Photography by John Stumbos, production by John Stumbos and Susanne Rockwell
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Biologist floats job ideas past Sierra foothill youths
Alan Wallace wants the young people clambering along the banks of the North Fork of the American River to learn about watersheds and fish, as well as Native American culture and history.
But mostly he wants them to learn about life.
“We’re using nature as a forum,” the Auburn resident says. “Using all your senses reinforces learning. Getting these young people out and getting them exposed to life will get them thinking about it more deeply and help them build confidence.”
A Nisenan Maidu and UC Davis graduate (’75, Applied Behavioral Sciences), Wallace is a member of the Native Alliance of the Sierra Nevada Foothills. The group received a grant from the federal government’s economic stimulus package this spring.
The grant funded an eight-week job-skills training called the Native Youth Conservation Project that included an educational outing with UC Davis Cooperative Extension.
Supporting summer youth programs
Since one of the stimulus fund goals is to support summer youth programs, the Native Alliance proposal was an excellent fit. To qualify, participants have to be 16 to 24 and be Native American, foster youth or from low-income families.
They’re paid for five hours of work each day, which improves their chances of qualifying for more extensive job training offered by regional social service agencies.
In addition to the day at the American River, the youth crew visited Doty Ravine to learn about vernal pools, the South Fork of the Yuba River to study aquatic insects, archaeological sites where the Maidu collected plants for food and medicine, and the Roseville dump to learn recycling.
Cooperative Extension fish specialist
Because watersheds are the common theme throughout the summer project, Wallace contacted Lisa Thompson, a UC Davis Cooperative Extension specialist whose expertise is California’s inland and ocean-going fish like salmon and steelhead trout. Wallace had previously heard her speak at a UC Cooperative Extension workshop on stream management.
Informal educational settings like these aren’t the venues that extension specialists like Thompson get much acknowledgement for, but she sees it as important work.
‘I don’t have a lot of experience working with tribes, so I wanted to see if this is an area where I could have an impact.’
Lisa Thompson, UC Davis Cooperative Extension specialist
“I don’t have a lot of experience working with tribes, so I wanted to see if this is an area where I could have an impact,” she said.
Thompson stuffed her hatchback with the tools of a fisheries biologist’s trade and drove to Auburn to rendezvous with the nine participants who are trying to get their bearings in life during a tough economy.
Plunged into the work
Thompson’s stream monitoring crew was eager to help during the hot July day, as she outlined a series of tasks. Although initially a bit reluctant to jump into the cold waters of the American River and swim to the other side holding the end of a 300-foot-long tape measure, they soon plunged into the work.
The crew used a leveling rod with white telescoping poles to measure river depth and learned how, using basic math skills and orange peels, to calculate the volume and rate of water traveling downstream.
Several rotated through the job of measuring water temperature and dissolved oxygen with a probe dangling in the current, while others took GPS readings to mark coordinates for stream measurements.
Nineteen-year-old Justin Luedemann, a talented artist, volunteered to sketch the project site on a standard form that biologists use to record river observations.
Working with snorkels and masks
“I’m trying to show them whether this would be good habitat for fish,” Thompson said.
Toward that end, she outfitted her recruits with snorkels and masks and instructed them how together they would float down a section of river to count fish. She explained where and why fish like to linger in certain parts of a river — typically where insects accumulate.
“What if I don’t see any fish?” one of the fish counters asked.
“That’s important, too,” Thompson responded. “That’s telling you something about the condition of the river or the health of the fish population.”
The crew floated face down in the river for about 150 feet before emerging to share their observations. One counted 13, another six, another none.
Minnows, trout and bass
On shore, Thompson passed around pictures of fish species — minnows, trout and bass — to confirm the identities of the river’s aquatic residents.
The outing on the American River prompted at least one member of the group to reassess his career goals. Anthony Mangino, 18, had his sights on a career as a physical therapist or personal trainer but was quite impressed with Thompson’s gear.
“All this stuff is very interesting,” he said with a big smile, standing knee-deep in the American River. “I might get into habitat restoration.”
Wallace and fellow Native Alliance board member John Negrete, a Chippewa who also coordinates Indian education for Nevada County schools, seemed quite satisfied with the impact the project is having.
Primarily a job-skills class
“This is primarily a job-skills class for conservation-based careers,” Negrete said. “They’ll end this project with a resume, a cover letter, some relevant field experience and, we hope, sharper critical-thinking skills.”
Members of the youth crew said they were benefiting from the class.
“This is a great program,” Luedemann said. “This is teaching me how to meet people and get a job — even if it’s not in a field I’ll go into.”
Kaela Davis, 20, who is of Maidu and Miwok ancestry, is enrolled in the program with her brother, Jeff. She is fairly certain she wants to pursue a career in dental assisting or nursing, but she appreciated the opportunity to explore other options and cultivate people skills.
“This is a good organization,” she said. “I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Native teachings
Alumnus Wallace sees a connection between the teachings of the Nisenan Maidu who are native to the region that now includes El Dorado, Placer and Nevada counties and the Native Youth Conservation Project.
He learned a great deal about his ancestors’ way of life from his great grandmother, Lizzie Enos, who was extensively interviewed by university anthropologists to document Maidu culture.
He’s doing his part to keep the old ways alive by teaching a local class in the Nisenan dialect, participating in Maidu gatherings to sing and dance, by painting and creating other art work, and by working with Negrete to create the Native Youth Conservation Project curriculum.
“My thing is about the preservation of our culture,” Wallace said. “This project seemed like a natural thing for an Indian group to do.”