1 West Nile Virus Monitoring as a Service-Learning Project WSU/Island County 4-H presented by Judy Feldman

2 What is Service-Learning? Service-learning uses current, local issues to add meaning and relevance to academic and life skills Students not only learn specified skills and topics, but they also contribute to their community and thus build a stronger connection to it.

3 Original Design of WNV Project Elementary/middle school students would survey standing water for the presence of mosquitoes High school students would establish sentinel flocks of chickens for WNV testing Participants would do public presentations on WNV Report of development and outcomes of project would be provided to WSU

4 Elementary and Middle School Involvement No monitoring of standing water was done by elementary or middle school students – while there were two teachers that indicated an interest in the project, the pieces never came together

5 High School Involvement A small group of alternative high school students DID learn how to “dip” for larvae (although they did not submit any samples for this project). They also learned how to trap mosquitoes (and submitted two samples). And they created a sentinel flock, which they were only able to test once.

6 Results of Samples While the students’ trapping efforts did confirm that vector species were in existence in their sampling area… Their testing of the sentinel flock did not indicate that the West Nile Virus was present.

7 Experimental Design “Student Driven” sometimes equals confounding variables (but good lessons in why thoughtful experimental design is important!) Summer sampling added challenge

8 Presentations Hands-on sampling element may have been the most “fun,” But the presentations that the students gave to local middle school students proved to be the most powerful experience of the project

9 Wiggles in the Road A little thing called “avian flu” Concerns about animals in the classroom, specifically chickens Challenge of finding lab to run the blood tests and in getting appropriate instructions to students and teacher for blood draw procedure

10 More Wiggles Availability of dry ice on the island Realities of “interdepartmental fund transfers” and confusion about the concept of “reimbursement”

11 Project Partners Island County/WSU 4-H Youth Development Program - provided general organization of the project Don Zisette, teacher at Bayview High School - provided classroom support of the project Kathleen Parvin, Island County Health Department - gave a presentation to H.S. students on the basics of mosquitoes and West Nile Virus.

12 More Partners Tom Gibbs, of the Washington State Department of Health - provided background info, encouragement, and resources Jo Marie Brauner, Washington State Department of Health - trained Bayview Students to trap mosquitoes Kevin Shoemaker, Benton County Mosquito District #1- provided valuable info on sentinel flocks

13 And Obviously… Tom Platt, with WSU Extension in Lincoln County, made it possible for us to begin this project in the first place!

14 The Final Question… Would We Do It Again? YES! We learned so much this year, and hope to build on the experience in the coming year. Controversy remains in Island County about the real vs. perceived risks of WNV as well as those associated with mosquito control.