5th graders from Bend Working to Solve the Climate Crisis
We often hear about how kids are the future and how the younger generations will help solve the environmental crisis we have put ourselves in. Counting on those to fix a problem they did not cause is not exactly a fair ask. For a group of 5th graders from Seven Peaks School in Bend, however, advocating for the places in their backyard, where they recreate with their families, and for the world they live in is not a burden to carry, but a passion to pursue. For them, that future and time to act is now.
These students have been learning about, and implementing, ways to reduce their carbon footprints in their daily lives. As passionate outdoor recreationists, they have focused on the impacts of their favorite activities. For example, the students are encouraging their local ski resort, Mt. Bachelor, to offer free shuttles from Bend to limit the amount of vehicle traffic to the mountain and the resulting carbon emissions. They are also encouraging their peers to bike to school.
I recently went on a field trip with a group of these impressive students to Tumalo Creek, a popular spot on the edge of Bend for families to hike, bike, picnic, fish, and enjoy nature. Towering old ponderosa pines line the creek, and the area provides habitat for beavers, bald eagles, native trout, mule deer, and various songbirds.
The students were eager to learn how ancient forests and healthy watersheds act as natural climate solutions by absorbing and storing massive amounts of carbon and protecting clean water sources, and how they can make a difference by advocating for these places. We discussed President Biden’s Executive Order to preserve mature and old-growth forests, and the students wrote postcards to send to the Biden Administration, encouraging the protection of these forests as a way to help curb climate change.
