Boreal Forest Watch

Location:

Canada

Description:
Boreal Forest Watch (BFW) is an educational outreach program for the Boreal Ecosystem Atmosphere Study (BOREAS). BFW involves 9-12 graders in conducting real research as part of their educational experience. Teachers and students practice the scientific method by participating in an on-going research project. They are able to integrate multidisciplinary skills in a problem-solving approach. All activities within the program meet or exceed provincial educational standards in science, mathematics, and other fields.

BFW takes place in the boreal ecosystem region of northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada. Students and teachers from several area schools near Prince Albert, SK and Thompson, MB conduct environmental monitoring studies in the boreal forests which are near their schools. Students set up permanent sampling plots and assess the current condition of this plot. They also collect data such as tree height, diameter, overstory and understory species composition, tree core analysis, land cover mapping and remote sensing activities, and plant anatomical characteristics among many other measurements and activities. These data are collected and archived for future use in ecological monitoring studies of the boreal region as well as in class studies.

Teachers involved with BFW are trained on how to conduct program activities, which includes introduction and training in remote-sensing principles. Intensive BFW training workshops are held periodically in the Prince Albert area.

Organization:
University of New Hampshire
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Cost:
Free

Contact:
Shannon Spencer, Complex of Earth, Oceans, and Space, Morse Hall, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824; Phone: (603) 862-1792; Fax: (603) 862-0188; Email: shannon.spencer@unh.edu or Bradley Muir, Prince Albert National Park, Waskesiu Lake, Saskatchewan, CANADA, S0J 2Y0; Phone: (306) 663-5322; Fax: (306) 663-5424; Email: b.muir@sk.sympatico.ca

Education Level:
Grades 9-12

Subject:
Natural Resources
Remote Sensing

Program type:
Research Program
Student Enrichment
Teacher Training (In-service)
 
 
 

Date Added to teachearth.com:
5/1/00