By: Emily Matthiessen
Topics in Environmental Science: Ocean Connections: Culture and Communication, taught by Barbara Blackie, is offered in two variants this year by Peninsula College. According to the Peninsula College website, the class will “explore the many forms of culture and communication that are tied to the marine environment. Through the lens of Indigenous knowledge and scientific discovery, attendees will examine the web of interconnections that makes up the world’s oceans.”
Students can enroll in the two credit version or through community education. https://pencol.edu/news/popular-whalefest-science-symposium-focus-credit-community-ed-courses.
“Both classes are still open for enrollment. Ideally anyone interested would be registered by the next class time,” Blackie said, Friday Oct. 30. All students will participate in the Sitka, Alaska WhaleFest Science Symposium, which begins Nov. 5. In a normal year, 11 or 12 students would be travel to the Symposium. This year, because of COVID-19 restrictions, Whalefest will be virtual, which makes it possible for more students to attend. Even people who cannot enroll in the class can attend WhaleFest.
“Anyone anywhere can sign up to attend the Science Symposium virtually. They ask for a donation (which I would strongly recommend that people donate what they can to SSSC). The class goes beyond just attending the symposium sessions,” Blackie said.
Class meets Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30pm from October 27 to December 1, as well as the Sitka Whalefest Nov. 5-7.
“Before the symposium we read and watch some materials that the presenters share ahead of time so we have a chance to become a little familiar with each of their work,” Blackie said. “We will continue to explore their work after WhaleFest. We can let our interests guide this exploration.
“After WhaleFest, we will again try to connect what we encounter at WhaleFest with what is happening locally in ocean research. We use the theme of WhaleFest (this year its Ocean Connections, Culture and Communication) so we have some guest presenters lined up to share their research and we will explore how it connects to this theme. I think it’s important to ‘bring it home’ because going to Sitka can we dazzling, but it’s important to realize that we are surrounded by dazzling researchers and a dazzling environment as well.”
More information about the 24th annual Sitka WhaleFest is at their website: http://sitkawhalefest.org/.
