Debbi Brainerd has created a virtual Puget Sound theme park dedicated to helping students learn about the natural world.

Debbi Brainerd:
Creating the Puget Sound Habitat
for Learning
By Larry Sivitz, Seattle24x7
3.04.02

In the new age of interactive learning, research reveals that what children do — what they actually experience for themselves first-hand, as opposed to what they may read or write — has the greatest impact on their comprehension and long-term memory. The challenge in education is creating the right environment for exploration and discovery.

With precisely this learning model in mind, Seattle's Debbi Brainerd has undertaken the mission of creating the ideal habitat for learning about the environment. The soft-spoken and tireless president of the new Puget Sound Environmental Learning Center (PSELC) has been diligently at work coordinating virtually every aspect of the center's development. From its highly creative use of recycled materials in construction, to its student-centric curriculum and PhD'd staff, to the selection of a wonderfully diverse and talented board of directors, Ms. Brainerd has brought the vision to fruition. Already being lauded as one of the most innovative environmental learning facilities in the nation, the PSELC on Bainbridge Island is a masterpiece in both its design and execution.

"We are all attracted to different things that engage us in learning," remarks Debbi. "Not everyone's interested in science, or art or technology, which is why we've linked all of these together. For instance, we want to show children how scientists actually use the technology, such as handheld data collectors, the GIS (Geographic Information System) and layered mapping to understand how ecosystems work. Over time, as new information is collected and added to our Website, students can pull that up online and watch how the system grows and changes. We'll also be using videoconferencing so we can conduct programs live on site that can also be watched in classrooms across the country. The hands on, experiential-based model is the biggest piece that we emphasize. We want to foster deeper learning. "

Digital cameras will allow teams to create "camera traps" to see "who" is using the trails - even at night while the students are sleeping, and via time-lapse photography, allow students to speed up time and watch ferns uncoil, and blossoms open. This will be vital for the success of an electronic journal which will be visible in a variety of formats. The basic idea is that staff will have cameras with them throughout the day and they, adults with them, or the children themselves, will build a visual diary

The same technology that runs the center's Internet connectivity will also allow PSELC to monitor energy and other resources used on campus. The telephone system will run over the same network as the computer network (VoIP) using fiber optic trasmission minimizing the need for copper wires and adverse environmental impact.

At the outset of the project, Ms. Brainerd toured at least thirty other environmental centers across the country to investigate their best practices. After a six month feasibility study, she spent another six months performing additional research, including focus groups with kids. Debbie was surprised to learn that in a region as rich in natural resources as the Puget Sound, 50% of Seattle kids weren't getting an environmental education, even while other states were meeting that ambition. The mission required working with teachers to meet education requirements both in Washington state and in states across the nation. Hiring world-class educators was a natural outgrowth of the process.

While Debbi, and husband Paul (the founder of Aldus), currently live in the Pike Place Market, they plan to retire to Bainbridge Island and have always felt drawn to the island as the ideal venue for the project. "The inspiration for the center came from the land itself," explained Debbie. "The 255 acres is really magical. Numerous biologists and educators have visited the site, and concur that this small piece of land - which contains a complete watershed - offers the greatest variety of ecosystems available for educational opportunities so near to an urban setting." A series of wetland systems - forested wetland, scrub/shrub wetland, bog, and cattail marsh - lie within the the site’s borders. One of the wetlands provides the head waters for the site’s most famous feature, Mac’s Pond. The pond’s waters are held at the south end by a 120-year-old earthen dam.

The center also gathers profound inspiration from the native heritage of the region, including the Puget Sound Coastal Salish influence. A housepost inside the compound's Great Hall was carved in the likeness of a grandmother. As Debbi informed, "The grandmother [in the Native American tradition] takes care of all the children not just her own. The same might be said of Debbi Brainerd, who will be welcoming children the world over to this new center of discovery with open arms.


Visit the Puget Sound Environmental Learning Center online at http://www.pselc.org/