge. “Many elder leaders are dying off, so we are now realizing the importance of teaching children the Tsachila culture,” said Henrry, “We are reaching out to others to learn and reach out to them.”

The Tsachila value and compliment the natural environment they live in. The people now face losing this valuable relationship with the forest and the medicinal plants within it. “We are very concerned about the loss of our plants,” said Henrry. To preserve the plants and the traditional knowledge behind them, the Tsachila want experts to visit and teach them how to preserve this knowledge and save their rapidly dwindling forests.  “In regard to scientific research, we welcome friends with open arms to share and learn from them as well,” said Henrry.

Today, the Tsachila face these issues by encouraging higher education; in the past, Tsachila people, particularly women, were not encouraged to go to school for fear of cultural loss. Tsafiki, their spoken language, is taught in reservation grade schools, but students must then attend public schools for middle, high school, and college. Diana Calazacon is a modern example of strong Tribal female leadership and is working toward a college degree. “I am studying law and am aspiring to be a lawyer; I want to help my tribe with legal issues,” said Diana.

After their presentation, Henrry and Diana fielded questions and met with Menominee Tribal Leaders Craig Corn, Gary Besaw, and Myrna Warrington. Craig Corn, Menominee Tribal Chairman, explained how Menominee government is run, especially in relation to legislation, election, and Tribal Sovereignty. CMN SDI wishes to thank our visitors for sharing their story with us.