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EnvironmentWatersheds11TuesdayMay62014ByMARIACHURCHPolkadotsswirlsandstripesinanarrayofbrightpaintshavegivenlifetohundredsofwoodenshthatwillsoonadornJosephBurrTyrrellJBTelementaryschoolschainlinkfencebutthestudentsknowtheirartprojectisaboutmorethanjustdecoration.Thesoon-to-beoutdoormuralofshisalsoastatementaboutwatershedprotection.Thewholeideaofthemuralismeanttobeavisualreminderforthecommunitytohelptakecareofourwaterandstayin-formedofitStephanieYuillprojectorganizerandpubliced-ucationspecialistwithEnviron-mentandNaturalResourcestoldTheJournal.Theartprojectispartofaneco-educationprogramcalledStreamofDreamsthatbeganinBurnabyBCin1988afteranunidentiedpersondumpedtoxicmaterialdownastormdrainresultinginthedeathof5000sh.Achainlinkfencewaserectedaroundtheaffectedareaandresidentsorganizedtohavechildrenpaint5000woodenshandattachthemtothefencetoremindpeopleoftheshhabitatnearby.AsmoreandmorepeoplejumpedonboardtheStreamofDreamsMuralsSocietywasbornwiththegoalofeducatingcommunitiesontheimportanceofwatersheds.SincethenhundredsofschoolsinmultipleprovincesandtheUnitedStateshaveparticipatedintheStreamofDreamsprojectincludingJHSissonselementaryschoolinYellowknifewhichattacheditsmurallastfall.YuillwasinFortSmithlastweektobringthepro-gramtoJBTschoolwiththehelpofFortSmithswater-shedmanagementstudentsDaltonBeamishJeremyBeamishAlexMarieandRyanDavidEvans.ThefourFortSmithstudentsarepartofaprogrambytheCentreforIndigenousEnvironmen-talResearchthatempowersyouthtotakealeadershiproleinprotectingCanadaswatersheds.Yuillandthefouryoungwaterleadersintroducedtheconceptofwatershedstotheelementarystudentsandoversawthepaintingofeachbrightaquaticmasterpiece.TheendgoalforthemuralofshistomakewavesinthecommunityYuillsaid.Wehavetothinkaboutourownbehaviours.Whathap-penstoFortSmithgoestoFortResolutionandeventuallycanendupinTuktoyaktukshesaid.Wejusthappentobedownstreamoftheoilsandsbutwearealsoupstreamoflotofothercommunities.YuillwillbebackinFortSmithinJuneafterthewoodenshhavebeenthor-oughlyshellackedtoassem-bletheStreamofDreamsonJBTschainlinkfence.FortSmithstudentsgetcraftyforwaterprotectionEnvironmentClimateChangeByMEAGANWOHLBERGEuropeanresearchersarecollectingdataintheskiesaboveInuvikandTuktoyak-tukwiththehopesofbetterpredictingtheeffectsofcli-matechange.Morethan20researchersfromGermanyandFrancearecurrentlyintheregionaspartoftheRadiationAero-solCloudExperimentintheArcticCircledubbedtheRACEPACcampaign.Theirgoalcollectdataonthewarmingandcoolingef-fectsofcloudstobetterpre-dictdecreasingseaicecoverandrisingtemperatures.Globalwarmingisam-pliedintheArcticex-plainedProf.ManfredWen-dischoftheUniversityofLeipzigwhoisleadingtheresearcheffort.TheArc-ticisahotspotforclimateresearch.SeaicecoverintheArctichasdecreaseddramaticallysince1950andaveragetem-peratureshaveincreasedmoreintheregionthanal-mostanywhereelseintheworld.WendischcalledthisphenomenonArcticamplicationandsaiditsoneofthereasonsresearch-ershavetraveledsofartocollectthisdata.Therearesomespecialcon-ditionsintheNorthinclud-inglowsunhighreectionofsolarradiationatthegroundlowtemperaturesandmostimportantlytotheRACEPACresearchersuniquecloudconditions.Cloudsactindifferentwaysherehesaid.LowcloudsintheArcticalmostalwayshaveawarmingef-fectcomparedtofurthersouthwheretheyusuallyhaveacoolingeffect.TheRACEPACteamisusingtwoairplanesonetoythroughcloudsandan-othertoyabovethem.Thefirstcollectsinformationonthecloudspropertieswhethertheyaremadeoficeraindropsorbothandthesecondmeasuresthereectivityorradiationoftheclouds.ItwilltakeabouttwoyearstoanalyzeandpublishthedataWendischsaidbutonceinvestigatedthend-ingscouldhelpexplainwhyglobalwarmingisampliedintheArctic.Thendingscouldalsoprovidemuch-neededdataforclimatechangepredictionmodelssomeofwhichestimatethatby2050Arcticseaicecoulddisappearcompletely.Youcannevertrustthemodelwithouthavingsomemeasurements.WithoutmoredataitspurespeculationWendischsaid.Thesecloudsmakealotoftrouble.Thatmeansweneedtoknowwhatsinsidetheclouds.Theplanescanlogupto60hoursofighttimeeachtranslatingtoroughly15expeditionsoverthecom-ingweeks.TheRACEPACcampaignisacombinedeffortoftheUniversityofLeipzigtheAlfredWegenerInstitutetheJlichResearchCen-tretheKarlsruheInstituteofTechnologytheGermanAerospaceCentretheMaxPlanckInstitutetheUniver-sityofMainzandtheLab-oratoryofPhysicalMeteo-rologyapartoftheObser-vatoryofthePhysicsoftheGlobeatClermontFerrandinFrance.ResearcherslooktoskiestopredictclimatechangeGermanandFrenchresearchersarevisitingInuvikthisspringtoresearchthepropertiesandreectivityofcloudsinthehopesofbetterpredictingclimatechange.PhotocourtesyofRACEPACPhotosMariaChurchJBTelementarystudentscheckouttheirhandiworkfortheStreamofDreamsenvironmentaleducationproject.JoyBenwellrightaddsstripesofcolourfulpainttohercardboardshatJBTelementaryschoolinFortSmithlastweek.