Why are we at La Selva?

We're not just bird/monkey-watching or coffee/banana plantation-touring here!  We're also here to learn about the research being done to study plant and animal biodiversity as well as the long-term effects of climate change on ecosystems.  We're then developing and sharing lessons which will get students to conduct comparable research and data analysis out in the field at home.

TEAM Network is a group of scientists collecting real time data to monitor these long-term biodiversity and climate trends in tropical areas around the world in order to potentially have an early warning system for life on Earth.  We are hoping to do the same with our students in our little corner of the world.  TEAM is operating in sixteen sites across Africa, Asia, and S. America with a process like you see below:

 

Perhaps our local version of this could be the beginning of a new Citizen Science project.  Here are the lessons we're working on so far:

• Measuring carbon sequestration over time in our local forests and prairies then comparing to other ecosystems around the world.
• Conducting a biodiversity index of our chosen field site at or near our school.
• Camera trapping - identification and long term monitoring of species visiting or living in or near our site.
• La Selva Biological Research Station (Costa Rica) scientist profile lesson - reveal how the students and researchers here chose their research topic, what the relevance is of their research, and how they got interested in this field.

The three other teacher groups are working on slightly different projects including land use effects on local ecosystems and ecosystem services.  I think it's important to always make the connection between changes in these ecosystem services and the impacts on our well-being.  So, we'll definitely be tying that in.

I don't think I've ever been so productive with my work and hobbies at the same time in my life!  Birding, lesson-planning, listening to eye-opening lectures and presentations, river kaying, birding...  Good stuff happening here and it's nice to be this immersed in curriculum planning with with such an innovative group of teachers and scientists.

I guess I should also say thanks to Northrop Grumman and Conservation International for this opportunity! :)