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Harvard Forest Symposium Abstract 2020

• Title: Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology
• Primary Author: Pamela Snow (Harvard Forest)
• Abstract:

  Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology Symposium Abstract 2020
  
  Pamela Snow, HF Schoolyard Ecology Coordinator
  
  Harvard Forest Ecologists, Data Manager, and Education staff support Elementary, Middle School and High School teachers and their students engaging in experiences that deepen their understanding of Ecology.
  
  HF Schoolyard Ecology Field Investigations:
  
  • Our Changing Forests; how do Forests Grow and Change over Time led by Ecologists,
  Audrey-Barker Plotkin, Edward Faison, David Orwig and the Future Scenarios Lab
  • Buds, Leaves and Global-Warming led by Ecologist, John O’Keefe
  • The Woolly Bully; the Invasive Pest, the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid led by Ecologist, David
  Orwig
  The Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology Team includes the Ecologists mentioned above along with Betsy Colburn, Emery Boose, Clarisse Hart, and over 4,500 students in grades K-12, and their teachers.
  
  Train the Trainer Outreach Methods:
  
  • Harvard Forest Summer Institute for Teachers- A new cohort of teachers is introduced to the program at this annual hands-on training led by Project Ecologists, Research assistants and Mentor Teachers.
  • Looking at Data Workshop: Annual Ecologist and Information Manager led workshop supporting teachers in how to engage students in understanding and representing project data.
  • Spring Workshop: Annual Ecologist field walks/activities and Teacher presentations to help teachers to integrate project themes more deeply into their classroom and schoolyard work with students.
  • New England Landscape Futures Workshops: Thompson Lab members introduced NELF explorer tool to a select group of HF Schoolyard Eco teachers. Highstead Foundation funds provided mini grants for these teachers to create and share lesson plans using NELF to explore land use change themes in their regions.
  • Data Nuggets: HF Graduate student Fiona Jevon developed a learning activity featuring Munger Lab’s Eddy Flux study in 2018. Quabbin Regional High School Teacher, Elicia Andrews developed a graphing activity featuring Pederson Dendrology Lab and associated Dendrologist, Jesse K. Pearl in 2019.
  • Research Experience for Teachers (RET): Elicia Andrews worked full time as RET with Pederson Lab in summer 2019. We have proposed 2 RETs for Summer 2020 in the Munger and Thompson labs.
  • Understanding Phenology Through Phenocams: LTER Education Workshop coordination through NSF Macrosystems grant led by Ecologist, Andrew Richardson, formerly of Harvard Univ., currently working from Northern Arizona Univ. (NAU). HF Schoolyard Coordinator and Mentor Teacher, Bennett, will be leading the effort to engage ARC; CAP; SEV; and HBR-LTER Educators to engage teachers and students in Phenocam educational activities.
  • CT Science Teacher Conference Presentation: Choate-Rosemary Hall Teacher, Joseph Scanio shared his NELF Lesson plans developed with HF Schoolyard, mini grant support.
  

• Research Category: Biodiversity Studies
  Conservation and Management
  Forest-Atmosphere Exchange
  Invasive Plants, Pests & Pathogens
  Regional Studies