SISTERS, Ore. — A Sisters High School freshman who set up a network of trail cameras to document the movements of wolves in the Metolius River Basin near Camp Sherman is now being given the chance to expand on that mission.
Ander Rhoads, who used to be homeschooled, is enrolled in the Ignite Program, which helps students explore their passion, design their future and make an impact on their community. He is now earning class credits through internships and field work in his area of interest: wildlife biology.
“I was really passionate about working with wildlife and tracking wolves. I really didn’t want going to in-person school make me lose that time, lose that passion that I had the time to do that,” Ander said.
Going to a bricks-and-mortar high school is a big transition, but he’s landed in a school that offers Ignite — a student-centered, experiential learning program.
“Ander is a student here at Sisters High School. I know him through the biology program. He actually wasn’t my student this year but I am very familiar with his work,” said Rima Givot, SHS Science Teacher. “I’ve gone out in the field with him. Next year, I am looking forward to mentoring him from a science perspective in the Ignite Program.”
Instead of relying solely on classroom instruction, students in the Ignite Program earn both core and elective credits through authentic, interest-driven experiences that merge hands-on learning with core academic content.
A few years back, one student did research on trail cameras when those were relatively new. The student went to college to study biology and now works in that field, a similar pathway to the one Rhoads appears to be following.
“Where the student becomes the curriculum and we are able to come in behind in saying on how they meet the standards in the core content area,” said Joe Hasang, Sisters High School Curriculum Director.
In Rhoads’ case, he’s getting science credits for volunteering in the High Desert Museum’s wildlife department where he’s learning about the biology and physiology of the animals he helps care for.
“I think it’s great,” said Jon Nelson, High Desert Museum Curator of Wildlife. “One of the things we really want to see is more young people engaging with the outdoors and getting excited about wildlife. Not only does Ander do that, but he spreads it to other people in the community.”
The High Desert Museum was already aware of Ander’s interest in wolf tracking and his skills with trail cameras, so they asked him to help expand their latest research into porcupines.
“If you see a hole that might be big enough for a porcupine, you stick your head in there and you look for any quills or scat or maybe there’s a porcupine in there as you look,” Ander said.
What will Ander do if something looks back at him?
“Well, I haven’t had that happen yet. I’m just going to hope it’s not some angry big kitty or a skunk,” he said.
Ander is also earning English credits for making community presentations about wildlife. He recently gave presentations about wolves to the residents of Touchmark, and he spoke to second graders at Sisters Elementary School about porcupines. He’s also written articles that were published in the Sisters Nugget Newspaper.
“Ander does quite a bit for us particularly with the trail cameras. We have many volunteers that contribute to our project on iNautralist. I think we’ve got about 50 volunteers, but Ander is the number one contributor to that project. He’s taken it to a whole new level,” Nelson said.
“I’m impressed with his self direction, his passion and his authenticity in this unique pursuit. I’m really proud of him to stand up tall and pursue what he’s interested in,” Givot said. “He’s giving a lot back to the community by taking the time to really go deep. I think he’s a true leader by leading by example. It’s super impressive to watch.”
“We need some assertive students, some confident students, some students who are willing to express their opinions and say what they want and don’t want, and he’s definitely there,” Hasang said. “I was surprised to learn he was a freshman when I met him. He does not have that normal freshman attitude.”
A delicious irony remains is that Ander has yet to see a wolf in person, though he’s captured dozens of images of them on trail cameras.
Porcupines are proving even harder to find.
“I’m not seeing porcupines, but I am seeing a lot of bobcats and bushy tailed wood rats. I’ve seen western spotted skunks which is a species we don’t know much about,” Ander said. “Looking for porcupines on these outcrops has made me realize this is something we’ve not done much studies about and they are hot spots of bio-diversity that maybe in the future might need to be protected that we don’t even realize yet.”
Ander had a health scare and underwent heart surgery last year, which cut back on his field work. He’s fully healed now and stronger than ever, thanks to his first ever organized sports experience with the Sisters High School Nordic Team.
Where’s all this going for the high school freshman?
“It’s been an incredible opportunity to be able to do this in high school. I never imagined I would be able to do this. I would really love to continue, building off it through my sophomore, junior and senior years and get better and better at it as I go,” Ander said.