CCA: Ms. Wendy Slijk

Welcome to my homepage. My name is Wendy Slijk, and I have been a science educator for the last 23 years. Being born in Yosemite National Park, I have always been involved with studying the natural sciences. I followed this passion to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo where I obtained my bachelor's degree in Environmental and Systematic Biology. I just completed a the Masters of Biology Program at the University of Arizona in Tucson. My thesis work is in the area of developing a program to use diatoms as non-point source indicators for water testing. Here is my Diatom lesson

I have done most of my teaching in the life and earth sciences, both at the junior and high school level. Through the support of my district, I have the opportunity to participate in many programs aimed at taking science education outside the classroom and infusing the learning content with various ecological issues facing our community. Through these projects, I have been presented with many honors including national recognition (Toyota Tapestry grant), as well as other awards/grants fostering the connection between students and the community. None of these, however, could prevent me from playing the original Ms. Frizzle in the San Diego Natural History Museum's Magic School Bus program!

Being a scientist in education is a constant endeavor, and I still approach it with enthusiasm. This passion has lead me to explore all seven continents, seeing for myself some of the last wild places on earth. Some of these experiences have included visiting the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, banding fairy penguins in Australia, swimming with sharks and other creatures in the Galapagos, and attending a conservation workshop in the rain forest of the Amazon. Through the National Science Foundation and the TEA program, I was invited to join an expedition in Antarctica for two months where we studied diatomaceous ooze in relation to global climate change. Since the fire in 2004, I have been doing post-fire recovery studies in Mission Trails park. I have also been photographing the fire re growth as the land recovers. Many of my pictures can be found at the following link Natural History Museum ,as well as my personal web site at http://homepage.mac.com/wslijk/.

Each experience reinforces for me that education is the only secure method to create a difference through time. Working with people (especially the generations behind my own) to study the causal factors underlying environmental issues, and then empowering them to create change, however small, has been the zenith of my career. zero gravity-1

Page last updated October 13, 2009 1:39 PM