CORVALLIS, Ore. – Science came to life in January for 13 Portland high school students as they dissected and made prints of fish at Oregon State University’s John L. Fryer Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory.
The overarching goal of this all-day field trip for students from Alliance at Joseph Meek Technical High School was to explore careers in natural resources and hear from those in the field. Students heard from facilitators about the unique career and educational paths they took which led them to become researchers.
Students got the chance to see “the job in action,” said Tanya Kindrachuk, Oregon State University Extension Service 4-H outreach coordinator who collaborates with Alliance at Joseph Meek.
Each term students are offered a variety of classes at their high school ranging from forestry, gardening, bird ecology, and even boat-building. OSU Extension 4-H helps connect students to field experiences and professionals in the field showcasing the wide range of jobs relating to natural resources.
Kindrachuk said that she often gets questions from the students about how she thought about a career when she was in high school.
“This really helps the students see that when we have people talk about their life path most people didn’t expect to be where they are now,” Kindrachuk said, “Maybe they had a different goal in mind or it wasn’t as linear as they thought it would be, and how their different experiences, even if it wasn’t directly related to what they’re doing now, still gave them opportunities.”
Alliance at Joseph Meek has collaborated with OSU Extension 4-H for at least 10 years, according to Kindrachuk. This long-standing relationship has the goal of providing students with experiences that connect them to the outdoors and careers in natural resources.
Extension worked this term with the high school to provide students who are interested in freshwater and marine biology with a field trip to the John L Fryer Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory, a research lab in in Corvallis specializing in myriad aquatic research. The lab is operated by OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences and College of Science.
During the field trip students learned of the different types of research projects at the facility, how staff care for the aquatic animals and how they monitor and maintain the facility to ensure all equipment is in working order. Students had the chance to tour both tanks and dry-lab spaces, feeding a few fish along the way.
Students learned about fish anatomy through a hands-on dissection lab, and compared the anatomical differences between humans and fish. Additionally, the students used microscopes to view microorganisms and discuss common parasites that are currently impacting Oregon rivers. Students also had the opportunity to practice making fish prints, or Gyotaku, a traditional Japanese art form.
“The trip to the Fryer lab created lasting positive memories,” Kindrachuk said.
