The Boreal Forest Watch program was initiated in the fall of 1994 to act as an educational outreach program for the BOREAS project in both the BOREAS Southern Study Area (SSA) and Northern Study Area (NSA). Boreal Forest Watch (13FW) was designed to introduce area high school teachers and their students to the types of research activities occurring as part of the BOREAS study of Canadian boreal forests. Several teacher training workshops were offered to teachers from central and northern Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba between May, 1995 and February, 1999; teachers were introduced to techniques for involving their students in on-going environmental monitoring studies within local forested stands. Boreal Forest Watch is an educational outreach program which brings high school students and research scientists together to study the forest and foster a sustainable relationship between people and the planetary life-support system we depend upon. Personnel from the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Complex Systems Research Center (CSRC), with the cooperation from the Prince Albert National Park (PANP), instituted this program to help teachers within the BOREAS Study Areas offer real science research experience to their students. The program has the potential to complement large research projects, such as BOREAS, by providing useful student- collected data to scientists. Yet, the primary goal of BFW is to allow teachers and students to experience a hands-on, inquiry-based approach to leaming science - emulating the process followed by research scientists. In addition to introducing these teachers to on-going BOREAS research, the other goals of the BFW program were to: 1) to introduce authentic science topics and methods to students and teachers through hands-on, field-based activities; and, 2) to build a database of student-collected environmental monitoring data for future global change studies in the boreal region

Rock, Barrett N.

English

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Final Report
Boreal Forest Watch
A BOREAS Outreach Program
NAG5-3978
30 June 1999
JUN 2 5 1999
Submitted by:
Dr. Barrett N. Rock, PI
Complex Systems Research Center
University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH 03824
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19990062249 2020-06-15T21:34:48+00:00Z
Boreal Forest Watch
A BOREAS Outreach Program
Final Report
30 June 1999
Background
The Boreal Forest Watch program was initiated in the fall of 1994 to act as an educational
outreach program for the BOREAS project in both the BOREAS Southern Study Area (SSA) and
Northern Study Area (NSA). Boreal Forest Watch (BFW) was designed to introduce area high
school teachers and their students to the types of research activities occurring as part of the
BOREAS study of Canadian boreal forests. Several teacher training workshops were offered to
teachers from central and northern Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba between May, 1995 and
February, 1999; teachers were introduced to techniques for involving their students in on-going
environmental monitoring studies within local forested stands.
Boreal Forest Watch is an educational outreach program which brings high school students and
research scientists together to study the forest and foster a sustainable relationship between
people and the planetary life-support system we depend upon. Personnel from the University of
New Hampshire (UNH), Complex Systems Research Center (CSRC), with the cooperation from
the Prince Albert National Park (PANP), instituted this program to help teachers within the
BOREAS Study Areas offer real science research experience to their students. The program has
the potential to complement large research projects, such as BOREAS, by providing useful student-
collected data to scientists. Yet, the primary goal of BFW is to allow teachers and students to
experience a hands-on, inquiry-based approach to learning science---emulating the process followed
by research scientists.
In addition to introducing these teachers to on-going BOREAS research, the other goals of the
BFW program were to:
1) to introduce authentic science topics and methods to students and teachers
through hands-on, field-based activities; and,
2) to build a database of student-collected environmental monitoring data for future
global change studies in the boreal region.
Teachers and students set up permanent sampling plots in a forested setting near their school or at
the Prince Albert National Park and made a variety of measurements and observations following
standard protocols. In this manner students learn the process of science, and use authentic science
collection methods and equipment to collect and analyze data. During presentations, in written
materials and at training sessions, the concepts of climate change, carbon cycling and the
importance of the boreal biome in terrestrial and atmospheric processes were highlighted.
Additionally, teachers were trained in the use of state-of-the-art remote sensing data, Landsat
TM specifically, and provided with MultiSpec image processing software and local subset
imagesfor their school'stown.Severaladditionalactivitieswereprovidedandavarietyof
resourcematerialsweremadeavailable.
TheBorealForestWatchprogramwasintegratedwith theSaskatchewancurriculumandis an
extensionof thematerialfoundin theprovince'sprimaryenvironmentalresourcebooklet:Focus
On Forests: Saskatchewan. Boreal Forest Watch teaching resources have been correlated with
the Saskatchewan Science Curriculum, Focus On Forests: Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan's
Science Scope and Sequence: Dimensions & Factors, and with the Canadian Common Essential
Learning (CELs) standards.
Completed Activities In Support of This Grant
The primary emphasis of this program was to provide a focused and interactive outreach
component to the BOREAS research activities. This was completed by offering in-service
training sessions to teachers who could then disseminate information about BOREAS research
activities and environmental and climate change research to a larger audience. Several types of
materials were developed in support of in-service trainings and other outreach activities (see 2.
below). Currently the program is still functioning and is being actively administered at the Prince
Albert National Park, Waskesiu, Saskatchewan, Canada. Specific components developed under
this grant are described below.
1. Training Sessions & Workshops
As of March, 1999 a total of nine training sessions and workshops had been conducted with
more than 90 participants attending. Table 1 describes the date, location and number of
participants for training sessions and follow-on workshops which have been held as of the
end of March, 1999. Over 35 schools have been directly involved in BFW to date.
Participants at in-service workshops learned about the BOREAS research activities and how
to implement the Boreal Forest Watch program in their classroom. They received materials
listed under 2.) below and practiced hands-on field and laboratory research protocols. Several
follow-on workshops were also conducted with previously trained teachers in order to assess
the progress and to present new material. These activities were suggested, in part, by
participating BOREAS researchers.
Examples of science protocols teachers were introduced to include:
* Site selection & plot layout
. Sample tree identification
• Qualitative & phenologic observations
• Site & tree picture record
• Tree diameter, height & canopy height
• Tree form & diagnosis
• Tree cores & age
• Overstory & understory characterization
• Fresh sample collections
• Needle anatomical investigations
• Landcover mapping using Landsat data
• Remote sensing & image processing
• BOREAS educational CD-ROM
• Basal area determination
• Chlorophyll determination
Table 1: Boreal Forest Watch Training Sessions & Workshops
Date of Workshop
March, 1995
May, 1995
September 4-8, 1996
May 2-3, 1997
May 12-13
May 14-15, 1998
October 14-15, 1998
February 22, 1999
Purpose
Organizational Meeting with
several school administrators,
teachers and Prince Albert
National Park representatives
Initial Boreal Forest Watch in-
service training session for
high school teachers, held at
the PANP, Waskesiu, SK
(BOREAS SSA).
BFW in-service training
session for high school
teachers, held at the PANP
(BOREAS SSA)
BFW in-service training
session for middle and high
school teachers, held at the
Heritage North Museum,
Thompson, MB (BOREAS
NSA)
BFW Follow-on & in-service
introduction & training mini-
workshop for teachers and
administrators held at the
Prince Albert Model Forest
Association (PAMFA), Prince
Albert, SK (BOREAS SSA)
Follow-on workshop and
module training held at the
Heritage North Museum,
Thompson, MB (BOREAS
NSA)
In-service training session for
new teachers from the
Northern Lights District, SK
held in Prince Albert, SK
(BOREAS SSA)
In-service mini-workshop held
for new teachers at
Martensville High School,
near Saskatoon, SK (BOREAS
SSA)
Number Present
- 8 attendees
10 Teachers
2 Park Representatives
10 Teachers
2 Park Representatives
2 Organizational Reps
13 Teachers
2 Museum Representatives
1 Provincial Forester
- 8 participants comprised of
teachers, PANP reps, and
other organizational reps
13 Teachers
1 Museum Rep.
18 Teachers
6 Teachers
2. Materials Developed & Distributed
Several materials were developed under this grant for support of in-service training and
general outreach information of BOREAS and BFW. These materials were designed to meet
curriculum standards in Canada, be flexible to future adaptation and have a long usability
life--they were intended to be relevant long after the completion of the BOREAS field effort
in Canada.
• Teacher's Manual with over 300 pages of introductory information, information on the
BOREAS project, scientific protocols & data sheets, and auxiliary information.
• An introductory video on the Boreal Forest Watch program (6 minutes).
• A video on proper methods for conducting protocols (50 minutes).
• 3 videos on remote sensing/environmental monitoring (each -15-20 min.).
• A scripted slide set discussing the importance of environmental monitoring and the
BOREAS research effort (42 slides).
• A 4-color poster of Prince Albert As Seen From Space displaying a modified Landsat TM
Scene for the BOREAS SSA (22" x 36").
• Small format 4-color posters describing image processing (8.5" x 11").
• A Teacher's Kit.
• Shared equipment packages w/$1000 worth of research grade equipment for conducting
research protocols.
• A package of research articles produced from the BOREAS research efforts.
• A BFW Web site.
• MultiSpec image processing software distribution.
• Landsat TM image 512 x 512 pixel subsets for each school's geographical area.
• Various educational resources provided during training sessions & follow-on workshops
(books, diagnostic keys, photographs, etc.).
3. Other Outreach Activities
In addition to the workshops and in-service training sessions which were conducted to introduce
teachers to the Boreal Forest Watch program, several other outreach efforts were conducted in
association with the program. Several papers were presented at professional science conferences and
educational conferences as well as the publication of a peer-review paper on Boreal Forest Watch in
the educational literature. To assist in the implementation of the program in the classroom, the
Boreal Forest Watch program materials were presented to the Saskatchewan Board of Education for
official review and approval for use in meeting Saskatchewan curriculum standards.
A. Papers presentations were made at the following conferences:
i) Spencer, S.L. and B.N. Rock. 1996. Boreal Forest Watch: an educational outreach program:
experiential learning through participation in a real data-collection effort. In proc. of Eco-
Informa '96 Conference. 4-7- November 1996, Orlando, FI. 10:509-514.
A poster presentation was also made at this conference under the same title.
4
ii) Spencer,S.,Huczek,G.andMuir, B. 1998.Developingastudent-scientistpartnership:Boreal
ForestWatch.J.Sci.Ed.andTech.7(1):31-43.
iii) Spencer,S.andRock,B. 1997.Poster Presentation: Boreal Forest Watch: an educational
outreach program. ASPRS Annual Convention. 7-10 April 1997, Seattle, Washington.
iv) Huczek, G. 1998. Presentation: Boreal Forest Watch. Saskatchewan Science Teachers
Society. Spring, 1998.
Spencer, S., Huczek, G. and Muir, B. 1998. Boreal Forest Watch: a BOREAS outreach
program. Saskatchewan Accelerator. June, 1998 24(3): 10
vi) Spencer, S., Huczek, G. and Muir, B. 1998. Developing a students-scientist partnership:
Boreal Forest Watch. Part 1. Saskatchewan Accelerator. November, 1998, 25(1 ):9-16.
vii) Spencer, S., Huczek, G. and Muir, B. 1999. Developing a students-scientist partnership:
Boreal Forest Watch. Part 2. Saskatchewan Accelerator. Winter, 1999, 25(2):.
v)
In addition, several newspaper articles were published in the Thompson, MB, Prince Albert, SK and
Saskatoon, SK areas about the Boreal Forest Watch program.
A live television interview with B. Rock (UNH) and B. Muir (PANP) was broadcast on the BBS
Saskatchewan network from their Prince Albert studios on August 16, 1996 regarding the Boreal
Forest Watch program, the BOREAS project and satellite remote sensing.
Several presentations were conducted at the University of New Hampshire in the Departments of
Natural Resources and Complex Systems Research Center as well as to several undergraduate and
graduate level courses on both the BFW program and the BOREAS project.
The program has also been published on the Canadian SchoolNet Intemet site, a resource used by
K-12 teachers and students in Canada.
B. Outreach to visitors at the Prince Albert National Park
i) Several short articles were published about both the BFW program and the BOREAS
project through PANP bulletins.
ii) An informational display and kiosk was established at the PANP visitors center regarding
the efforts of the Boreal Forest Watch program.
iii) Select visitors participated in park tours which include stops at permanent field study sites
established for the BFW program. Several groups participated actively in by conducting
BFW protocols at field sites (this is an on-going activity).
C. Discussions with potential collaborators for implementing the Boreal Forest Watch program
were held.
In May, 1998 several government and non-government organizations met, in individual
meetings, with staff from the University of New Hampshire and the Prince Albert National Park
to discusspossibilitiesfor expandingtheBorealForestWatchprogramto makeit availableto a
wideraudience.ThesetalkswereheldbetweenMay 10andMay 15at variouslocationsin
SaskatchewanandManitoba.Theorganizationsincluded:
May 1lth: CanadianSpaceScienceResourceCenter,Saskatoon,SK
May 12th:PrinceAlbertModelForestAssociation,PrinceAlbert,SK
May 13t_:PrinceAlbertSatelliteGroundStation,PrinceAlbert,SK
May 14th:HeritageNorthMuseum,Thompson,MB
May 15th:NativeEldersof theCreeNation,Thompson,MB
4. Future Directions
NASA support of the Boreal Forest Watch program ended in January, 1999. The Prince Albert
National Park has assumed administrative and training operations of the Boreal Forest Watch
program. Staff members at the PANP continue to offer training, follow-on workshops and site
visits to local schools involved with the BFW program. Schools from northern Saskatchewan,
north of the BOREAS SSA, have recently joined the program and hope to acquire access to
Landsat TM data for their field sites. The University of New Hampshire will continue to offer
technical and scientific expertise to program administrators at the PANP.
Telephone discussions were held with Dr. Josef Cihlar, Mr. Peter Paul and Mr. Bill Bruce from
the Canadian Center for Remote Sensing about the potential for implementing BFW across all
provinces of Canada. At present these discussions continue, with the intention of providing the
Canadian government with the opportunity of expanding the BFW program as appropriate.
Discussions included the potential for access to additional Landsat TM scenes for areas outside
the BOREAS study sites and the possibility for integrating Radarsat data into the current BFW
framework.
Summary
The Boreal Forest Watch program was developed to assist in outreach of the BOREAS research
activities for the areas in and around the Northern Study Area and Southem Study Area. Boreal
Forest Watch has been successful at recruiting Canadian teachers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba
to become involved with a hands-on outreach program which introduces them and their students
to environmental monitoring science, similar to the ground-based studies of BOREAS. Well over
90 teachers have been directly introduced to both BFW and BOREAS with many more students,
organizations, and PANP visitors informed about the types of research NASA has been
conducting in their region. The written materials and videos produced under this grant highlight
the importance of the BOREAS research and the need to understand how the boreal biome
interacts with changes in the global environment.
George Huczek,, 04:28 PM 10/16/98, Re: BFW Fall Workshop
Return-Path: <ghuczek @sk.sympatico.ca>
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 16:28:53 -0600
From: George Huczek <ghuczek@sk.sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: BFW Fall Workshop
X-Sender: ghuczek@ mailhost.sk.sympatico.ca
To: Shannon Spencer <shannon.spencer@unh.edu>
Content-Length: 627
Hi Shannon,
Our workshop has just finished. We had 17 participants altogether, though
a few could not stay for the entire two days.
The feedback that Brad and I received during and after the workshop
indicated that it was a success. The participants, who were hand-picked to
attend, were very enthusiastic about the possibilities that BFW ill offer
then in their classrooms.
Brad will be sending you the workshop evaluation forms. He and I both
took photographs during our field trip. As soon as I have developed and
printed mine I will send then to you for possible inclusion in the BFW web
site.
Regards,
George
Printed for Shannon Spencer <shannon.spencer@unh.edu> 1


Boreal Forest Watch: A BOREAS Outreach Program

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