Walczak, an energetic baby boomer with light blue eyes and sun-bleached hair, was recently named the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership's 2007 Citizen of the Year. But the world-traveling biologist has been working with local schools and organization for 20 years to educate youth about the ocean, forests and other habitat in Tillamook County. During the summer, Walczak runs several day camps through the Oregon State University Tillamook County Extension Service, and during the school year, he works with all of the schools in the Neah-Kah-Nie School District to host field trips for the students. Getting this early experience with local habitat seems to have significantly added to ocean science education among local students. Neah-Kah-Nie teams have consistently ranked among the best at National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) and, together with Neah-Kah-Nie high school science teacher Beth Gienger, Walczak has helped his team to victory six times in the 10-year history of the state Salmon Bowl at OSU. Walczak jokes that he runs his day camps to search for his next "NOSBie" contestants. But according to Collin McCandlass, a 2006 NOSB winner and NKN graduate who is helping Walczak with his day camps, the truth is he just loves teaching. "There's no way to be around him and not learn something," he said, watching as Walczak tells a cluster of children the scientific name for a caddis fly.
Iran RPCV Peter Walczak is an 'environmental Pied Piper'
He's an 'environmental Pied Piper'
By Shasta Kearns Moore
Headlight Herald Staff
NEHALEM - Over the soft rush of Umbrella waterfall at the North Nehalem Fish Hatchery, a dozen small voices ricochet off the river rocks.
"Mr. Walczak! Mr. Walczak!"
"Mr. Walczak, look at what I found!"
"Mr. Walczak, I caught another one!" The excited children in the From the Forest to the Sea day camp are following in what has become a long tradition for North Coast youth: sharing in the joy of nature with biologist Peter Walczak.
Walczak, an energetic baby boomer with light blue eyes and sun-bleached hair, was recently named the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership's 2007 Citizen of the Year. But the world-traveling biologist has been working with local schools and organization for 20 years to educate youth about the ocean, forests and other habitat in Tillamook County.
During the summer, Walczak runs several day camps through the Oregon State University Tillamook County Extension Service, and during the school year, he works with all of the schools in the Neah-Kah-Nie School District to host field trips for the students.
Getting this early experience with local habitat seems to have significantly added to ocean science education among local students.
Neah-Kah-Nie teams have consistently ranked among the best at National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) and, together with Neah-Kah-Nie high school science teacher Beth Gienger, Walczak has helped his team to victory six times in the 10-year history of the state Salmon Bowl at OSU.
Walczak jokes that he runs his day camps to search for his next "NOSBie" contestants. But according to Collin McCandlass, a 2006 NOSB winner and NKN graduate who is helping Walczak with his day camps, the truth is he just loves teaching.
"There's no way to be around him and not learn something," he said, watching as Walczak tells a cluster of children the scientific name for a caddis fly.
When he was a child in the day camps, McCandlass acknowledged, he and the other children would only absorb a touch of the scientific knowledge that Walczak seems to eminate.
"Then, when you're our age," he said, "you listen to him and say 'Whoa, that's amazing.'"
Though his students certainly gain from the excursions, Walczak makes sure that the natural world benefits from them as well.
The children are often involved in projects to improve the local habitats from beach clean-ups and trail restoration to salmon studies and beach watch programs.
"I like to act locally, but think globally and try to get kids in touch with the whole world situation," Walczak said.
World-traveler
As a fisheries biologist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for eight years, Walczak had several chances to see up close the "whole world situation."
Originally from the East Coast, Walczak started as a Peace Corps volunteer in Iran, where he learned to speak fluent Farsi, and then worked for the New York Ocean Science Laboratory.
When he joined on at the UN, Walczak studied fisheries from the South China Sea to Lake Malawi, where he met a young woman from Denmark who is now his wife, Dr. Karin Walczak of the Rinehart Clinic. Their two sons followed, one born in Africa and the other on an island in the Central Pacific.
After a stint at Cornell University, Walczak and his family settled down in Oregon, where he had gone to college, in 1987.
Soon after, he began volunteering at the schools and has since become like an itinerant teacher, roving from class to class, imparting knowledge of the natural world and lessons of stewardship that he hopes will last a lifetime.
Reading Challenge
One of Walczak's most tangible influences may well be the vast store of science books he has acquired for Neah-Kah-Nie's schools through the Reading Challenge.
The Reading Challenge urges children to read and write reports on science books, which are then donated to the school library in honor of their class' efforts. Nearly 2,500 books have been donated through the program since 1995.
"We probably have the best 500 section - the science section - for an elementary school in the state of Oregon, thanks to Mr. Walczak," said Tracy De Gandi, media specialist at Nehalem Elementary School.
But Walczak gives the credit to the many local partners whose donations made the purchase of the books possible.
"It's a real community effort," he said. "I think this is why we're so successful in this district is we have a lot of partners."
Many of the community organizations that he works with turn the praise back on him, giving him credit for expanding science education to local students.
"Over the years, through his efforts, we have received thousands of nonfiction (and) science books for our library thanks to the community and business donations Peter has solicited," said NES Principal Heidi Buckmaster. "Peter is also a primary conduit and facilitator of agency partnerships."
Nadia Gardner, manager of the Lower Nehalem Community Trust, works with Walczak in arranging field trips, which she says gives "students a real-life basis for their science education, helping (them) succeed in school"
"Peter goes above and beyond the call of duty to bring science to life for the children of our community," Gardner said. "His passion for teaching about ecology and wildlife is infectious. The kids cannot help but learn."
Gienger called Walczak a "true environmental Pied Piper," and said the excitement he fosters in youth about the environment lasts throughout their high school years.
At the hatchery, a young boy in the From the Forest to the Sea camp seems to be one of those students, when he hears that the camp series continues throughout the summer.
"You mean there's another one in July?! Oh man, I gotta go!" he says, and runs off to tell his friends.
Editor's Note: For more about "Funtastic Summer Day Camps" through OSU Extension Service, Tillamook County, call (503) 842-3433. Camps are offered throughout the county for students in first grade and up. Space is limited and financial need scholarships are available.
