Scouting-Out Science Careers

NRCS rangeland management specialist Karin Sonnen (left) explains methods of snow surveying to youngsters participating in the Girl Scout's Women in Science day

NRCS rangeland management specialist Karin Sonnen was recently asked to participate at the third triennial “Women in Science” day held at the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center in Homer, Alaska.  During the six-hour event, Girl Scout troops circulated through six different learning stations, gaining insight into what kinds of science jobs exist in the in the community.  Karin’s workshop taught the girls about the use and methods used in snow surveying and how range management is accomplished in Alaska.

Learn more about NRCS in Alaska

Using organized couplet sets of mutually exclusive biological organism characteristics, or dichotomous keys, the scouts learned to identify different lichen species.  In addition, they learned about the different kinds of ungulates that graze in Alaska, where they are located, and ungulate utilization lines that they drew out on a map of St. George Island.
Your contact is Karin Sonnen, NRCS range management specialist, at 907-235-8177, ext. 113.