What do We do with the Data?

Okay Now That We Have Collected the Data, What Do We Do with It???

A Brief Sketch of the Process: 

1. Read database instructions to input fall data on our online database, by January 1st at the latest.

   (See links below)

2.  Send us a photo of your field site 
as an attachment so we can add this to our database.
Photo is mandatory for Changing Forests project and optional for
 other projects.  

We only need 1 photo for each field site or plot. If you have
 already sent one, you are all set.

3. Input Fall field data 

4. Double check accuracy.

See Instructions link below for more on what to look for specifically.

 5. Email Information Manager at: boose@fas.harvard.edu  to upload once your data is ready.

This is important if you want to download/graph your data before dates below. Otherwise fall data will be uploaded on January 31^st and spring data will be uploaded on June 30^th.

 

 6. Download Data   

7.  Graph Data to look for patterns  

 Graphs Using Harvard Forest Online Graphing Tool :

 Graphs  Using Other Graphing Software: 

Attend the Looking at Data Workshop at Harvard Forest for help with all of this! 

Thursday, December 15th

Harvard Forest

9am-3pm 

Attend the Data Workshop and we will walk you through all of these steps if you are a first year Schoolyard teacher.

If you are an experienced Schoolyard teacher, we encourage you to input data on your own and then use the Data Workshop to polish your data literacy skills...go deeper into data analysis and/or representation.

 

How will the day be structured? One workshop will support Schoolyard Ecology teachers with beginning through advanced data management, graphing, and/or analysis skills.  We will convene as one group, spend most of the day in break out groups by skill level (self-determined by teachers) and reconvene at the end of the session  to see advanced teachers share graphs and other products they developed in the session. 

Outcomes: Teachers/Educators will have materials and knowledge necessary to manage and graph project data.   Educators will have materials to support students in better understanding what the data are revealing about study themes.  Specific outcomes will vary depending on the experience level  and goals of each participant. 

When is it?  Thursday, December 15, 2016

Times:   9:00a.m. -3:00p.m.

Who is Invited?     This workshop is intended for teachers who are currently participating in a Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology project.  We often accept requests from teachers looking to preview the program and/or collaborating non-profit or governmental agencies to attend.

Registration Process:  Email Pamela at psnow@fas.harvard.edu with "Data Workshop Registration" in the subject line.  Include in your email  the following: your name,  your school name, your project name, and the grade level(s) you teach.

What Level?  In your registration email, include the  level you identify with ( level 1-1st year, wanting guidance on data entry; level 2 second or more year-wanting to begin graphing using HF graphing exercises; level 3 wanting to graph/work with individualized goals, our own data or cross site data)   Feel free to consult Pamela if you are not sure what level to register for. If you are selecting levels 2 or 3, please indicate what software program or hand graphing, etc. you intend to work with during the workshop.

Is This Worth my Precious Time Away from School???

Here is what teachers said last year about the workshop:   

                       

Teacher comments from 2015 Workshop: 

• "It was very helpful and it made me more confident in my understanding and usage of the data set. It also made me feel more confident in having my students use the data that they collected."
• I exceeded my goal and accomplished much more: calculating growing season, data entry of vp and phenology data, introducing Erin to HF and integrating her into the system, opportunity to share and collaborate with teachers and HF staff
• I have a better idea of the type of data that is available through the LTER database. I can identify reliable sources/complete data sources versus ones that have questionable reliability or ones that are incomplete.
• I learn more and more each time I come out... I always bring something back to my classroom that I can directly use.
• Graphs are wonderful and an important way to look at data. Betsy's presentation helped me to understand how to better look at graphs and how important it is to select the right graph for the data. For me graph reading can be challenging so any additional information and support I receive is so important. I suspect I am not the only person out there with graph reading challenges!

                                 

 Links for Schoolyard Ecology Data Resources :

 Database Instructions

Submit Data on HF Database

Sample Teacher-made Graphs

Harvard Forest Schoolyard Data Documents by Betsy Colburn

Slides from 2015 Looking at Data Workshop are posted on our website at:

Intro to Data Visualization by Betsy Colburn

Level I Data Workshop Presentation by Emery Boose

Show Me a Picture I'll Tell You a Story Presentation by Betsy Colburn

Someone to Be Thankful For: Carey Lang, Project Coach

Field Support

Teachers at schools throughout Massachusetts are thankful for the help provided by Schoolyard Ecology Project Coach, Carey Lang.   With the support of the Hightstead Foundation, Carey has travelled to field sites from as far Southeast as Middleborough, to Beverly in the Northeast, and to South Hadley and Belchertown in Western Massachusetts, Carey also visited sites in Fitchburg, Lowell, and Worcester, helping to set up new plots for teachers participating in the Our Changing Forest plots.

Note that Tree Icon shows existing field site locations and yellow dots show new sites added in 2016.

Specifically, Carey has supported plot setup and/or data collection at the following locations this fall: 

South Hadley High School;  Hunking Middle School in Haverhill ; Applewild School in Fitchburg; Bartlett Community Partnership in Lowell; Middleborough High School; Worcester Academy; Belchertown HIgh School; Drumlin Farm  in Lincoln. and Glen Urquhart School in Beverly.  

Photos by Sally Farrow, Drumlin Farm, Massachusetts Audubon 

I was very excited to meet with Carey yesterday afternoon and get started on the Changing Forests Project- I think it is a perfect fit with my curriculum and she was a lot of help. 

-Emily Chamas, Applewild School, Fitchburg

Thanks again for sending Carey our way. She is wonderful and it was so great to have her working with our teens... we had a great session with the wildlife biologists.

 -Sally Farrow, Carrie Webster and Flavio Sutti, the leaders of the Wildlife Biologists club Drumlin Farm, Mass. Audubon 

Carey has been amazing! ... helpful, affirming, fabulous to have another adult, adding legitimacy because the kids know that there's a real scientist helping us do the project!

-Louise Levy, Belchertown High School

Online Support

In addition to visiting field sites in person, Carey has also reached out to all participating  Our Changing Forests Teachers throughout the fall.  

After helping to mentor teachers during the Summer Institute for Teachers in August, Carey reached out to all of the new Changing Forests teachers. Here is a short excerpt of her outreach at that time:

Hello all!  It was great to meet everyone today at the teacher workshop and I’m excited to get started on helping you set up your plots! I had the chance to speak with several of you before you left at the end of the day, but I did miss a couple of people....If you DO want my help setting up a plot, please reply to this email with several tentative dates and times....Also keep in mind that I am always happy to answer questions/help with plant IDs/troubleshoot problems over email or phone.

Once most of the plots were set up and data had been collected at field sites, Carey reached out to the group again to prepare them for entering project data. 

I want to start off by saying that it’s been really great to work with all of you and your students these past couple of months! I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you, and I’m happy with how each of your projects seem to be coming together. As we wrap up the field season, I wanted to leave you with some next steps for the database to help organize you. I know submitting your data might seem daunting, but the database is really very user friendly and, as always, I’m here to help if you need me. 

I’ve gone ahead and added both you and your school to the database, which means that you are now able to go in and add both your field site information, your site descriptions and your DBH measurements. 

Harvard Forest Demonstration Plot for Field Trip Groups

Carey also worked with Pamela Snow in creating a demonstration plot at Harvard Forest that can be used by visiting groups who would like to participate in hands-on citizen science as part of a field trip experience.  Some teachers do not feel comfortable leading a project at their school, but want their students to experience field ecology as an activity led by Harvard Forest staff.  

Carey developed a simpler version of the Our Changing Forests protocol for use by students visiting Harvard Forest. Students use the same type of field sheet as the Changing Forests students use.  She developed a field guide specific to the tree species present in the HF plot in order to make tree identification much more accessible to students.  

Carey worked with Pamela to set up 4 contiguous 10x10 meter plots at Harvard Forest, following the same protocol as the Our Changing Forests plots in order that data can contribute to the Schoolyard Ecology database.  Corner markers and tree tags are all in place for the next group who is ready to participate in monitoring this plot. Pamela has piloted this activity with 2 field trip groups and is looking forward to offering it as choice for future groups seeking a hands-on activity at the Forest.

Related Links for More Information

Our Changing Forests Project Information and Resources

HF Demonstration Plot Tree Guide by Carey Lang

Schoolyard Ecology Database  to download and/or graph Our Changing Forests Data

Highstead  to see other work related to natural landscape conservation, research and education. 

Schoolyard Teacher, Jana Matthei, MAST Conference Presenter

Notre Dame Academy Teacher, Jana Matthei introduced Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology to Massachusetts and NH teachers at the Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers (MAST) Conference in Boxborough on Friday, Nov. 4th.



Keeping Climate Change Investigation Local: How Students Can Learn About The Impacts of Global Climate Change On Trees in Our Massachusetts' Woods was the title of the MAST session. We were pleased to have a full audience of engaged science teachers participate in our session.





Along with showing how she engages students in the process of field investigations step by step at her school, Jana  provided teachers an opportunity to practice tree identification and recording data on the field sheets.

 

Related Links:

Brand New Tree Identification Lesson with Graphics 

Tree Identification Integration-Matthei-2016.pdf

 MAST Presentation by Jana Matthei

 MAST Conference Presentation-Matthei-2016

Practice Data Worksheet: 

Student Data Worksheet-Matthei

Student Work Samples:

Student Phenology Report Sample 1.pdf. Matthei

Student Phenology Report Sample 2.pdf. Matthei

Sample Graph and Tables: 

Sample Graph and Tables. Matthei

Mass. Assoc. of Science Teachers (MAST) Website

http://www.massscienceteach.org/

Buds, Leaves and Global Warming Project Information:

http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/buds-leaves-global-warming

Find Notre Dame Academy on Interactive Site Map: 

http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/participating-schoolyard-field-sites

Download Data from any Schoolyard Ecology School Site:

http://harvardforest2.fas.harvard.edu/asp/hf/php/admin/k12/k12_data_list.php

Schoolyard Teacher, Jana Matthei, MAST Conference Presenter

Notre Dame Academy Teacher, Jana Matthei introduced Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology to Massachusetts and NH teachers at the Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers (MAST) Conference in Boxborough on Friday, Nov. 4th.



Keeping Climate Change Investigation Local: How Students Can Learn About The Impacts of Global Climate Change On Trees in Our Massachusetts' Woods was the title of the MAST session. We were pleased to have a full audience of engaged science teachers participate in our session.





Along with showing how she engages students in the process of field investigations step by step at her school, Jana  provided teachers an opportunity to practice tree identification and recording data on the field sheets.

 

Related Links:

Brand New Tree Identification Lesson with Graphics 

Tree Identification Integration-Matthei-2016.pdf

 MAST Presentation by Jana Matthei

 MAST Conference Presentation-Matthei-2016

Practice Data Worksheet: 

Student Data Worksheet-Matthei

Student Work Samples:

Student Phenology Report Sample 1.pdf. Matthei

Student Phenology Report Sample 2.pdf. Matthei

Sample Graph and Tables: 

Sample Graph and Tables. Matthei

Mass. Assoc. of Science Teachers (MAST) Website

http://www.massscienceteach.org/

Buds, Leaves and Global Warming Project Information:

http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/buds-leaves-global-warming

Find Notre Dame Academy on Interactive Site Map: 

http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/participating-schoolyard-field-sites

Download Data from any Schoolyard Ecology School Site:

http://harvardforest2.fas.harvard.edu/asp/hf/php/admin/k12/k12_data_list.php

                            

Field Trip Season at Harvard Forest

Photos Courtesy of Academy Hill Teacher, Carol Rosenthal

My Favorite Time of Year at Harvard Forest

This is the time of year that I get to do what most folks think I do year-round;  Go outside with kids!

Yes, I do get paid to go outside and share my love of the Forest at its most flamboyant stage- Fall Foliage season.   It is, of course the brilliant colors of the fall foliage they are seeking most;  Along with access to our renowned artistic masterpieces, the Dioramas in the Fisher Museum.   I just get to be the one to guide them through it all, and I'm more than happy to go along for the ride!

Some of the groups that come to Harvard Forest also come to meet their Schoolyard Ecology Project Ecologist.  In the fall, some of our young Buds, Leaves, and Global Warming citizen scientists come to meet the scientist who leads this study at Harvard Forest: Dr. John O'Keefe.  Those students combine a visit with Dr. O'Keefe with studying the famous dioramas and the glory of the fall foliage outside.  Dr. David Orwig, who leads the Woolly Bully; Hemlock Woolly Adelgid study also meets with groups participating in that study at other times of the year. 

Academy Hill School (4th Grade) 

The photos above are of fourth and fifth grade Academy Hill School students.  Academy Hill School has actively participated in the Buds, Leaves and Global Warming study for 6 years, under the dedicated leadership of teacher, Carol Rosenthal.   Teacher Sharon Desjarlais has been participating in this study at the Springfield based school, and bringing her students to Harvard Forest for the past 2 years.  Academy Hill students collect and share data from the field site at their school with Harvard Forest and have come annually to meet project Ecologist, Dr. John O'Keefe to listen to his 26 years of experience studying leaf color change and the length of the growing season. Students see Dr. O'Keefe interpret a series of graphs of his data and have an opportunity to ask him questions about the science of Phenology and his personal experiences leading up to his career.

Students also participated in arranging landscape photos to tell a story of landscape change before viewing the dioramas.

After exploring the dioramas, students went outside to the  Sanderson Farm Trail.

story of land use change has been playing out on the landscape on the landscape.

Here is what teacher Carol Rosenthal shared with me about what her fourth graders took from their visit this year:

- Liked when Dr. O’Keefe talked about how things are changing and showed us his charts.

- Nature walk- so many trees, looked at different things like pine cones and mushrooms

 -Playing in leaves

 -We got to do things, not just look at pictures of things

 -Graph showing animal population rising and falling along with       forestation

 -White pine tree

I always find that the kids are more motivated for the tree study after we do our trip. Thanks again for a great day. 

                                                 

Belchertown High School  
   

Many Middle School and High School groups also visit Harvard Forest.  Belchertown High School students also participate in the Buds, Leaves and Global Warming Schoolyard Ecology study.  Teacher, Louise Levy has participated in the study for 9 years, and is in her 3rd year of leading the Our Changing Forests study there.   These high schoolers also meet with Dr. O'Keefe, view the dioramas and head outside for a nature walk on the Sanderson Farm trail.  This year they had a special treat included in their tour-they were able to meet visiting artist, David Buckley Borden in his temporary studio at Harvard Forest.  David is a bullard fellow who is interpreting the science that happens here through the visual arts.  Teacher, Louise Levy shared with me the following response from her class:

        

 We had a really interesting conversation on the bus about turning some ecological ideas on the BHS campus into works of sign-art, ala David (Artist,David Buckley Borden). Moira, my Education Major/Art Minor chaperone was very inspired, and planned on telling "everybody who I can stop and get to listen to me" on her campus.  The students also agreed that we should get the art classes involved.  ... In a word, Inspiring!!

Pamela, Greta, David, John,

Thank you so much for hosting the group.  There is something transformative about the experience that helps my students see that the leaf-tracking is not just some crazy, meaningless thing another teacher came up with, but that their data is contributing to our understanding of our world, if just one small leaf at a time!

Here is what Belchertown Students said:

If I was running next years’ HF ft, I would …

Keep ___ the same 

·       All of it

·       The weather … we like 75

·       Lunch outside

·       Art guy

·       MsLevy handed us the questions to ask Dr. O’Keefe (even if they were ours to start with)

·       Scavenger hunt 

·       The dioramas were amazing … how could the artists do so much with just wire, clay and paint?!!

2 Change ___

·       Go by mid-October, don’t miss the peak of the color

·       Stick to the timing on the itinerary … but we loved the Art guy!

·       Get more students to come

·       Longer time with the Art guy

·       Tag a tree and adopt it, check every year

-    Include, that we didn’t this year ___

·       Koziol (another BHS Science teacher)

·       Scavenger hunt

·       Go upstairs, include the Hurricane of ‘38

·       Add cows, keep turkeys, add horses ( I think they mean in Dioramas?)

·       What can a “normal” human being do to get a job that gets you outside that much?

   What Dr. O’Keefe, Pamela, Greta and/or David should know/do

·       Come on walk … Dr.O!

·       We appreciate that Pamela was so calm and knowledgeable … it all made sense

·       The guys all want to grow a beard like John’s … some of the girls do, too

·       Greta knows so much!  We appreciate that she really listens and answers our questions. We learned so much that Ms. Keefe (BHS school nurse) got excited and started answering all of the questions in our group.

·       David, the kids have already decided we have to get Ms. St. Pierre (Art teacher who specializes in graphic arts) to help us do an art installation around BHS

·       Moira wants to be an Intern next summer

Applewild School (Middle School)

This is the first year that the Applewild School has joined the Our Changing Forests Schoolyard Ecology project and the first year that teacher, Emily Chamas, has brought her class to Harvard Forest for a field trip. Emily wanted her students to get some background in the history of Land Use Change, being that that is the main theme of the Our Changing Forest study and an important part of her class curriculum.  Of course that meant exploring the Landscape History of Central New England

Diorama series and related Wildlife graph.

She also asked that we take her students to see an Eddy Flux tower in order for her students to see how  the concept of the Carbon Cycle is being incorporated into current ecological studies at Harvard Forest.  We also looked at the "Megaplot" Forest Geo field site that monitors a 35 hectare plot as part of a major international study, and saw crazy things like laundry baskets all over the forest floor collecting leaf litter, and space age contraptions on the ground monitoring soil respiration.  

We were pleased to hear that students were inspired by all of this to get back out to their own study site with gusto...here is what teacher, Emily Chamas wrote after their visit:

Thank you so much, Pamela!

I wanted to reiterate how much the students (and myself and Mrs. Lent) enjoyed the trip today. They were abuzz with excitement upon arriving back at school and are excited to get back out in the woods here tomorrow!

Other Schools 

Some schools that do not participate in the HF Schoolyard Ecology program visit Harvard Forest to provide a window into the world of Ecology.  We very much enjoyed hosting groups from the Village School (Elementary) in Royalston. Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School ;Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School; Leominster High School; and The Bement School (6th Grade, Deerfield).    

 ​

Fisher Museum Closes November 1st

The Fisher Museum that holds these dioramas is getting ready for big facelift.  The museum will be closed for renovations between November 1st and April 1st.  At that time, any visiting groups will not have access to the dioramas.  We are only accepting tours for that time period that are either all outside or have groups of less than 20 students who can fit in our seminar room to meet with a Project Ecologist.  Groups who would like to combine a viewing of the dioramas with their visit, can book ahead for Spring.  

Related Links:

 

Research At Harvard Forest: 

Leaf color change and Growing Season Phenology Studies

Forest-atmosphere-exchange Towers

HF Forest-Soil-Respiration-22-year-analysis

Mega Plot-ForestGeo.international study



Bullard Fellow: Artist, David Buckley Borden

twitter: @dbuckleyborden

instagram: @davidbuckleyborden

http://davidbuckleyborden.com/harvard-forest/

Harvard Forest Field Trip and Fisher Museum Information

Harvard Forest field-trips-tours

HF-LTER Schoolyard Ecology  

Interactive Map of participating-school field-sites 

Buds, Leaves, and Global Warming Project Information and Resources

Our Changing Forests Project Information and Resources

Woolly Bully and the Hemlock Trees Information and Resources 

Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology is Seeking Financial Support for Field Trips 

Please contact Pamela Snow at psnow@fas.harvard.edu to discuss ways of paying for field trip scholarships to cover the costs of transportation and staffing of field trips for groups that cannot afford to come at present.  While we currently we have no funding specifically allocated for field trip support, we are able to reduce fees upon request of visiting groups. We welcome any help in supporting groups that do not have the capacity to pay for field trips.