© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 1 Page 29

Abstract

Keepers of Turtle Island, a clan of Indigenous students, was an initiative to learn 

more about sustainable practices, revitalize Traditional Ecological Knowledge 

(TEK) with our Native American communities, and actively engage in stewardship 

of our environment. This NOAA Planet Stewards project was designed to address 

the damage caused to the environment in terms of the loss of biodiversity and the 

growing threat to ecosystems and cultural heritage. One of the main challenges 

that the project addressed was the decreasing number of pollinators due to various 

factors including the eradication of native plants such as milkweed. The project 

restored habitats for pollinators by growing native plants, which provide ecosystem 

services and opportunities for students to learn about them. The project also focused 

on reducing carbon emissions and sequestering carbon. By braiding Indigenous 

Science perspectives into environmental education, the project emphasized relations, 

responsibility, and stewardship towards the environment. The program engaged 

middle and high school students in calculating their carbon footprints, planting a 

native pollinator garden, and learning about the local ecosystem and climate through 

their Indigenous cultures. The project’s partners collaborated with the students to 

design the garden space and donated native plant species. The project also involved 

cultural educational experiences to bridge learning about Indigenous culture 

and science and build participants’ climate literacy. The Keepers of Turtle Island 

project provided culturally relevant and sustaining science learning experiences, 

built community, and limited the effects of climate change by integrating education, 

culture, and community approaches informed by Indigenous knowledge.

Introduction

Our relationship with Earth has deteriorated and much of the traditional ecological 

knowledge of our ancestors has been lost. Rekindling our community relationships through 

storytelling, listening, and learning through our Indigenous cultures could help increase the 

climate literacy and sustainability of our local community at large. Indigenous communities 

are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change with close dependence on 

climate-sensitive resources for their livelihoods, cultures, and economies. The intimate 

Keepers of Turtle Island

Amelia Cook, Keepers of Turtle Island

Native Youth Science Club, Norman High School, Norman, Oklahoma

Monarch lands on student at Tribal 

Alliance of Pollinators Butterfly 

Sanctuary

Photo credit: Amelia Cook. 
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 30 The Earth Scientist

connection with the land and ancestral knowledge of Indigenous peoples accumulated over 

centuries is a strength. Native people’s traditional methods of learning from the land, as well 

as their practice of passing down these traditions and knowledge through generations, have 

been recognized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2019) as critical 

for adaptation. The Panel’s report acknowledges the importance of Indigenous knowledge in 

accelerating societal behavior changes that align with the goals of adapting to and mitigating 

global warming. Integrating education, information, and community approaches informed 

by Indigenous knowledge can be an effective means of facilitating widespread adaptation 

and limiting the effects of climate change.

Today, overuse of chemicals, landscaping, and environmental mismanagement have 

damaged our lands and deepened the disconnection with nature. This disconnection to 

the community, both human and non-human relations alike, contributes to the loss of 

biodiversity and inability to collaboratively solve our environmental challenges, threatening 

our ecosystem as well as our cultural heritage. It is our responsibility to heal our connection 

to the land by restoring the native plants that sustain life and rekindling our community 

relationships. Humans can alter the land to a degree that none before have, but this change 

does not have to be exploitative. Through community education we have an opportunity to 

hold ourselves accountable and make an alteration for the better. We must do what we can to 

foster a relationship of reciprocity with the land and educate youth.

Globally, pollinator populations are shrinking. Several overlapping factors contribute to 

this disturbing global trend, including habitat fragmentation, pesticide use, and climate 

change. Pollinators are vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems. Most flowering plants 

depend on bees, butterflies, and other animals for pollination. Pollinators evolved with 

native plants, which are best adapted to the local growing season, climate, and soils. Many 

pollinators depend on specific plant species (e.g., milkweed is critical for the survival of 

monarchs, without it they cannot complete their life cycle). Milkweed has been eradicated 

both in agricultural areas as well as urban and suburban landscapes and is one of the reasons 

monarchs are threatened. Growing native plants adds important habitats for pollinators and 

supports important ecosystem services.

The level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is 419 ppm (NASA, 2023), a level that has not 

been seen since the Pliocene Epoch. This is due to our ever-increasing emissions and the heat 

trapping properties of carbon dioxide combined with our vast reduction in carbon sinks 

from deforestation, monocropping, and the reduction in wetlands ecosystems around the 

globe. Humanity is committed to some level of climate change, how much the climate changes 

and how well our communities respond to these changes are up to us and the behaviors we 

choose. Despite increasing awareness of climate change, our emissions of greenhouse gasses 

continue to rise. 

The Project

Our NOAA Planet Stewards project presented opportunities to explore innovative 

approaches that blend Indigenous science, community development, and education with 

Western Science to learn about the local environment. By integrating these different bodies 

of knowledge, we created new and imaginative community learning experiences that value 

multiple perspectives, collaboration, and promote sustainability. Keepers of Turtle Island, a 

clan of students, learned about sustainable practices and Traditional Ecological Knowledge 

(TEK) with our Native American communities, and actively engaging in stewardship of our 

environment. Reducing our carbon footprints, sequestering carbon, and habitat restoration 
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 1 Page 31

for native pollinators are important environmental challenges and the main focus of the 

Keepers of Turtle Island project.

This yearlong program engaged students in culturally sustaining and revitalizing science 

learning experiences incorporating Native languages, story work, and cultural and science 

experts from the community. Students calculated their carbon footprints, learned about the 

local ecosystem and climate, and planted a native pollinator garden. Students learned about 

culturally significant plants and native pollinators, how to change their behaviors to reduce 

their carbon footprint, and discovered ways to sequester carbon through campus gardening 

and greening unused spaces. These educational experiences provided opportunities to 

challenge students to think in new ways about Indigenous science, community building, 

and education as a tool for sustainability. Incorporating Indigenous science perspectives 

emphasized connection with one another and Mother Earth, as well as responsibility and 

stewardship. The Tribal Alliance of Pollinators, the South-Central Climate Adaptation 

Science Center, and the Chickasaw Nation collaborated with middle and high school students 

to design the garden space as well as donated native plant species. The University of 

Oklahoma’s (OU) Beekeepers Association, a student organization that educates and engages 

with the community to raise awareness about the importance of honeybees, collaborated 

on native plant research, facilitated learning activities about the importance and role of 

pollinators, and helped build our raised beds. Norman Public Schools students involved in 

the project ranged in age from 6th to 12th grade.

Each meeting of the students followed an experiential learning cycle engaging with the 

Native American cultures of the students to learn science from an Indigenous perspective. 

Fall activities included visitors from local Native Nations and storytelling. Loksi, is the 

Chickasaw word for turtle, became a central theme for the club. Students created, Earth on 

Turtle’s Back, a paper mâché collaborative diorama art project that modeled the Canadian 

River valley and local Cross Timbers ecosystem’s flora and fauna on the back of Loksi’s shell. 

Stewardship activities included carbon footprint calculations, the International Student 

Carbon Footprint Challenge, and a biodiversity survey of campus. In Spring meetings, 

students learned about local climate change impacts, native and culturally significant plants, 

and designed, built, and planted a native pollinator garden in collaboration with the OU 

Beekeepers Association.

The club’s curriculum followed an Indigenous Science instructional framework 

emphasizing land-based, student-centered, active learning with Elders and other Knowledge 

Image 1. Lawn before the project. Photo credit: Amelia Cook Image 2. Students built raised beds for pollinator garden Photo credit: Amelia Coo
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 32 The Earth Scientist

Keepers, science experts, and families in the community, respectfully braiding Western and 

Indigenous Science perspectives together valuing multiple perspectives, connecting with 

the past and preparing for the future, building an ecosystem of good relations and practice 

to investigate and act on a community-based science issue.

Lessons were developed using experiential learning cycles of experiencing, reflecting, 

making meaning, and acting phases with a 5E instructional sequence. Participants built 

relationships with the local environment through Nature Journaling (Laws & Lygren, 2020) 

activities and cultivating personal and cultural connections in scientific investigations 

utilizing environmental 

data (NASA GRACE, 

2023) and engaging with 

community collaborative 

science programs, Nature’s 

Notebook (https://

www.usanpn.org/nn/

education) and NASA’s 

Globe Observer (https://

observer.globe.gov/

do-globe-observer).

A survey measuring 

climate attitude and 

interest was administered 

at the beginning and end of 

the school year.

Not all students agreed 

that climate change was 

occurring at the beginning 

of the semester, however, 

100% of respondents agreed 

Image 5. Rattlesnake Master 

blooming during the first growing 

season.. Photo credit: Amelia Co

Image 4. Lawn After Project. South Bed with new plants  Photo credit: Amelia CoImage 3. Lawn after. North bed with native

plants.. Photo credit: Amelia Co

28%

52%

9%

2% 6% 3%

33%

25%

17%

5%

10% 9%

Alarmed Concerned Cautious Disengaged Doubtful Dismissive

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Group Data

National Estimate

Group Data vs. National Estimates (September 2021)

44%

52%

4%

33%

25%

17%

5%

10% 9%

Alarmed Concerned Cautious Disengaged Doubtful Dismissive

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Group Data

National Estimate

Group Data vs. National Estimates (September 2021)

Audience Segmentation

Concerned

51.6%

Alarmed

28.1%

Cautious

9.4%

Doubtful

6.3%

Dismissive

3.1% Disengaged

1.5%

Audience Segmentation

Concerned

52.0%

Alarmed

44.0%

Cautious

4.0%

Figures 1 and 1a. Climate Change Survey Results Pre-Project

Figures 2 and 2a. Climate Change Survey Results Post-Project
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 1 Page 33

that climate change was occurring in the final survey in May. The group’s average confidence 

in that climate change was occurring changed from somewhat sure to very sure. Overall 

student opinion regarding if the climate was changing due to human activities changed from 

a majority agreeing changes were caused “equally by human activity and natural events” 

to “largely or entirely by human activity.” The distribution of students changed in the Six 

Americas categories (Yale 2021) (Figures 1 & 2) with more alarmed students and no one 

responding as disengaged, doubtful, nor dismissive at the end of the year. Students reported 

they still “rarely” talk about climate change but also reported they had more information 

to discuss climate change at the end of the year. More students reported they believed they 

could do something and were ready to take action regarding climate change at the end of 

the year. 

There were many significant outcomes of the project. Students learned how to calculate their 

ecological footprints and increased their knowledge of behaviors to reduce their families’ 

environmental impact. Many students (and parents!) reported changes they were making 

to reduce footprints, an estimated 10-20% reduction in our collective footprints. Keepers 

of Turtle Island made a measurable improvement in the health of the campus ecosystem. 

Students completed a biodiversity survey of the area on campus where the pollinator garden 

was planted before and after the project. Species diversity increased from two plant species 

to 15 species, and two animal species to six; a 650% increase in plant biodiversity and a 200% 

increase in animal diversity. The pollinator habitat restoration project added Native and 

culturally significant plants including: 

■ Compass plant (Silphium laciniatum)

■ Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)

■ Many-Rayed Aster (Symphyotrichum anomalum)

■ Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)

■ Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

■ Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

■ Blue Vine (Ampelamus albidus)

■ Antelope-Horns Milkweed (Asclepias asperula)

■ Little BlueStem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

■ Whiteleaf Mountainmint (Pycnanthemum albescens)

■ Bee Balm (Monarda citriodora)

■ Sunflower (Helianthus mollis) 

■ Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) 

Approximately 100 square feet of pollinator habitat was restored increasing the carbon 

sequestration capacity of campus. Students estimated the new garden would sequester 

between four to eight pounds of carbon in the first growing season, increasing each year as 

the perennial native plant species grow in size and increase biomass. Students learned of 

carbon sequestration in soil and plan to “green” more unused spaces on campus to sequester 

carbon in soil and plant biomass. The native pollinator garden was planted in a prominent 

location on campus and has generated a lot of interest from the community. There are 

plans to build more beds in the future. This garden will continue to inspire and inform 

the community.
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 34 The Earth Scientist

Conclusion

The Keepers of Turtle Island project encouraged Indigenous Science 

and interdisciplinary learning to address local climate change issues 

and take action on projects, such as restoring native pollinator 

habitats. By working alongside Elders, local scientists, and subject 

matter experts, students designed and conducted environmental 

science investigations, while also learning about the issues through 

a curriculum that combined Western science with local Indigenous 

knowledge. Utilizing the knowledge and data they collected, they 

implemented a stewardship project that targeted the declining 

pollinator populations, a core climate change issue within the 

community. As a result of their efforts, there was a significant shift in 

attitudes towards climate change in participants, cultural knowledge 

improved, and the ecosystem health of campus improved remarkably.

This project encouraged us to challenge our thinking and embrace new 

perspectives in science learning. Incorporating Indigenous Science 

perspectives into environmental education emphasizes connection, 

responsibility, and meaning. 

References

IPCC, 2019. Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change and Land: an IPCC special report 

on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food 

security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems [P.R. Shukla, J. Skea, E. Calvo 

Buendia, V. Masson-Delmotte, H.- O. Pörtner, D. C. Roberts, P. Zhai, R. Slade, S. Connors, R. van 

Diemen, M. Ferrat, E. Haughey, S. Luz, S. Neogi, M. Pathak, J. Petzold, J. Portugal Pereira, P. 

Vyas, E. Huntley, K. Kissick, M. Belkacemi, J. Malley, (eds.)]. https://www.ipcc.

ch/srccl/

Laws, J., Lygren, E. 2020. How To Teach Nature Journaling (Heyday Books, 

Berkeley, California).

NASA Global Climate Change. 2023. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. https://

climate.nasa.gov/

NASA GRACE-Based Shallow Groundwater Drought Indicator. 2023. https://

nasagrace.unl.edu/Default.aspx

U.S. Drought Monitor. 2023. https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap.aspx

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. 2021. Global Warming’s 

Six Americas, September 2021. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/

publications/global-warmings-six-americas-september-2021/

Image 6. Students planting native plants

Photo credit: Amelia Cook

About the Author

Ameila Cook is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, 

Science Education doctoral student at the University 

of Oklahoma, and high school science educator in 

Oklahoma. Amelia is a teacher ambassador with

the National Center for Science Education, EcoRise, 

and a NOAA Planet Steward. Ameila can be reached

at ameliacook@ou.ed