Salamanders and Science: Place-based Environmental Education in Rural Appalachia

The opportunity to learn science by doing authentic science in a rural community is not a common occurrence, yet for over thirty years, a group of dedicated educators have provided the experience of learning field biology and ecology to students in a geographically isolated area of the Appalachian Mountains. The over-arching research question in this study is: how does a Field School program in Appalachia use a place-based environmental education approach to teach students about their local community and environmental issues, while also extending their understanding of global environmental issues? Foundational literature includes work in place-based education, critical pedagogy, critical pedagogy of place, and Appalachian studies. This qualitative, ethnographic case-study examines the experiences and reflections of three instructors and four students throughout the program. As a high school student, I was a participant in this program, and my own experiences and perspectives are included as an ethnographic chapter in the data analysis as well. The teachers in the program share a deep commitment to environmental education and ecojustice, and the students gain valuable insight into what it means to be a scientist, how local environmental issues relate to global environmental and economic issues and move towards becoming advocates for the environment.