Wisconsin School Forest Monitoring: Engaging Teachers and Students
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Wisconsin School Forest Monitoring: Engaging Teachers and Students Jeremy Solin Wisconsin School Forest Coordinator October 5, 2006 Citizen-based Monitoring Conference
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Wisconsin School Forest Monitoring: Engaging Teachers and Students. Jeremy Solin Wisconsin School Forest Coordinator. October 5, 2006 Citizen-based Monitoring Conference. Wisconsin School Forest Monitoring. Wisconsin School Forest Program Garlic Mustard Monitoring Project - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Wisconsin School Forest Monitoring: Engaging Teachers and Students
Wisconsin School Forest Monitoring: Engaging Teachers and Students
Jeremy SolinWisconsin School Forest Coordinator
October 5, 2006Citizen-based Monitoring Conference
Wisconsin School Forest Monitoring
Wisconsin School Forest ProgramGarlic Mustard Monitoring ProjectWisconsin Worm WatchFuture SF Monitoring Projects
Wisconsin School Forest Program
Wisconsin School Forest Ed. SpecialistLEAF - The Wisconsin K-12 Forestry Education
ProgramWisconsin Center for Environmental Education and
the WDNR - Forestry
School Forest History
School & Community Forest Law – 1927
1st School Forests at Laona, Wabeno and Crandon
Goals– Reforestation– Income
School Forest Opportunities
Meet state education standards Focus to integrate environmental
education into curriculum Connect students to place Demonstrate sustainable natural
resources management Strengthen school/community
relationships Provide income
School Forests Today
348 School Forests195 different public school districts (45%)67 of 72 countiesRange of sizes (>24,000 acres in total)Range of utilization (daily – never)
School Forest Monitoring Projects
Garlic Mustard Monitoring– Wisconsin NatureMapping “Special Project”– Training– Teacher and Student Use– Data
Wisconsin Worm Watch– Project goals– Project activities
Wisconsin NatureMapping Special Project
Garlic Mustard Training
May 2005– 20 teachers from 17 districts
May 2006– 9 interested citizens
Garlic Mustard natural history and control
Wisconsin NatureMapping GPS Data collection and submission
Teacher and Student Use
16 sites surveyedStudents involved in most
of the surveysAll survey respondents
expected to use the project in their classroom
Garlic Mustard Data
Area Surveyed ~20 sites 9 sites with garlic
mustard average area = 3
acres Pulling was
implemented at 7 sites
Wisconsin Worm Watch
Build on success of the garlic mustard project
Increase awareness of earth worms as an exotic, invasive species
Engage students and citizens in monitoring projects
Partnership with Great Lakes Worm Watch, NatureMapping, CBMPP
Wisconsin Worm Watch
Project on Wisconsin NatureMapping website
Training for teachers and citizens Collect and submit data
School Forest Data
How is the information used?Component of EE programManagement of school forest landsLocal and state land management
organizations and agencies
Future SF Monitoring Efforts
School Forest Monitoring Network
– Tree species, diameter, and height (volume, growth rates)
– Tree health– Understory diversity– Invertebrates– Tree regeneration
– Forest floor vertebrates
– Invasive plants– Downed woody debris– Phenology– Wildlife populations– Diversity
School Forest Monitoring
Summary
– School forests are a network of nearly 200 potential monitoring sites across the state
– Garlic mustard and Worm watch projects provide examples of possibilities
– Incredible potential to include students and teachers in monitoring
