During many a late-night study session in college, I often found myself questioning why I was there. Working my way through a chemistry assignment in a dark library corner, I felt far from nature, and found it hard to remember why I even cared about the environment to begin with. Now that exams and labs are just a distant memory, I can clearly see how I ended up here, teaching on New England’s tallest mountain.
I always had an interest in science, but it was my senior year environmental science class that cemented conservation as my career path. It wasn’t just the content that interested me, it was the dedicated teacher who brought the material to life and made me feel like I could make a difference in the world.
In my role with the Lakes Region Conservation Corps, I have the privilege of teaching students, and hopefully inspiring them the way my teachers did for me. On trips to the Observatory, I see students, often those who came in with little interest, gaining curiosity and coming up with some of the most interesting questions. “How much does a cloud weigh? Why is the weather worse than Mount Everest? Could a polar bear survive up here?” they ask. While this may seem silly, bridging their interests and our lessons students build a connection to science, the mountain, and the outdoors in general.
Topics in weather and climate science can be challenging, but when a concept clicks for a student, I see their excitement, and I know they are going home with not only new knowledge, but a positive memory of science education. Of course, this means another important priority as an educator is making learning fun! So, teaching on Mount Washington isn’t just about the science of temperature and pressure, it is about seeing how fast we can run in 40 mile per hour wind speeds and acting like an earthquake in an intense game of Extreme Weather Charades.
A highlight of my term so far was running a summer camp filled with science lessons, crafts, extreme relay races, and even filming a forecast. With their newfound knowledge of weather patterns, the campers came together to write and record a video forecast for the Observatory. Their excitement was contagious, and the pride they felt from filming the video (in one take I might add) made all the preparation and long days worth it. An extra fun part of this was helping the 5th-7th graders disconnect from technology by using disposable cameras for photographing the beautiful views and silly memories. While this posed a challenge, (“Why can’t I see the picture yet?”), some great moments were captured here:
I know they have years of STEM learning ahead, some of which will certainly be hard and boring, but I hope their camp week is something they can look back on to remember science and being in nature can be fun. Even more, I hope they have many more experiences like this one where they can explore their curiosities and grow to love the world around them. Conservation begins with education, and I am grateful to be part of these students' learning journey.
Amelia is a half-term member serving with Mount Washington Observatory. In her free time she enjoys hiking and loves to paint (by number). Learn more about Amelia here!