Although they’re young, the first graders at the Cahoon Elementary Magnet School of Animal Science are no strangers to the conservation issues that threaten our world. Through a partnership with Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, these students have been learning about the modern-day challenges effecting walrus populations. To shed some light on the subject, students were treated to a visit from renowned Marine Mammal Specialist Dr. Lori Polasek from the Alaska SeaLife Center. She explained that as temperatures get hotter each year due to Global Warming, the sea ice in the Pacific begins to melt, leaving female walrus and their calves without a home.
In the past, the mother walrus and her babies were safe floating on a block of sea ice out in the ocean - far away from the dangers of land. But now, as the ice is melting, scientists are seeing more and more of them taking shelter on land. This places them in danger for a number of reasons: they’re farther away from their food sources - and they’re closer to both polar bears and humans. In order to help develop a plan of action to help the walrus, Dr. Polasek and her team are observing the species via strategically placed cameras that record over 50,000 pictures each. At present, these cameras are the best way to study the walrus because scientists can watch from afar -without disturbing the animal’s homes - giving new mothers and their calves the safety they need and deserve.
In addition to studying the plight of today’s walrus, the students at Cahoon have built their own large-scale paper mache version of the animal which is proudly on display in the Cahoon Elementary Media Center. Students will also be observing the animals of the Arctic using webcams located on Round Island, Cape Pierce, and Cape Seniavin. These activities will assist them in the First Grade Science Fair Project – raising Krill in various temperatures to determine in which temperature they would thrive. Krill is a major food source in the Arctic.
Most importantly, this new generation of problem-solvers is learning to care about the world around them. During the talk, one of the first-graders asked why we haven’t created artificial icebergs as a solution to the melting ice. Dr. Polasek finds the student’s interest and suggestions encouraging. “Children approach these bigger issues with no boundaries, and that may be exactly what’s needed to solve the problems we face,” she said.
