Getting students hands-on experience observing and studying the forest around them is critical to developing their appreciation and understanding of these vital ecosystems. That’s why, thanks to a grant from the Davis Conservation Foundation, Maine TREE is expanding our Forest Ecology Research Network (FERN) program and deploying “FERN-kits” to collaborating organizations throughout Maine to provide students and teachers the resources they need to collect data from the forests around their school and community.
The FERN program, originally known as the Forest Inventory Growth or FIG project, was rebranded in 2019 to reflect its focus on fostering ecological research and understanding among students. Since then, the team at Maine TREE has developed new resources to create more opportunities for students to interact with their plots and make the program more accessible for teachers to implement.
Creating these FERN kits, equipped with the necessary tools and resources for students and teachers to collect data from the forest, marks a significant milestone for the program. Previously, the program relied on foresters to bring their collection of tools to work with students. However, these standardized kits now provide everything a class needs to collect data on one of the 10 activities in the FERN user guide.
“Thanks to generous funding from the Davis Conservation Foundation, we will have five new FERN kits available for classrooms throughout Maine,” said Logan Johnson, Maine TREE Executive Director. “This is a huge step for the program as we work to meet the needs and growing demand of educators throughout the state who want to use the forest as their classroom.”
The kit includes data collection tools, FERN activity sheets, identification resources, and Project Learning Tree curriculum and guides, all housed in pack baskets supplied by Pack Baskets of Maine.
A unique tool for the FERN Sapling activity, the ‘Tree Fork,’ was custom-developed thanks to the Randolph Union High School Innovation Center in Vermont. This tool, made by students and their teacher using laser cutting technology, is designed to quickly classify the size classes of sapling-sized trees on a 1/50th acre plot. The Tree Fork provides a visual representation of size classifications, helping students understand why and how professionals can collect high-quality data quickly, making it a valuable addition to the FERN program.
If you want to get involved with the FERN program, Maine TREE hosts workshops for teachers and foresters on establishing the plots and working with students to collect data. These workshops provide valuable skills, insights, and networking opportunities related to the program and will leave you ready to take your classroom to the forest. For more information, contact Lena [at] maintree.org
