STEM Education Institute Tuesday Seminar
“Conducting Environmental Research Using K-12 Student Data: The Forest Watch Program at the University of New Hampshire”
Barrett N Rock
Dept. of Natural Resources, University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire (UNH) has developed a K-12 regional outreach program designed to introduce teachers and their students to field, laboratory, and satellite data analysis methods for assessing the state-of-health of white pine (Pinus strobus), a known bio-indicator for tropospheric or low-level ozone damage. This program, entitled Forest Watch, provides workshops designed to help teachers introduce their students to selected hands-on techniques, based on UNH research methods. Forest Watch students evaluate the health of trees growing outside their classrooms, doing hands-on authentic science and becoming actively involved in meaningful scientific research. Results to date will be presented, representing both the scientific knowledge gained and the nature of the learning by the students.