Thinking beyond the classroom

Students engage in conservation efforts through 中国的机会 program
一个男人捡垃圾

中国博彩平台的学生泰勒·亚当斯去年在“机遇中国”项目中致力于恢复中国长江流域.

来源:中国博彩平台

In 2004, 中国博彩平台的CHANCE(通过保护经验连接人与自然)项目在中国博彩平台成立,目的是让学生们能够承担我们星球面临的保护问题. CHANCE目前在全球有45个合伙人,目前仍由其创始董事领导, 杰奎琳·麦克劳克林, associate professor of biology at Penn State Lehigh Valley.

The 项目机会 consists of two main educational elements — international field courses 和在线 研究模块 — with a core pedagogical approach, 如何将现实世界和实际操作的环境研究和保护工作与教学相结合.

去年7月,CHANCE与24名学生一起前往中国,研究长江流域的水污染问题,并开展必要的修复工作. Eight of the students came from Penn State Commonwealth campuses; eight were selected from 江南大学 in Wuxi, 中国; and another eight were selected from 南京大学 in Nanjing, 中国. 这些学生经历了一个紧张的申请过程和项目前教育,包括在线课程和各种需要完成或阅读的书籍, 分别, 为了在出发前学习基本的废水处理和环境工程策略和/或保护实践.

中国的机会 took these students on a 17-day journey on, and along various tributaries of, the Yangtze River within four provinces to explore its watershed, 污染和损害, 这些公司, infrastructures and human activities that are contributing to its demise. This global opportunity was eye-opening for the students. 离开时,他们对环境有了新的认识,也知道应该如何对待环境.

Xiaoxue “Snow” Hou is a student from 南京大学. 她被选中参加CHANCE中国项目,从此发现保护环境对她来说是一种新的热情. At the time of the program, 她是一名大三学生,主修地理科学,想成为一名环境工程师.

From her CHANCE research, 斯诺发现,尽管中国政府和非政府组织都在努力恢复和保护中国的供水, these efforts are not producing the results that are needed. 这是由于她的国家目前面临的技术和经济缺陷造成的. 她认为,要解决这个问题,首先需要采取的步骤之一是中国在经济上变得更有效率, 并投资于那些建立在对生态系统如何运作的正确认识基础上的项目. 她还认为,每个中国公民都应该接受适当的教育,了解如何帮助保护中国宝贵的水资源,以防止进一步的破坏. It is Snow’s hope that by raising awareness more people will get involved and help.

“我很珍惜我们参观宝钢公司和各种垃圾处理厂的经历,”她说。. “一切都让我震惊。. I never got close observations like I had through CHANCE by just reading textbooks.”

泰勒·亚当斯, a genetics and developmental biology major at Penn State, also attended 中国的机会 last year. 他思考了为了给中国人民提供干净的水而进行的保护工作的重要性.

“可持续性, in its simplest sense, is a balancing act between three factors. These factors include people’s health and happiness, the ecosystems' health, and maintaining the economy,他说. “Currently, it is impossible to maintain this reality in 中国. 人类的活动和行为正在消耗的不仅是长江的质量和数量, but all water bodies at an alarming rate.”

这个项目帮助他准确地看到环境正在发生什么,以及他和其他人可以做些什么来减缓或扭转正在发生的事情.

“In order to continue restoration, 需要实施大规模的环境清理和法律,以提高水质,防止更多的水污染,亚当斯说。. “还必须定期进行严格的水质检测,以确保持续修复. However, increasing the quality is still not enough. 需要制定政策来减少流域快速、失控的消耗. 还应执行某些指导方针,使违反水制裁的人受到严惩."

中国的机会

去年7月,WPSU资深制片人弗兰克·克里斯托弗(Frank Christopher)随“机遇中国”项目前往中国. This is a preview of a film that will document what they saw and what they did.

Credit: Frank Christopher, senior producer, WPSU

麦克劳克林还通过她对教学和保护的奉献精神对出席的学生产生了影响. 斯诺把她成为环保主义者的决定归功于麦克劳克林的奉献和热情. She was highly impacted by the efforts she saw put forth by McLaughlin in 中国.

“The most impactful program that I have developed is 中国的机会. Without a Clean Water Act or regulated mandates on water pollution in this country, 每一条河, lake and stream is suffering from poor water quality, and the life forms within them are becoming extinct,麦克劳克林说. “To have Chinese and American students and professors analyze, 然后在政府的许可下,展示他们关于水质和影响长江流域问题的真实数据,这对CHANCE来说是一个里程碑,也让所有参与者大开眼界.”

McLaughlin is the founder of the 项目机会, 并致力于建立关注中国现实环境问题的实地项目, 哥斯达黎加, Panama and the United States. Presently, she is developing a field program in Cuba. This month McLaughlin is leading another 项目机会 in 哥斯达黎加. 这个为期两周的野外暑期实习将探讨热带雨林的生态学和保护工作, 以及拯救加勒比海沿岸濒临灭绝的海龟的保护工作.

“I learned what it means to be a conservation biologist, 并与同学和实地研究人员一起工作,心中有着相同的目标:为地球创造一个可持续的未来,亚当斯说.

The 项目机会 has been beneficial to its host communities in many ways, 包括让学生在贫困学校做志愿者,教授环境主题课程, pick up trash with local non-governmental agencies (NGOs), reforest abandoned farmlands or clear-cut rainforests, or build hatcheries to protect sea turtle eggs from poachers, to name a few activities. 中国博彩平台, with the aid of its numerous partners, 希望能继续激励学生和老师跳出课堂思考,以环保的名义采取真正有意义的行动.

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Dennille舒勒

Public Relations Specialist
Penn State Lehigh Valley

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