Fred Werner
CEIRP Project

During the fall of 2001, the students in David Darrow's Environmental Science class conducted a forestry project in the Cortland Junior/Senior High School's outdoor classroom, a 10 acre woodlot adjacent to the school. The primary objective of the project was to give the students hands-on experience applying forest surveying techniques, ecological concepts, and management strategies that they had learned earlier.

The students (14 seniors and 3 juniors) worked in groups of 3-4, and were assigned the specific assignment to survey a 100x100 ft. plot of forest. Each group selected its own site, marked off the area, and conducted all of the field work. They were charged with preparing the following:

• A complete inventory of all trees, including seedlings
• A list of all woody plant species, including shrubs and vines
• A base map showing the location of each tree, patches of seedlings, and landscape features
• A spreadsheet presenting all of their data, including a breakdown by species and size class.
• An economic analysis of the value of the timber in the plot
• A management plan, including predictions of the outcome of three possible management strategies, and their own recommendation for how they think the school should manage this woodlot, taking into account ecological, economic, and other factors.
• A 3'x4' Microsoft Powerpoint poster presenting their methods, results, predictions, and recommendations.

On December 10, 2001 the students presented their project results to the class and a series of invited guests, including the superintendent of schools, a forester from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the principal, CEIRP fellows, and others.

We have also begun a wildlife unit in which students will learn important charasteristics and facts about a number of local animal species, and then conduct field studies that they will design (mostly using observations).

The December 10, 2001 Presentation

Each of the five groups developed a poster that outlined objectives, methods, and a summary of their forest management report.
Here are two examples:

Each of the 2-4 members of each group explained a section of the project and poster.

Students discuss forestry with the DEC officer