Science Blog
Today the team put together all the skills and knowledge we had been learning all week so we could set up canopy plots. We drove out to the locations where we had caught owls and suspected we could find some high quality tree cavities to set up our plots.
First, we divided into two teams which were decided based on our dessert preferences, The Pies and The Cakes. The teams measured out 50m X 50m plots and the canopy cover was measured using a densiometer at each corner and then again at the center point. In addition to canopy coverage, the team collected data on basal area using a keyhole prism. The species of the trees found in the plot and their diameter were collected. Now that we had a basic idea of the types and amount of trees in our plot we began a "sweep" of the plot for tree cavities.
We walked through the plot looking up and around each tree for tree cavities. If a team member found a cavity we would take measurements, look inside using a special tree cavity camera and then rate the quality of the cavity. All together, our teacher research team completed 4 plots over the course of the day. Each canopy plot took about an hour and a half to complete and in the end, most plots had no high quality cavities. It was a long, hot day outside. Many liters of water were consumed. It was energizing to know that the data we collected will help researchers to potentially make connections between tree density, tree species and owl habitats, and further our understanding of the natural world. It also shows just how important this Earthwatch Team really is because scientific knowledge is constrained by human capacity. More hands = more data. More data = better models.
When we identified our one high quality tree cavity, we set up a microhabitat plot to collect information on the plants immediately surrounding the tree with the high quality cavity. In addition, we added an ibutton to the cavity that would take temperature data inside the cavity as compared to the outside ambient temperature. Kassandra Townsend is leading the cavity temperature project to collect data for her PhD dissertation.
Today the team put together all the skills and knowledge we had been learning all week so we could set up canopy plots. We drove out to the locations where we had caught owls and suspected we could find some high quality tree cavities to set up our plots.
First, we divided into two teams which were decided based on our dessert preferences, The Pies and The Cakes. The teams measured out 50m X 50m plots and the canopy cover was measured using a densiometer at each corner and then again at the center point. In addition to canopy coverage, the team collected data on basal area using a keyhole prism. The species of the trees found in the plot and their diameter were collected. Now that we had a basic idea of the types and amount of trees in our plot we began a "sweep" of the plot for tree cavities.
We walked through the plot looking up and around each tree for tree cavities. If a team member found a cavity we would take measurements, look inside using a special tree cavity camera and then rate the quality of the cavity. All together, our teacher research team completed 4 plots over the course of the day. Each canopy plot took about an hour and a half to complete and in the end, most plots had no high quality cavities. It was a long, hot day outside. Many liters of water were consumed. It was energizing to know that the data we collected will help researchers to potentially make connections between tree density, tree species and owl habitats, and further our understanding of the natural world. It also shows just how important this Earthwatch Team really is because scientific knowledge is constrained by human capacity. More hands = more data. More data = better models.
When we identified our one high quality tree cavity, we set up a microhabitat plot to collect information on the plants immediately surrounding the tree with the high quality cavity. In addition, we added an ibutton to the cavity that would take temperature data inside the cavity as compared to the outside ambient temperature. Kassandra Townsend is leading the cavity temperature project to collect data for her PhD dissertation.
Personal Blog
I always enjoy professional development because I love learning. However, this professional development experience has been markedly more meaningful for me. Nine years ago, my reason for becoming a science teacher was to communicate current science research with more people who needed to be informed and scientifically savvy enough to make better decisions for the greater good. In my classroom I spend a lot of time creating activities for my students to engage in and investigations to conduct but sometimes forget to bring in current science research. Although having students learning science concepts is a very important part of a science classroom, I was reminded through this experience that it's also important that my students understand the very nature of scientific knowledge because as has been said before by people who know more than me, "Being well informed about science is not the same thing as understanding science."
The other reason I loved my experience with Earthwatch this past week (beyond all the amazing teachers and researchers I got to work with!) was that I learned so much about my very own home. Granted we all live on planet Earth but we don't all live in Arizona and now that I am aware that this biodiversity hotspot exists only hours from my classroom I feel inspired and excited, and my mind is racing with ideas of how I can make it so that my students get the opportunity to experience the magic of the Chiricahua's, as well.
Did You Know?
In the Chiricahua Mountains, the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts and the Rocky Mountain and Sierra Madre ranges all meet. The convergence of these four biomes makes this area unusually rich in both floral and faunal biodiversity.
About the Author
Brianne Loya is a 10th grade Biology and Chemistry teacher at Phoenix Union Bioscience High School in Phoenix, Arizona.
I always enjoy professional development because I love learning. However, this professional development experience has been markedly more meaningful for me. Nine years ago, my reason for becoming a science teacher was to communicate current science research with more people who needed to be informed and scientifically savvy enough to make better decisions for the greater good. In my classroom I spend a lot of time creating activities for my students to engage in and investigations to conduct but sometimes forget to bring in current science research. Although having students learning science concepts is a very important part of a science classroom, I was reminded through this experience that it's also important that my students understand the very nature of scientific knowledge because as has been said before by people who know more than me, "Being well informed about science is not the same thing as understanding science."
The other reason I loved my experience with Earthwatch this past week (beyond all the amazing teachers and researchers I got to work with!) was that I learned so much about my very own home. Granted we all live on planet Earth but we don't all live in Arizona and now that I am aware that this biodiversity hotspot exists only hours from my classroom I feel inspired and excited, and my mind is racing with ideas of how I can make it so that my students get the opportunity to experience the magic of the Chiricahua's, as well.
Did You Know?
In the Chiricahua Mountains, the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts and the Rocky Mountain and Sierra Madre ranges all meet. The convergence of these four biomes makes this area unusually rich in both floral and faunal biodiversity.
About the Author
Brianne Loya is a 10th grade Biology and Chemistry teacher at Phoenix Union Bioscience High School in Phoenix, Arizona.