课堂之外的思考
机会 traveled with 24 students to 中国 last July to research the pollution of and restoration efforts needed to preserve the water flowing through the Yangtze River watershed.
学生们通过机会中国项目参与环保工作
In 2004, the 十大网赌靠谱网址平台 (Connecting Humans and Nature through Conservation Experiences) program was founded at 十大网赌靠谱网址平台 in order to empower students to take on the conservation issues confronting our planet. 机会 presently has 45 partners around the world and is still under the direction of its founding director, 杰奎琳·麦克劳克林, 十大网赌靠谱网址平台的生物学副教授.
The 机会 program consists of two main educational elements — international field courses and online research modules — with a core pedagogical approach, which entwines real-world and hands-on environmental research and conservation efforts with teaching.
机会 traveled with 24 students to 中国 last July to research the pollution of and restoration efforts needed to preserve the water flowing through the Yangtze River watershed. Eight of the students came from Penn State Commonwealth campuses; eight were selected from Jiangnan University in Wuxi, 中国; and another eight were selected from Nanjing University in Nanjing, 中国. These students went through an intense application process and pre-program education that included online lessons and various books that were required to be completed or read, 分别, in order to learn basic wastewater treatment and environmental engineering strategies and/or conservation practices before departure.
中国的机会带领这些学生进行了为期17天的旅行, 沿着不同的支流, 在长江四省范围内探索其流域, 污染和损害, 这些公司, 基础设施和人类活动导致了它的消亡. 这个全球性的机会让学生们大开眼界. They walked away with a new understanding of the environment and how it should be treated.
侯小雪是南京大学的一名学生. She was selected to participate in the 中国的机会 program and has since discovered that conserving the environment is a new passion for her. 在节目开始的时候, she was a third-year student majoring in geographical science with the intention of becoming an environmental engineer.
根据她在机会的研究, Snow discovered that although efforts have been taken by both Chinese governmental and non-governmental organizations to restore and conserve 中国’s water supply, 这些努力并没有产生所需的结果. This is caused by the present day technological and economic deficiencies that her country is facing. She believes that one of the first steps that needs to be taken to fix this problem is for 中国 to become more efficient economically, and to invest in projects that are built from proper knowledge on how the ecosystems work. She also believes that every Chinese citizen should be properly educated on ways to help protect 中国’s precious water supply so that they can prevent further damage. 斯诺希望通过提高人们的意识，让更多的人参与进来并提供帮助.
“I treasure the experience we had visiting Bao Steel Company and various refuse disposal plants,”她说。. “一切都让我震惊。. 我从来没有像通过机会那样，通过阅读教科书获得过如此近距离的观察.”
泰勒·亚当斯, 他是十大网赌靠谱网址平台遗传学和发育生物学专业的学生, 我去年也参加了中国的机会. He reflected on the importance of the conservation efforts being made in order to provide the people of 中国 with clean water.
“从最简单的意义上说，可持续发展是三个因素之间的平衡. 这些因素包括人们的健康和幸福, 生态系统的健康, 维持经济,他说. “目前，在中国维持这种现实是不可能的. Human actions and behaviors are depleting the quality and quantity of not only the Yangtze River, 但所有的水体都在以惊人的速度.”
This program helped him see exactly what is happening to the environment and what he and other people can do about it to either slow it down or reverse what is happening.
“为了继续恢复, large-scale environmental cleanups and laws need to be implemented to increase the water quality and to prevent more water pollution,亚当斯说。. “Strict water-quality testing must also be performed periodically to ensure a continued restoration. 然而，仅仅提高质量是不够的. Policies need to be enacted to decrease the watershed’s fast, out of control, consumption. Certain guidelines should also be enforced so that those who violate the water sanctions are heavily penalized."
WPSU Senior Producer Frank Christopher traveled to 中国 with the 中国的机会 program last July. 这是一部电影的预告片，将记录他们所看到的和所做的.
来源:弗兰克·克里斯托弗，WPSU高级制片人
McLaughlin also had an impact on the students in attendance through her demonstrated dedication to both teaching and conservation. Snow credits her decision to become a conservationist to McLaughlin’s devotion and passion. 麦克劳克林在中国所做的努力深深影响了她.
“我开发的最有影响力的项目是中国的机会. 没有《十大网赌靠谱网址平台》也没有对水污染的监管, 每一条河, 湖泊和溪流的水质都很差, 其中的生命形式正在灭绝,麦克劳克林说. “让中国和美国的学生和教授分析, then present their authentic data on the water quality and issues affecting the Yangtze watershed with the government’s permission was a landmark for 机会 and eye-opening for all involved.”
McLaughlin是机会项目的创始人, and has worked to set up field programs that focus on real-world environmental issues in 中国, 哥斯达黎加, 巴拿马和美国. 目前，她正在古巴开展一个实地项目. 本月，McLaughlin在哥斯达黎加领导了另一个机会项目. This two-week field summer practicum will explore the ecology of and conservation efforts needed to preserve the tropical rainforests, as well as conservation efforts geared toward saving endangered sea turtles along the Caribbean coast.
“我明白了作为一名保护生物学家意味着什么, and work alongside fellow students and field researchers with the same goals in mind: to create a sustainable future for the Earth,亚当斯说.
机会项目在许多方面对其所在社区有益, including having students volunteer at impoverished schools to teach environmentally themed lessons, 与当地非政府机构一起捡拾垃圾, 重新造林被遗弃的农田或被砍伐的雨林, 或者建造孵化场，保护海龟蛋不被偷猎者捕获, 举几个例子. 十大网赌靠谱网址平台, 在众多合作伙伴的帮助下, hopes to continue to inspire students and teachers to think beyond the classroom and to take real and meaningful action in the name of conservation.
