Patterns in the Sky

This week I taught at an event called "Patterns in the Sky." My role for the first evening was to explain what I do related to math and aviation. As an environmental educator I can talk about so many different things. Scientists use math to study and understand patterns in nature. We are surrounded by mountain ranges and rivers in Central Idaho. The patterns of percipitation influences everything around us. A huge part of living here right now is snow! We are so far having a lower than average snow year. How will the rivers run this spring? What about later in the summer? Will the snow pack melt quickly in the heat or will there be enough to gradually melt and will feed rivers late into the summer? Will everything be dry, trees like matchsticks for fires, by the end of the summer? I am supposed to help start up a Junior Master Gardener program this summer. What will our growing season at high altitudes be like? How will Chinook and Steelhead do migrating out and back through eight dams and hot pools of water instead of running rivers? Fish in rivers rely on the same elements that pilots rely on to fly.