Kelsey Turner

1191 Blue Lake Way

Concord, CA 94521

January 25, 2017

Mrs. Stacey Wickware

Clayton Arts Academy
Clayton Valley Charter High School
1101 Alberta Way
Concord, CA 94521

Project Topic: The Importance of Habitat Conservation

Essential Questions: How important is Habitat Conservation? What do we need to know/do to
help make changes and support conservation on an individual level? How can we help spread
awareness of the causes and effects of habitat conservation?
Possible Art I Will Create: Photo Essay of endangered species that are protected by habitat
conservation and/or photos of habitat conservation successes and failures(ex. Invasive species,
controlled burn failures, overdevelopment, pollution, etc.).

Dear Mrs. Wickware:

After much thought, I have chosen to research habitat conservation and land management as my
Junior Project because the environment has always been extremely important to me, and over the
years I have become increasing interested in it.
My uncle is a wildlife biologist, and over the years my family and I have been to many national
parks and wildlife refuges with him, and ever since I was little I have always been fascinated
with what he has to say about the wildlife and the environment, and he would often take me out
through the parks so I could learn more, firsthand. I am in fact so fascinated with wildlife and the
environment that I plan on majoring in wildlife biology or wildlife conservation in college. I am
also enrolled in AP Environmental Science this year, so I have learned even more about the
environment throughout the class so far. Conserving nature and the environment must be done to
save our planets beauty and life. I would like the audience of my project to understand how
important and vital every species is to our Earths ecosystems and that they are in trouble. I
would also like them to learn what is currently being done to save endangered species and what
has succeeded and failed in the past, as well as what they as individuals could do to help.

This project will be very challenging for me because I will do a lot of research on endangered
species and habitat conservation through a variety of resources such as: the internet, books,
textbooks, and field guides. I will then have to travel to habitat conservation areas, identify
endangered species there and photograph them, and then learn what has been done to keep them
alive in those managed areas. For my artform, I plan to create a photo essay of endangered
species alive in conservation areas and government controlled parks, and of conservation
successes and failures. Then, I was thinking of showcasing my work and findings to science
classes at our school. I believe I can accomplish this artform because I have a lot of experience
with photography. I was in the Clayton Arts Academy photography class the past two years(and
will be again next year), my grandfather is a photographer, and I took summer classes for several
years before high school as well; so I am confident in my ability to use this medium in my work.
I would like to have my AP Environmental Science teacher, Mrs. Luchay be my mentor because
she has extensive knowledge of my topic and many other aspects of the environment, and she is
extremely passionate about saving our planet.

I am excited because this research project will allow to do two of the things I love most:
photography, and being in nature. I also hope to further my, as well as others, knowledge on how
to help preserve our natural lands and save our endangered species. I believe this project will
also help my passion for wildlife and the environment grow, and allow me to experience some of
what I hope to be doing in college and in my possible future career. Through this project, I hope
to spread awareness to my peers of the critical danger our environment is currently in, especially
with the new federal administration, and teach them how they can help our planets species and
life.

I hope this meets your approval and look forward to your ongoing advice.

Fondly,

Kelsey Turner
Period 2