SAFE Air for
Everyone
Blue Lake Rancheria:
Blue Lake Rancheria’s air quality program has been active for over 20 years, collecting; collecting air quality data in the region and engaging the community through projects and outreach events. The Rancheria’s Environmental Department has worked with Schatz Energy Research Center on a number of air quality projects including our current establishment of regional community air monitoring networks in the Klamath and Baduwa’t watersheds/airsheds. This project prioritizes strategic sensor deployment in regions with high levels of wildfire smoke and sparse air quality monitoring to collect real-time data and promote air quality awareness in rural communities. Blue Lake Rancheria currently utilizes the Teledyne T640, a federal equivalent method monitor, to collect air quality data on the Rancheria and is looking forward to expanding our air quality monitoring into more rural parts of our watershed and airshed.
Karuk Department of Natural Resources:
The Karuk work pikyav means “fix it,” and refers to the Tribe’s continuing ceremonial and diurnal efforts to restore the earth and its creatures to harmonious balance. We understand the reciprocal responsibility to the gifts of natural resources and the traditional laws of our Tribe remains the basis of our management.
The overarching goal of the Pikyav Field Institute (Pikyav) is to expand Tribal capacity within the department and build upon our partnerships with collaborating academic institutions in order to address identified program needs for a dedicated environmental education program Pikyav works to augment long-term co-management within Karuk ancestral homelands, and educate and support Tribal and non-Tribal youth in culturally relevant and academically challenging programs. Through this project, Pikyav, in collaboration with Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt and Blue Lake Rancheria, is supporting traditional and western scientific knowledge to inform and manage Karuk ancestral homelands while monitoring air quality. With this project, Pikyav is expanding awareness of air quality for the health of the community and the land.
Schatz Energy Research Center:
The Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt is committed to addressing climate change and improving human and ecosystem health through work that supports clean energy, climate-resilience, equity, and justice. The Schatz Center collaborates with researchers, Federal, State, Tribal, and local government agencies, as well as industry partners to support this work. The Schatz partnership with the Blue Lake Rancheria and Karuk Tribes to support healthy communities and enhance energy resilience has included work on air sensors, air filtration, microgrids, biomass energy, and other topics that align technology development with community needs.