*ISSN 1045-4772

The Earth Scientist

Volume XL • Issue 2 • Summer 2023 $10.00*

Letter from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

LIDAR: Lasers, Airplanes and Drones! . . . . . . . . . . . 3

25 Years Ago in TES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

EARTH SCIENCE WEEK 2023: 

Celebrating Innovations in the Geosciences . . . . . . 8

Unwelcome Guests: Combating Aquatic Invasive 

Species through Education, Habitat Conservation, 

and Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Planting Roots in our Community: 

Leaving a Legacy Behind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Young Stewards Promoting Border Resiliency . . . 22

Modeling Marine Ecosystems with Virtual Reality . 32

A Tiny Forest as an Outdoor Classroom and 

a Place for Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Advertising in TES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

NESTA Membership Dues Structure . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Manuscript Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

Outer Banks, Nags Head, NC

Photo Credit: Billy Skaradek

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Issue Sponsored by NOAA’s Planet Stewards Program
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 2 The Earth Scientist

The 2023-2024 school year is upon us, and I’m keenly focused on ideas to improve 

the learning experience for each of my students.  To that end, I will strive to create an 

environment where every student’s uniqueness is celebrated, each one emotionally and 

academically supported, and with inclusion a cornerstone. This NOAA Planet Stewards

sponsored issue of The Earth Scientist is a perfect reminder about the transformative power 

of Project-Based Learning (PBL) – a pedagogical approach that not only educates but also 

nurtures a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I hope you can take inspiration from 

the successes of our colleagues to plan for PBL experiential learning in your own classroom 

this year. 

I like to think about PBL as a collaborative canvas on which every student’s unique 

background, perspective, and set of experiences are collected and built upon to support 

educational learning objectives.  These guided projects have unique potential to reflect the 

cultural, linguistic, and cognitive diversity within our classroom by drawing from multiple 

viewpoints and designing solutions to real-world challenges faced by diverse communities.

Equity in our classroom may seem simple enough.  But the challenge to ensure that every 

student has an equal opportunity to succeed is often wrought with barriers that educators 

may fail to perceive. PBL opens a door to uniquely address students’ individual needs, 

catering to their strengths and interests. When we design projects that offer various entry 

points, students of all abilities are allowed to engage in meaningful ways. By focusing on 

local issues, we bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-life application, making 

education relevant to every student. 

Inclusion, the heart of our classroom, is nurtured through collaboration and empathy. PBL 

fosters an environment where students work together, combining their skills, backgrounds, 

and perspectives to tackle real-world challenges. This allows students opportunities to share 

their unique stories and experiences, fostering a deeper connection and understanding 

among peers. With PBL, we lay the foundation for a classroom where everyone’s voice is 

heard, fostering a sense of belonging and unity.

I applaud the educators that have put the time and effort to 

showcase the impacts of their stewardship projects in this 

Summer 2023 issue.  Using these examples as inspiration for 

our own classroom and communities, together, we can create an 

environment where every student thrives, regardless of their 

background, and where the seeds of positive change are sown. 

With enthusiasm and dedication,

Natalie Macke

NESTA

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President

Natalie Macke

Past-President

Tom Ervin

President-Elect

Belinda Jacobs

Secretary

Dr. Missy Holzer

Treasurer

Parker Pennington, IV

Board of Directors 

Representatives

Kimberley Norris-Jones

Matt Haverty

Executive Director and 

Association Contact

VACANT

NESTA Webmaster

Elaine Bohls-Graham

REGIONAL DIRECTORS

Region I - Michael Jabot

Region II - James Ebert

Region III - Andrea Mangold

Region IV - Chris Campbell

Region V - Jill Weaver

Region VI - DeEtta Anderson

Region VII - Matthew Haverty

Region VIII - VACANT

NESTA’S MISSION

Champion Excellence in 

Earth & Space Science 

Education for ALL through a 

community of support.

One Earth. Our Futur

Letter from the President

By Natalie Macke, NESTA President 2022-2024 | @NESTA_US

Region I - ME, MA, NH, 

RI, VT

Region II - NY

Region III - DE, MD, NJ, 

PA, VA, DC, WV

Region IV - AL, AR, FL, GA, 

LA, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN

Region V - IN, KY, MI, OH

Region VI - IL, IA, MN, MO, 

NE, ND, SD, WI, KS

Region VII - AZ, CO, ID, 

MT, NV, NM, OK, TX, UT

Region VIII - AK, CA, HI, 

WA, OR

NESTA Regions
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 3

Lidar: Lasers, Airplanes and 

Drones!

By Galen Scott, NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey

NESTA Coordinators

Merchandise Coordinator

George Bartuska

Membership Coordinator

Joe Monaco

E-News Editors

Diane Tom-Ogata 

Kimberley Norris-Jones

Professional Development 

Committee Facilitator

Ardis Herold

Marketing Committee Facilitator

VACANT

Healthy Organization Committee 

Facilitator

Natalie Macke

Finance Committee Facilitator

Parker Pennington IV

Elected Directors Facilitator

Matt Haverty

NESTA

DIRECTORS AT LARGE

Andrea Starks

Mike Koenig

Kimberley Norris-Jones

Diane Tom-Ogata

APPOINTED DIRECTORS

Dr. George Bartuska

Elaine Bohls-Graham

Don Haas 

Ardis Herrold 

Belinda Jacobs

Joe Monaco

Enrique Reyes

Angela Rizzi (NASA liaison)

Randall Sanders

David Thesenga

Anthony Thomas

Elizabeth Torres-Rodriguez

The Geologic Map Day poster: Applications of Lidar that accompanies this issue of the Earth 

Scientist highlights the uses of lidar, Light Detection And Ranging. NOAA scientists are 

using lidar to produce more accurate shoreline maps, make digital elevation models for 

use in geographic information systems and as well as understand and respond to natural 

hazards and disasters.

How Does it Work?

Lidar instruments shoot millions of laser pulses per second, which bounce off a surface or 

object to measure distances and directions to the object. Using the known speed of light, 

we can figure out how far away any object is by measuring how long it took for the laser to 

leave our instrument, hit the object, and bounce back to the instrument. We can also tell 

something about the composition of objects or the surface that the laser bounced off because 

different types of materials absorb different amounts of laser light energy. By looking at 

the strength, or intensity of the light that bounces back, we can distinguish pavement from 

grass, and sand from water.

By shining lasers at targets from different angles, lidar can create detail-rich, 3-dimensional 

collections of data points. These “point clouds” can then be processed to create digital 

elevation models (DEMs) of the Earth’s surface that are accurate enough to determine which 

way water flows and can be used by researchers and decision makers to understand and 

predict environmental changes such as stream levels or flooding. 

With a camera added to the system, imagery can be combined with the lidar data to create 

immersive, 3D, photo-realistic, digital environments that can be explored, measured, and 

interacted with on a browser, on a laptop or cell phone, or using a virtual reality headset. 

This system works well when the instrument stays in one place, but it gets more complex 

when you want to move the instrument to collect data across larger areas. This is where GPS, 

or the Global Positioning System comes in. By pairing a GPS receiver with a lidar unit, we can 

compute precise coordinates for where the instrument was when a particular laser pulse 

was sent, and where the instrument was when it received the same pulse after it bounced 

back from the target. This makes it possible for lidar units to be mounted on vehicles in the 

air, on the ground, or on the water, and collect data in many different environments and for 

many different purposes. 

How is Lidar Used?

Surveying and mapping professionals use lidar and GPS every day to digitally capture 

geospatial data. At construction sites, surveyors use aerial and ground-based lidar and 

GPS before, during, and after construction. They collect high-precision data to inform 

each building phase of a project and provide “as-built” information to manage a site once 

construction is complete. Lidar units mounted on cars and trucks map roads, highways, 

signs, hydrants, phone and light poles, and other transportation infrastructure. This critical 

data helps to inform transportation planning, emergency response, and even the maps we 
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 4 The Earth Scientist

use every day to navigate in our cars. Lidar is becoming 

so prevalent that many new model cars are equipped 

with lidar to support cruise control and automatic 

braking systems. Some newer cell phones even have 

lidar to help their cameras focus, and have apps 

that allow you to use lidar to scan objects and create 

3D models. 

Aircraft, both crewed and uncrewed, are also equipped 

with lidar, GPS, and digital cameras to map and measure 

land elevations across large areas of the Earth. 

These data sets can then be used to categorize the 

mapped areas into specific land-use and land-cover 

categories, measuring biomass for example, which 

informs agricultural, forest, and mineral resource 

assessments as well as land management decisions. 

The U.S. Geological Survey uses lidar data to manage 

water resources and identify areas prone to landslides 

and other geological hazards, and lidar elevations are 

used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency 

(FEMA) to create floodplain maps to better understand 

flood risks. 

How Does NOAA Use Lidar?

NOAA uses data sets created with lidar in a wide range 

of critical monitoring activities, including: 

■ hazard mitigation

■ ecosystem management

■ habitat research 

■ coastal and marine spatial planning

■ shoreline mapping 

■ community preparedness

NOAA’s bathymetric lidar systems use frequencies of 

light that penetrate water for mapping clear rivers 

and shallow coastal bathymetry much more safely and 

On the small islands of Ofu and Olosega in American Samoa, researchers 

used high-resolution lidar to locate archaeological sites and learn more 

about how island settlers thousands of years ago responded to sea level 

fluctuations and other environmental changes. High-resolution lidar data

covering the immediate coastline and interior of Ofu and Olosega enabled the 

research team to model terrain in key locations, identify ancient beach ridges 

reflecting sea-level change, extract landscape and structural features, and 

predict and locate archaeological coastal settlements. The lidar data led to the

discovery of an archaeological site on Ofu Island that appears to have been 

inhabited at, or shortly after, initial colonization thousands of years ago. Lidarderived elevation data of the excavation site enabled researchers to model

the landscape and paleoenvironment during periods of past sea-level change

Lidar-based 

map of Ofu 

and Olosega 

islands, 

American 

Samoa, with 

close-up of 

the Vaoto 

Plain showing 

traces of 

ancient 

beach ridges 

in yellow 

and red

Airborne lidar system. Lidar, short for light detection and ranging, is a

remote sensing detection system that works on the principle of radar, 

but uses light from a laser. The quick light pulses measure the distance

from the plane to the surface and back. This illustration depicts the

equipment used, including the plane with digital camera mounted 

underneath, and the GPS base station, but does not show the satellites 

used to obtain the coordinates. Illustration: USG
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 5

The Earth Scientist

EDITOR

 Peg Steffen

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Kristina Bartlett Brody

MARKETING COMMITTEE

Peg Steffen

Richard Jones

Ardis Herrold

Charlotte Riggs

Cee Nell

Hayley Corson-Dosch

Rachel Bryan

Emily Read

Nicole Felts 

Rebekah Redwine

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

Dr. Galen Scott 

Lindsay C. Mossa

Lauren E. Brase

Edward C. Robeck

Spencer Cody

Julie Houck

Jennifer Ramos-Chavez

Dr. Randy Russell

Dr. Patrick Walsh

The Earth Scientist is the journal of 

the National Earth Science Teachers 

Association (NESTA). It is published 

quarterly (January, March, June, 

September) and distributed to NESTA 

members. 

To become a member of NESTA visit 

nestanet.org.

To get more information about NESTA 

or advertising in our publications, 

contact, nestaearthscientist@gmail.com.

©2023 by the National Earth Science 

Teachers Association. All rights 

thereunder reserved; anything 

appearing in The Earth Scientist may 

not be reprinted either wholly or in 

part without written permission.

DISCLAIMER

The information contained herein is 

provided as a service to our members 

with the understanding that National 

Earth Science Teachers Association 

(NESTA) makes no warranties, either 

expressed or implied, concerning the 

accuracy, completeness, reliability, 

or suitability of the information. Nor 

does NESTA warrant that the use of 

this information is free of any claims of 

copyright infringement. In addition, the 

views expressed in The Earth Scientist are 

those of the authors and advertisers and 

may not reflect NESTA policy.

DESIGN/LAYOUT

Patty Schuster, Page Designs

efficiently from the air than the historic method of sending survey crews out into 

difficult and dangerous environments. Beyond providing data for nautical charts, 

underwater lidar data is used to map the marine environment’s benthic habitats (the 

ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water) for fishes, sea turtles, marine 

mammals, and seabirds. 

Lidar data collected from NOAA aircraft is used to determine the National Shoreline, 

and is combined with sonar data from NOAA ships to create the United States’ official 

nautical charts. Ships from around the world move $1.5 trillion worth of products in 

and out of U.S. ports every year and rely on these navigation charts to do so safely. 

NOAA’s Weather Service and other partners point a lidar’s lasers to the sky and use 

lidar to measure clouds and different types of particles in the atmosphere to better 

predict the weather and understand our changing climate.

The availability of lidar and other geospatial data is growing faster than ever, but the 

number of people that know how to harness and apply it is still low. This means that 

there is a great need and high demand for people with the skills to collect and apply 

this technology. The geospatial technology job market is hot, and there are plenty 

of opportunities to work on critical issues. So, if you like working outside, solving 

This visualization was designed by the UNH/Marine Program to illustrate the use of lidar data in a storm 

response scenario. Using a combination of NOAA photogrammetry data and US Geological Survey

EAARL-B lidar data, the before and after displays illustrate the damage caused to the Mantoloking Bridge 

(Mantoloking, NJ) due to a barrier island breach caused by Super storm Sandy
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 6 The Earth Scientist

25 Years Ago in TES

The focus of the Earth Scientist in 1998 was geology with articles on Utah – Reading the Geologic 

History Book, Constructing Road Logs for Field Trips, 

Collecting Quartz, and Industrial Minerals of South 

Carolina. Several articles provided information about 

the Agate Fossil Bed National Monument, Dinosaur 

Valley Museum and the National parks of Utah. 

A short discussion about Geologists Salaries was 

reprinted from the Explorer Magazine. The average 

starting salary for a geoscientist with a Bachelors 

degree and little or no experience was $48,100. 

(Masters, $49,700 and Ph.D, $56,000) The salaries 

and job opportunities were tied to the oil and gas industries. Finally, a precursor 

to the open resources we find today was an effort called Educational Object Economies where participants 

designed and shared information with others on the Internet. It fostered communities of scholars and was 

established by Apple. Teachers and faculty members used applets to share their lesson plans, activities and 

multimedia products. 

Review by Peg Steffen, Editor

puzzles, and playing with cool technology, consider 

a career (or even some classes) in surveying and 

mapping!

Here are some links to additional lidar resources:

• https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/data/

• https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lidar.html

• https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/training/

intro-lidar.html

• https://noaacrest.umbc.edu/

crest-lidar-network/

• https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/

coastal-elevation-models

• https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast/mar21/

nop45-lidar.html

• https://psl.noaa.gov/technology/instruments/

floe/

• https://www.neonscience.org/resources/

learning-hub/tutorials/lidar-basics

About the Author

Galen Scott began federal service in 2003 as a Presidential 

Management Fellow for NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey. Starting

off in the NGS Front Office as a geek translator, he explained the 

complex science and critical applications of geodesy for non-technical 

audiences, particularly in the strategic planning and budgeting 

process. Since 2004, Mr. Scott has worked with coastal scientist

and managers to build the geospatial infrastructure necessary to 

obtain accurate coastal elevations and water levels for long-term 

ecosystem monitoring and coastal management decisions. He has

forged diverse partnerships to help coastal communities use NOAA’s 

authoritative data, services, and tools to understand and address 

impacts of sea level rise. He currently serves as the NGS Constituent

Resources Manager, responsible for engaging stakeholders about NGS 

products and services, and generating feedback to better serve our 

users’ needs. Mr. Scott leads the NGS GPS on Bench Marks program, 

crowd-sourced data collection effort to help the geospatial community 

prepare for the Modernization of the National Spatial Reference 

System. He holds Master’s Degrees in Environmental Science, Policy,

and Management from Johns Hopkins University and the University of 

Rhode Island. Galen can be reached at galen.scott@noaa.
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 7
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 8 The Earth Scientist

EARTH SCIENCE WEEK 2023: 

Celebrating Innovations in 

the Geosciences

By Lindsay C. Mossa, Lauren E. Brase, Edward C. Robeck

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) invites all Earth science educators and others 

around the world to celebrate the 2023 Earth Science Week theme “Geoscience Innovating 

for Earth and People.” New theme-related resources, activities, and programs are being made 

available to promote public understanding of innovations in the geosciences and how the 

Earth is studied. Special focus is given to how the geosciences can help address critical issues 

faced by humanity, as defined by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, 

https://sdgs.un.org/). These goals address topics such as access to energy and clean water, 

increased gender equality, and responsible use of resources.

Earth Science Week 2023 will take place October 8-14 and is coordinated by AGI in 

cooperation with many partner organizations – including the National Earth Science 

Teachers Association (NESTA), NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). AGI and its partners create media of many 

kinds, such as posters, instructional activities, and other materials that are collected into a 

toolkit and can be used in a variety of educational settings. These materials can introduce 

students to Earth science concepts, especially how innovations have advanced data 

collection and processing in ways that 

lead to a greater understanding of Earth’s 

processes. Copies of the Earth Science 

Week 2023 Toolkit are available for the 

cost of shipping and handling (https://

bit.ly/2023ESWToolkit). AGI also hosts 

an ESW website where many of these 

and other resources can be accessed for 

free (https://www.earthsciweek.org/

geoscience-innovating).

This year’s toolkit includes more than 

two dozen items, such as the Earth 

Science Activity Calendar that features 

one learning activity for each month 

of the year. Each activity focuses on an 

innovative technology or geoscience 

practice and engages students in the many 

ways in which the study of Earth science 

has changed or been updated. Many of the 

activities involve students in hands-on investigations to encourage them to consider how 

innovations can reduce human impacts on the environment. For example, NOAA’s activity, 

“From Trash to Terrarium”, introduces students in grades 3-7 to how they can innovate 

Drones are highlighted on this year’s Earth Science Week Poster. This image shows a student from

Alcorn State University taking part in a certification course to become a drone pilot. There are many

programs around the United States for people aged 16 and older to become certified in piloting 

drones and other Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Credit: Alcorn State University School of Agriculture and Applied Science
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 9

ways to reuse materials to reduce the amount of trash they produce, which then reduces the 

amount of debris getting into the oceans. To provide a real-world context, each activity in the 

calendar is related to specific SDGs. The NOAA activity is connected to SDG 12 (Responsible 

Consumption and Production) as well as SDG 14 (Life Below Water). Dimensions of 

curriculum standards including disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and 

science and engineering practices are also identified for each activity, so they can be easily 

integrated into material you are likely to address with your students. 

This year, too, AGI is sponsoring its four traditional contests in video production, 

photography, visual arts, and essay writing. As always, students, geoscientists, and the 

general public around the world are invited to participate in the “Geoscience Innovation 

Worldwide” video contest. Teams and individuals can submit brief original videos that 

show how new Earth science technologies and practices are helping 

create more sustainable communities. People of all ages in the U.S. are 

invited to participate in the “Innovation Right Here” photo contest. 

Entries must be composed of original, unpublished material, and 

show how new geoscience-related technologies or practices affect 

local communities. This year’s visual arts contest, “Earth Science 

Innovations”, is open to U.S. students in kindergarten through grade 

five. Submissions should illustrate how Earth science innovations 

improve people’s interactions with the Earth. Essays by older students 

(grades 6-9, U.S. only) must address the idea of “Geoscience Innovations 

Solving Problems”.

In addition to participating in ESW contests, we encourage you to 

get involved in Earth Science Week by facilitating and/or attending 

associated events! Many individuals, museums, schools, communities, 

and organizations around the world host Earth Science Week events 

that offer talks, interactive activities, and other informal educational 

opportunities that highlight the year’s theme. You can also take 

part in activities emphasizing various areas of the geosciences 

during “Focus Days.” For example, activities on National Fossil Day, 

Tuesday, October 11, engage students and teachers with paleontology 

and its educational and scientific value. Friday, October 13, 2023, is 

Geologic Map Day, which promotes awareness of the importance 

of geologic mapping for education, science, business, and policy. 

This year’s Geologic Map Day poster focuses on the use of lidar to 

enhance geologic mapping. AGI will also host an Earth Science Week webinar series from 

October 9-13. Each webinar will cover a different innovation, such as photogrammetry, the 

use of drones in the geosciences, and others. Many of the talks will include segments directly 

relevant to teachers and students in grades 6-12. Please see the Earth Science Week website 

for more information on the webinar series, focus days, resources, and information on how 

to plan events. 

www.earthsciweek.org

Lindsay C. Mossa and Lauren E. Brase are Education Specialists at the American Geosciences Institut

(AGI). Edward C. Robeck is the Director of Education and Outreach at AGI

In the winning submission for the 2017 ESW Visual Arts 

Contest David De Costa of Alexandria, Virginia, depicted 

how humans interact with Earth’s spheres
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 10 The Earth Scientist

Abstract

Aquatic invasive species are an environmental threat throughout the entire 

continent, and students in a landlocked, rural South Dakota school district also find 

themselves at the forefront of the struggle against invasive species. A NOAA Planet 

Stewards project in the 2021-22 school year for middle and high school students 

on aquatic invasive species resulted in a substantial attitudinal change along with 

increased content understanding. While the issue of aquatic invasive species 

presented its own logistical problems, these challenges were, for the most part, 

successfully navigated to meet stewardship goals resulting in a remarkable learning 

experience for both students and teachers alike. 

Introduction

Pole of inaccessibility...no doubt this is an obscurely known reference to most. Pole of 

inaccessibility is an old navigation reference that refers to the farthest point from land 

in an ocean or on land, the farthest point from the ocean. South Dakota is the pole of 

inaccessibility for the North American continent. It is more than a geographical oddity; 

it can also serve conceptually in many minds as a seemingly pervasive sense of isolation, 

perhaps, even a sense of security from the rest of the world’s problems. When it comes to 

aquatic invasive species, South Dakota was one of the last places in North America that had 

to deal with the budding issue, but as time has progressed, these threats edged closer and 

closer to our front door step. Once they became evident in our state, it was apparent that 

we were no more immune than the rest. Now South Dakota has invasive Asian carp as far 

up the Missouri River as Gavins Point Dam and the entirety of the James River and most of 

the Vermillion River. Asian carp, specifically bighead carp, grass carp, and silver carp can 

starve any trophic level above producers by consuming large quantities of algae each day. 

The impact can be quite dramatic for a fishery. For example, even though these exotic carp 

species have only been present in the United States since the 1970s, they are now pound-forpound the dominant fish species in terms of population density throughout the Mississippi 

River and its connecting tributaries leading to the decimation of local native fish stocks 

and having a negative impact on recreational fishing. Asian carp not only harm our aquatic 

ecosystems, but they can physically harm recreationalists (Atwal 2012). As a cautionary 

tale to all for introducing a new species to an environment, silver carp have taken on an 

Unwelcome Guests: Combating Aquatic Invasive 

Species through Education, Habitat Conservation 

and Restoration

Spencer Cody, Edmunds Central Middle and High School, Roscoe, South Dakota

Photo credit: Billy Skaradek
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 11

unusual characteristic of jumping out of the water when startled. This is a rarely observed 

characteristic among this same species in its native China, but in America boaters have 

suffered severe injury due to, up to a 100 lbs., silver carp hitting them in the face making 

recreation on infested waters dangerous for boaters (Vetter and Mensinger, 2016). Just as 

we have faced a threat of aquatic invasive species migrating up our rivers through Asian 

carp, we soon realized the growing frontlines in aquatic invasive species with the presence 

of zebra mussels in dozens of South Dakota bodies of water. Zebra mussels and their close 

relative quagga mussels pose an equally devastating ecological problem for our bodies of 

water. Zebra and quagga mussels can cause great ecological harm to plankton communities, 

therefore, negatively impacting the entire food chain in a freshwater ecosystem. Zebra and 

quagga mussels were both likely brought to North America through untreated ballast water 

dumped into the Great Lakes during the late 1980s. Through untreated ballast water, they 

were able to make a trip all the way around the world from their native Caspian Sea range to 

infest the waters of America. Once infesting the Great Lakes, they entered the Mississippi 

drainage system through the Chicago River. Now recreation boaters are the unwitting 

spreaders of these mussels to water bodies that are not connected to the Mississippi drainage 

system (Prather, 2009). While South Dakota awaits its first confirmed quagga infestation, 

zebra mussels continue to expand their range in South Dakota. With such a daunting set of 

ecological challenges facing South Dakota concerning aquatic invasive species, we decided to 

take action through our project made possible by funding from NOAA Planet Stewards.

Racing to Keep Up with the Frontlines of the Invasion

Our project was designed to help combat aquatic invasive organisms by attaining three 

goals; curriculum development and education, habitat conservation through stewardship, 

and habitat restoration through stewardship. In order to meet our habitat conservation 

and habitat restoration stewardship goals, we planned to engage 60 students to complete 

stewardship activities, inspect and/or clean 500 boats/watercraft, inspect and/or clean 500 

bait buckets, inspect and/or clean 500 live wells, inspect 50 aquariums, remove 500 kg of 

Asian carp, and 10 kg of invasive mussels. During the fall semester of 2021, students were 

engaged in habitat conservation stewardship by engaging in boat inspections/cleanings, bait 

Image 1:  Edmunds central students learning about zebra mussel removal 

while inspecting a boatlift infested with zebra mussels on Pickerel Lake

At the time of our visit, zebra mussels had colonized most hard surfaces in 

the lake even though the first confirmed zebra mussel in the lake was only 

discovered 15 months prior to our survey visit. Photo credit: Spencer Cod

Image 2:  Edmunds Central students inspecting riprap at Enemy Swim Lake 

for zebra mussels. Invasive mussels can easily spread from lake to lake as

hitchhikers on boats and recreation equipment. Enemy Swim was only a

couple of miles from a lake with a known zebra mussel infestation at the time 

of our survey. While we did not find any zebra mussels on our stop in October

of 2021, by July of 2022 zebra mussels were confirmed in the lake

Photo credit: Spencer Cody
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 12 The Earth Scientist

bucket inspections/cleanings, live well inspections/cleanings, and aquarium inspections 

along with site visits to inspect lake accesses for possible infestations for documentation. 

Students were also engaged in habitat restoration through stewardship through site visits to 

known infested waters to work on removing mussels. The inspection and cleaning numbers 

and restoration removal amounts required students to not just complete these inspections 

and removals on their own watercraft and equipment and 

shorefront but branch out to neighbors, friends, businesses, 

and other local contacts associated with fishing and 

watercraft, thoroughly, permeating our local area with our 

message. While we exceeded our goal in mussel removal 

due to our fortune of working with a watercraft company 

in the fall of 2021 for boat lift removal during a fall zebra 

mussel survey of lakes in Northeastern South Dakota, mussel 

removal opportunities since that point in time were few and 

far between. 

In South Dakota invasive mussels can be removed, but they 

cannot be transported. This makes removal very tricky and 

getting permission trickier. Additionally, known infested 

waters are not locally close to our school district making these 

opportunities for removal more difficult for our students to 

access. The same problem was experienced with the Asian 

carp removal. They cannot be transported and removal is 

difficult since flying silver carp are dangerous to boaters 

attempting to retrieve them, and infestation locations are not near our school. Not to be 

deterred, we expanded our removal efforts to include common carp to some degree of success. 

Our numbers for inspections and cleanings assumed that our arrangements made in the fall 

for inspection points would be carried out in the spring and summer of 2022. This was not 

the case. We had been working with a lake association to help staff their zebra mussel check 

point with our students, but confrontations became so tense that the state took the checkpoint 

over in the spring of 2022. No one wants zebra mussels in their lake, and no one wants to be 

caught with them. It seemed as if we were racing to keep up with the frontlines of an ecological 

invasion. Unfortunately, the lake in question recorded its first zebra mussels in July of 2022; 

consequently, the inspection point had been completely disbanded shortly after the discovery 

of the infestation. The battle lines against aquatic invasive species had shifted yet again.

A Thought-Provoking Book Study

The curriculum development portion of our project centered on the reading of The Death 

and Life of the Great Lakes, (Egan, 2018). The student book study worked nicely with our 

grades 6-12 as students were further engaged in stewardship activities throughout the school 

year highlighting the different ways in which stewardship can combat invasive species 

even as the fishing seasons changed. The student book study was paired with a teacher 

book study and curriculum development workshop that ran through the spring semester. 

The curriculum development aspect led to a field trip of site visits corresponding to The 

Death and Life of the Great Lakes that was documented from the perspective of South Dakota 

students/teachers coming face-to-face with zebra/quagga/Asian carp-infested waters on a 

scale not seen in South Dakota to document and bring back the importance of keeping these 

invasive organisms out of South Dakota waters. 

Image 3:  Edmunds Central inspecting docks at Bitter Lake for zebra 

mussels. Docks are often one of the first places where zebra mussels are

noticed frequently when docks are pulled in the fall before ice on

Photo credit: Spencer Cody
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 13

In addition to seeing firsthand what lies in store for South Dakota in terms of the severity 

of the oncoming invasion, we made site visits referenced in the book looking for potential 

solutions to what we are facing. The goal was to recruit at least 30 teachers with the 

requirement that they would implement stewardship activities in their classroom through 

the reading of the book and going through the South Dakota-focused curriculum that was 

presented on invasive organisms with the opportunity to interact with site visits discussed 

in the book virtually during our live virtual teacher field experience of aquatic invasive 

species. Unfortunately, we fell a little short of this goal at only 26 teachers of which only 22 

took the course for credit. However, 17 of these teachers participated in the virtual field trip 

in July of 2022 with another 7 of them completing it for additional credit.

An Inspiring Field Experience

The July field experience was the culmination of the project. Students and cohort teachers 

came together in a unique field experience for everyone. We took a bus load of students in 

grades 6-12 and endeavored to visit as many sites mentioned in 

the book study that we could during a week-long field experience 

covering all the Great Lakes. As we traveled from South Dakota 

up through Minnesota and the UP of Michigan, our students 

explored Lake Superior posting videos for our cohort teachers 

to engage virtually with the student field experience. Students 

posed questions from the book from sites such as the Great Lakes 

Aquarium and the Duluth harbor for participating teachers to 

reflect on and discuss topics on native versus introduced species 

and how shipping has opened the Great Lakes up to aquatic 

invasive species. The field experience progressed onto Lake 

Michigan with a stop at Beaver Island in the middle of the lake to 

learn about the impact of aquatic invasive species on the Great 

Lakes at Central Michigan University’s Biological Station. 

After our visit, we headed farther east all the way to the end of 

Lake Erie and looped back through Chicago to probe the problem 

of entry points for aquatic invasive species through site visits 

along the Erie Canal and Niagara Falls and exit points for invasive 

species through the Chicago River. 

Having internet access for a virtual field experience, combined 

with a student in-person experience, constantly presented 

logistical issues of having enough time to lead a field trip while 

uploading and recording enough content for a simultaneous 

virtual field experience. Overall, both aspects of the field 

experience proved valuable to teachers and students. The teacher 

cohort found the student interaction to be engaging in discussion 

and reflection while the students took their tasks of relaying 

information and developing thought-provoking questions for the 

teachers with a heightened sense of duty. Altogether, running a 

field experience in tandem with its virtual counterpart proved 

to be logistically challenging, but it produced a more meaningful 

learning experience for students than those field experiences 

that we have done that lacked such a virtual component. 

Image 4: While piloting Central Michigan University’s remote operated 

vehicle (ROV), students were able to observe invasive quagga mussels 

along the shores of Beaver Island in Lake Michigan while searching for 

a sunken car that has been submerged for decades in the harbor

Photo credit: Spencer Cody

Image 5: Learning about how opening up the Great Lakes via canals 

helped pave the way for aquatic invasive species as Edmunds Central 

students ride on a ferry on the Erie Canal in Lockport, New York

Photo credit: Spencer Cody
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 14 The Earth Scientist

If you are interested in recreating this experience in your classroom, you 

can utilize our teacher-friendly study guide: https://docs.google.com/

document/d/1FFuAbVAvJL7jv7JMTZr_eP5uAhYVdPJj/edit

This includes slideshows for each chapter in the book including a whole host of interesting 

discussion questions and media, and as a special treat, we have included original video 

discussion questions from our students from the Great Lakes field experience. This book 

study guide paired with The Death and Life of the Great Lakes might be woven into lessons 

that would help students demonstrate understanding from the Next Generation Science 

Standards (NGSS, 2013). Disciplinary Core Ideas of LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in 

Ecosystems and LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience are strong in the 

lessons and are connected to these Performance Expectations:

NGSS Middle School Life Science 

■ MS-LS2-1: Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource 

availability on populations of organism in an ecosystem. 

■ MS-LS2-2: Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among 

organisms across multiple ecosystems. 

■ MS-LS2-4: Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to 

physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations. 

■ MS-ESS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and 

minimizing a human impact on the environment

NGSS High School Life Science  

■ HS-LS2-6: Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions 

in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in 

stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem. 

■ HS-LS2-7: Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human 

activities on the environment and biodiversity.

■ HS-LS4-5: Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental 

conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, 

(2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species. 

■ HS-ESS3-3: Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among 

management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and 

biodiversity. 

■ HS-ESS3-6: Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among 

Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity. 

Conclusion

In total 82 students in grades 6-12 logged 297 stewardship and project involvement hours 

totaling a wide variety of stewardship activities involving both habitat restoration and 

conservation. Our habitat conservation activities involving preventative measures to reduce 

the spread of aquatic invasive species included the following: 

● 43 boat inspections

● 22 boat cleanings

● 108 bait bucket inspections and 19 bait bucket cleanings
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 15

Figure 2: Data collected from pre- and post-surveys from the project’s participating teachers indicate a 

smaller shift in views and understanding on the issue of aquatic invasive species than was exhibited by 

participating students. Participating teachers had a wide range of backgrounds and, in most cases, did not

teach any content concerning aquatic invasive species

● 34 live well inspections

● 57 dock inspections

● 72 riprap locations inspected for zebra mussels

● 32 boatlift inspections

● 37 boat trailer inspections

● 12 aquarium inspections

Habitat restoration opportunities 

were more limited but were also 

performed: 72 kilograms of zebra 

mussels were removed, 5 kilograms 

of quagga mussels removed on 

Beaver Island, and 42 kilograms 

of common carp removed. These 

stewardship activities contributed 

to marked shifts in student 

views and understanding as are 

referenced in Figure 1.

Teacher involvement included 26 

teachers in our aquatic invasive 

book study with 22 teachers 

completing the course for graduate 

credit through the University of 

Sioux Falls. Additionally, 17 of 

these teachers participated in our 

summer virtual field experience 

with another 7 of them taking 

it for credit. This curriculum 

development opportunity also 

led to smaller shifts in teacher 

perception and understanding as 

are referenced in Figure 2.

While the issue of aquatic 

invasive species presented its 

own logistical problems, these 

challenges were, for the most part, 

successfully navigated to meet 

stewardship goals resulting in a 

remarkable learning experience 

for both students and teachers. 

This NOAA Planet Stewards project 

produced substantive attitudinal 

changes paired with documented 

increases in content understanding proving that South Dakota students on the forefront 

of our struggle against aquatic invasive species can greatly benefit from project-based, 

stewardship-centric learning.

Figure 1: Data collected from pre- and post-surveys from the project’s participating students indicate a 

significant shift in views about the spread of AIS. These shifts were somewhat surprising considering the

degree to which aquatic invasive species have been in the local media
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 16 The Earth Scientist

References

Atwal, Andrew. 2012. S.D. Enacts Rule to Prevent Spread of 

Asian Carp. Yankton Daily Press and Dakotan. https://www.

yankton.net/community/article_0136d6ce-654c-5bc0-ba6a1223e35a1a50.html#:~:text=Asian%20Carp%20were%20first%20

found,River%2C%20by%20the%20early%202000s.

Egan, Dan. 2018. The Death and Life of the Great Lakes.

ISBN: 978-0-393-35555-0

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By 

States. https://www.nextgenscience.org/search-standards

Prather, Victoria. 2009. Zebra Mussels Overwhelm U.S. Waterways 

in the Great Lakes and Beyond - Copper Screens and Coatings 

Provide a Solution to This $500 Million Dollar Problem. Copper 

Development Association. https://www.copper.org/about/

pressreleases/2009/pr2009_July_30.html

Vetter, Brooke J.; Mensinger, Allen F. 2016. Broadband Sound Can Induce 

Jumping Behavior in Invasive Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys 

molitrix). Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics. Vol. 27. P. 010021

About the Author

Spencer Cody teacher 6-12 Science at Edmunds 

Central Middle and High School in the Edmunds Central 

School District in Roscoe, South Dakota. He holds a

BA degree in Middle School and Secondary Biology 

Education from Concordia College in Moorhead, 

Minnesota, and an MS degree in Chemistry Education 

from South Dakota State University in Brookings, 

South Dakota. He has taught for 15 years in the

middle and secondary sciences and is the recipient 

of numerous awards for his teaching including the 

2018 Sanford Inspire Teacher of the Year for South 

Dakota, 2020 North Central Section Outstanding 

Earth Science Teacher, 2020 EPA Presidential Award 

for Environmental Education, and 2021 Region Four 

Teacher of the Year for South Dakota. Spencer can be

reached at Spencer.Cody@k12.sd
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 17

Abstract 

This NOAA Planet Stewards project was designed to reduce the carbon dioxide in 

our environment through tree planting around the Defiance, Ohio area. Locations 

included a nature preserve, a therapeutic riding center called Lily Creek Farms, and 

the Defiance Elementary School, along with local church grounds and backyards. 

The project was responsible for planting 112 trees with a calculated 1,322 pounds 

of carbon absorbed for the first year which will continue to grow in years to come. 

Once the trees are fully grown, they will remove 5,555 pounds of carbon dioxide 

from the atmosphere each year. Students involved in the project showed an increase 

from pretest to post-test about their desire to do science, choose a STEAM- related 

(Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) career for their future job, and take 

care of the environment. 

The Project 

The concentration of carbon dioxide has increased in the 

world especially after the industrial revolution. Earth’s 

global average surface temperature in 2020 statistically tied 

with 2016 as the hottest year on record, continuing a longterm warming trend due to human activities. Yearly surface 

temperature compared to the 20th-century average from 

1880–2022.

The town of Defiance, Ohio has a strong interest in reducing 

carbon dioxide to mitigate the risks of global warming. 

Defiance City has been recognized by the Arbor Day 

Foundation for planting trees and is aware of the impact 

trees have on our community as a whole. Defiance was 

awarded the Tree City USA Growth Award in 2020. Knowing 

this information made it easy to decide to focus on planting 

more trees to help to improve our air quality. In 2020, it 

was estimated that about 79% of the greenhouse effect is 

caused by carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas that prevents 

the releasing the heat into space. (EPA, 2021) This excess 

Planting Roots in our Community: 

Leaving a Legacy Behind

Julie Houck, Defiance Elementary, Defiance, Ohio

Figure 1. Blue bars indicate cooler-than-average years; red bars show 

warmer-than-average years. NOAA Climate.gov graph, based on data fro

the National Centers for Environmental Information
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 18 The Earth Scientist

greenhouse gas creates a phenomenon known as the 

“greenhouse effect.” Heat from the earth is trapped in 

the atmosphere due to high levels of carbon dioxide 

and other heat-trapping gasses that prohibit it from 

releasing the heat into space.

One way to help reduce carbon dioxide is to plant 

trees because they act as carbon sinks. We were able to 

partner with our Soil and Water Department and many 

other community partners to help with this project, 

including Defiance Dream Center, YELP, Defiance City 

Schools, Defiance College, Defiance City, Lily Creek 

Farm, Defiance Soil and Water, Paulding Soil and 

Water, and Toledo University GLOBE B-WET. 

Students were a part of a leadership 

organization called YELP, Youth Engaged 

Leadership and Philanthropy. This group 

consisted of students grades 4 – 7 who had 

an interest in helping in their community. 

We found a local nursery in the town that 

helped the students select native trees 

to plant at an equestrian center called 

Lily Creek (http://www.lilycreekfarms.

org/) where they had trees die along their 

sensory trail for students with special 

needs. We planted trees in October and 

then we were able to go back to measure 

the trees and do a field trip where the 

students got to learn about careers on the 

farm and ride the horses.

Another tree-planting location was a 

78-acre nature preserve in Defiance called 

the Penney Nature Center (https://www.

defianceswcd.org/penney-nature-center.html). It consists of 

wetlands, woodlands, and prairie land. It has an outdoor classroom 

and provides a nature camp to students over the summer. We 

were able to partner with the Defiance Soil and Water Department 

to plant trees there in April with volunteers from our County 

Commissioner’s office and other local volunteers. 

Defiance Elementary School was the focus of May tree planting. 

The local nursery helped students to analyze the soil to determine 

the best trees to plant and each grade level planted a tree. We 

collected data using the GLOBE protocols for trees, measuring 

the height of the trees and the diameter of the trunks. We also 

estimated how much carbon has been sequestered over the time 

of the project and the prediction of how much it will sequester 

over the next 5 years. The students learned about the importance 

Figure 2. Total U.S. Emission

in 2021 = 6,340 Million Metric 

Tons of CO2 equivalent (excludes 

land sector). Percentages may

not add up to 100% due to 

independent rounding. Land

Use, Land-Use Change, and 

Forestry in the United States 

is a net sink and offsets 12% 

of these greenhouse gas 

emissions. This net sink is not

shown in the above diagram. All

emission estimates from 

the Inventory of U.S. Greenhous

Gas Emissions and Sinks: 

1990–2021

Image 1. Getting ready to plant trees at Lily 

Creek Farms, a therapeutic riding center 

providing healing opportunities through the use 

of equine-assisted activities. Photo credit: Julie Houc

Image 3. Penney Nature Preserve in Defiance Ohio where over 

100 trees were planted with Defiance Soil and Water

Photo credit: Julie Houck

Image 2. Student at Lily Creek Farm 

Riding Center. Photo Credit: Julie Houc

79.4%

CO2

11.5%

CH4

3.0%

HFCs, PFCs, SF6 and NF3

6.2%

N2O

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2023). Inventory of U.S.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2021
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 19

of planting trees, how to measure trees, taking air and surface temperatures, and different 

STEAM careers. This lesson series provided many ties to the Next Generation Science 

Standards (NGSS, 2013). 

Students created their own class book titled, “What They Want to Be”, about their aspirations 

when they grow up. Students went through the writing process and chose a career that was 

of interest to them. They peer-edited each other’s work and completed final copies were sent 

off to the publisher. They were very interested in STEAM careers and several picked careers 

that we had explored during our class career explorations. 

Table 1. Connections to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, 2013)

Performance Expectation

3-5-ETS1-1 Define a simple design problem that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process, or system and includes several 

criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost. (3-5-ETS1-1

3-5-ETS1-3 Plan and conduct an investigation collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, using fair tests in which variables are 

controlled and the number of trials considered. (3-5-ETS1-3

Dimensions Classroom Connections

Science and Engineering Practices

Developing and using models

• Modeling in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to building 

and revising simple models and using models to represent events and 

design solutions

• Students create a model of a tree (tower) and then measure it using 

blocks. They will relate how they measure the blocks to find the height

of the tower to how they can count the size of themselves to measure 

a tree height

Disciplinary Core Idea

ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems

ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions

ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution

• Students create a model and design a way to measure using 

nonstandard measurements. They are creating a possible solution and

designing a way to measure the height of a tree

Cross-Cutting Concepts

Scale Proportion and Quantity

• In considering phenomena, it is critical to recognize what is relevant at 

different size, time, and energy scales, and to recognize proportional 

relationships between different quantities as scales change

• Students see the connections between the proportional relationships 

of the tree to themselves. They also compare nonstandard units to the

tower and how these relationships change

Image 5. Defiance Elementary 

School tree planting

Photo credit: Annabelle Houck

Image 4. Student recording her data after 

measuring the surface temperature and 

tree data

Photo credit: Julie Houck
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 20 The Earth Scientist

Lesson: Engineering for Height https://docs.google.com/

document/d/1fjsWBjDTS2CHw0N_TmEGtub-Wt0dX6LUtQPNfNJ4kz4/edit?usp=sharing

Additional trees were planted 

in areas around the community, 

including a local church and ministry. 

Native plants and apple trees were 

planted at Hebron Ministries by 

volunteers. The apple trees were 

selected specifically to help with 

their food outreach program. Trees 

were also planted in neighborhoods 

and yards. 

During the summer, we were able 

to share this project with Honor 

Academy students who represented 

four different counties (Defiance, 

Henry, Fulton and Williams) at a 

week-long camp in Archbold, Ohio. 

These students also learned about 

GLOBE protocols and the importance 

of trees, conducted air and surface 

temperature measurements, met with 

a scientist from Toledo University, and went outdoors each day. We used a Terra Rover to 

collect temperature measurements and compare them to our data. 

Conclusion

Over 600 elementary students and 30 volunteers from four local counties (Defiance, Henry, 

Fulton and Williams County) were involved in this project. The students calculated that 

this project reduced the amount of carbon (1,322 pounds of carbon for the first year) and 

the amount will continue to grow in years to come. Once the trees are fully grown they will 

remove 5,555 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. Over the span of 

40 years there will be over 100 tons of carbon sequestered 

from this project.

Students showed an increase from pre-test to post-test about 

their desire to do science. In the end of year survey, 20 out of 

27 students selected at or above 4 out of 5 for liking science. 

At the beginning of the year, 10 students listed liking science 

at 3 or below. 

Students also grew in their knowledge about the importance 

of planting trees and in STEAM careers. Multiple presenters 

such as Joshua Hall, a computer programmer, visited 

throughout the year in-person or virtually to highlight what 

they did in their specific job and answer questions from the 

students. In their book about future jobs, 14 out of 21 students 

picked a STEAM career.

Images 6 and 7. Trees were planted at Hebron Ministries in Defiance Ohio. Photo credit: Julie Hou

15

10

5

0

1 2 3 4 5

0 (0%)

7 (25.9%) 8 (29.6%)

12 (44.4%)

0 (0%)

Do you like science?

27 responses

Figure 3. In the year-end survey, 20 out of 27 students selected at 

or above 4 out of 5 for liking science. At the beginning of the year, 10

students listed liking science at 3 or below
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 21

As a result of the Planet Stewards funding and seeing the impact it could make on my 

students, I was encouraged to try for an Ohio Environmental Education Fund grant in 2023. 

The superintendent of my school reached out to me to work on it and I was amazed at the 

number of community partnerships I had already created. It was fairly easy to continue in 

my environmental endeavors because I had the experience through Planet Stewards. I do 

not believe I would have had the courage to write the grant had I not had such a wonderful 

experience. I also think the community support and ability to partner together made it 

more manageable to take the next step and my school was selected to receive the Ohio 

Environmental Education Grant. 

I was able to share the results and the impact of this Planet Stewards project on my students 

and my teaching practice at the 2023 GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit 

the Environment) Annual Meeting in Denver Colorado.

References 

EPA. 2021. Overview of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Emission estimates from the Inventory of 

U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990–2021. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/

overview-greenhouse-gases#:~:text=Total%20U.S.%20Emissions%20in%202021,of%20these%20

greenhouse%20gas%20emissions

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. https://www.

nextgenscience.org/search-standards

STEAM Careers 

Presented to Students

• Nurse

• Eye Doctor

• Computer Programmer

• NASA Scientist

• Civil Engineer

• Environmental Specialist

• Candy Maker

• Astronaut

• Equestrian Trainer

Image 8. Joshua Hall sharing about his job as a Computer Programmer

Photo credit: Julie Houck

Image 9. Student book page of STEAM career

From What We Want to Be by Mrs. Houck’s 2021-2022 Class (Published by Student Treasures https://

studentreasures.com/)

About the Author

Julie Houck became a NOAA Planet Steward in 2021. She is a K-5 STEAM Teacher at Defiance

Elementary in Defiance, Ohio. She has been teaching for 20 years and has also taught students in

Australia, Germany, and China. She earned her Bachelor of Early Childhood Education from Cedarville

University and her masters from Regent University. She has been a part of GLOBE Mission Earth for

three years and is also a GLOBE trainer. She is a My NASA GLOBE product reviewer, an NSTA member,

and an Ohio STEM Learning Network Fellow. Julie can be contacted at jhouck@defianceschools.n
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 22 The Earth Scientist

Abstract

The city of El Paso is uniquely located along the Rio Grande River and borders 

of Mexico and New Mexico, all of which are situated in the Chihuahuan Desert. 

The region faces a variety of environmental threats, including habitat loss due to 

urbanization, deterioration of freshwater resources and climate change. The Border 

Region (82% Hispanic and poverty rate of 22%) is also very much an underserved 

community. Working in partnership with the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park and 

with funding provided by the NOAA Planet Stewards program, Insights Science 

Discovery (Insights) created the Young Stewards Promoting Border Resiliency 

project. The goal of this project was to arm high school students from underserved 

communities with the knowledge and skills to restore one acre of riparian wetland 

habitat. The project also fostered career development within STEM fields by 

providing students with opportunities to learn and engage with STEM experts. 

The students’ efforts of removing invasive species followed by the transplanting of 

native vegetation within the wetland, helped restore a small portion of this rivervalley environment while instilling a greater sense of conservational awareness 

among the next generation of decision makers. 

Introduction

The Border Region of West Texas, Southern New Mexico and Northern Chihuahua is 

uniquely situated along the Rio Grande River and in the critical ecoregion of the Chihuahuan 

Desert which faces a variety of threats, including habitat loss, deterioration of freshwater 

resources and climate change. According to the National Park Service (https://www.nps.

gov/im/chdn/ecoregion.htm), the Chihuahuan Desert is considered one of the most diverse 

deserts of the world, and a critical reservoir for conserving biodiversity. Unfortunately, 

the Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion is also one of the most endangered regions in the world 

(Briggs et al., 2019).

The El Paso Border Region in west Texas is one of the nation’s fastest growing metropolitan 

areas. With a steady annual population growth rate of an average of 0.7% per year between 

2010 and 2021 (U.S. Census, 2021), El Paso City and County planners have primarily focused 

on tapping into the binational workforce unique to this region and have thus dedicated 

Young Stewards Promoting Border Resiliency 

Jennifer Ramos-Chavez, Insights Science Discovery
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 23

projects and funding to commercial, industrial and residential growth. Unprecedented rates 

of urban sprawl have farmers and environmentalists at odds with government planners. 

Wetlands and riverside forests once dominated the banks of the Rio Grande in the Border 

Region. They were the most productive natural habitats in the area. Historically, the 

floodplains of the river used to stretch up to 8 miles wide when flooding of the Rio Grande 

occurred during spring and early summer. Native riparian vegetation such as screwbean 

mesquite, willows and cottonwood trees were once dominant in these habitats. However, 

today these historical riparian forests and wetlands are virtually gone as a result of 

channeling and damming of the Rio Grande, land conversion, border fence building, and 

stressors such as the introduction of invasive salt cedar (Tamarix spp.) (Howe & Knopf, 1991).

Wetlands serve as a vital habitat for plants and animals, act as a natural filter for water, 

decrease erosion and promote land stability, provide aesthetic value, and play a crucial role 

in combating climate change. It is well established that riparian wetlands play a significant 

role in carbon sequestration (Tan et al., 2020). Though quantitative measures in riparian 

wetlands within the El Paso Border Region are limited, if Rio Bosque’s sequestration potential 

is anything comparable to its functioning as a flourishing habitat in areas that have been 

since restored, then the Rio Bosque Wetlands in El Paso, Texas is confidently a considerable 

environment for carbon sequestration. This not only has a positive impact on local 

environmental health, but globally as well as we face environmental and climate change.

Though the Border Region faces multiple environmental challenges, a number of adult 

organizations are actively engaged in environmental stewardship, but few youth programs 

exist. With an 82% Hispanic population and poverty rate of 22%, El Paso, Texas is an 

underserved community as a whole (U.S. Census, 2022) West Texas is geographically isolated 

from the state’s environmental education services in based in 

central regions of the state. Moreover, the Chihuahuan Desert 

and its environmental issues cross city, state and national 

boundaries in the Border Region. 

Background and Site History 

Rio Bosque Wetlands Park is part of El Paso’s city park system 

and is managed by the University of Texas at El Paso’s Center 

for Environmental Resource Management (CERM). Since 1997, 

partnerships among the University of Texas at El Paso, the City 

of El Paso, the International Boundary and Water Commission 

(IBWC), Ducks Unlimited and El Paso Water Utility have worked 

to rebuild the wetland. 

The park spans 372 acres. Early wetland restoration efforts 

involved re-building the old river channel through the park and 

creating a system for diverting water from this channel into two 

large shallow wetland cells designed to recreate shallow-water 

emergent wetland habitats. 

Active restoration establishing native species and controlling 

exotic species (Watts et al., 2002), along with natural 

regeneration responses to exceptionally wet years of 2006 and 

2008, has slowly transformed the wetland park into a habitat 

Figure 1. Map of Rio Bosque Wetlands Park. The yellow star indicates

the project’s restoration site
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 24 The Earth Scientist

resembling what was once present with the historical meandering Rio Grande. In the years 

since, wildlife has increased in diversity and density, and natural progression of vegetation 

has reclaimed several of the previously cleared areas.

In the early years of the wetland project at Rio Bosque, the only available source of water 

was treated wastewater from El Paso Water’s Bustamante Wastewater Treatment Plant, 

located immediately north of the park. It was often only available for 3 to 3.5 months in 

late fall and early winter (Watts et al., 2002). The rest of the year, including throughout the 

growing season, the park was completely dry. In recent years, the park’s water availability 

has increased thanks to El Paso Water and El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1. 

Today, the park relies on three different water sources: treated wastewater, groundwater, 

and irrigation water from the Rio Grande. The availability of water during the growing 

season has greatly accelerated the development of wetland and riparian ecosystems at 

Rio Bosque. 

Project Goals/Objectives

The Young Stewards Promoting Border Resiliency project aimed to build a strong 

environmentally conscious future for the Border Region by providing young community 

members, many of whom come from underserved communities, with skills and experiences 

to promote a new generation of conservational awareness. The project’s overarching 

goal was to advance efforts that combat land conversion and shrinking wild habitats by 

restoring approximately one acre of the wetland by clearing invasives and replanting 

native vegetation. 

This project was a partnership with 

Insights Science Discovery (http://www.

insightselpaso.org/), a local non-profit 

with the mission of providing equitable 

access to Science, Technology, Engineering, 

Arts, and Math (STEAM) education, the 

University of Texas at El Paso’s CERM, and 

the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park. Keeping 

in the spirit of youth empowerment and 

environmental ownership, we enlisted 

students from a nearby high school, Mission 

Early College High School, many of whom 

had never visited nor heard of the wetlands 

despite being located only six miles from 

their school campus. Forty students worked 

side by side with restoration experts and 

researchers to understand the process and 

importance of habitat restoration. 

Since the project administrators and 

volunteers had limited time with the 

participating students, the project was 

designed to provide monthly learning 

lessons on different wetland topics and 

issues before each field trip over the course 

of the school year. For these lessons, we 

Learning Topic Presenter’s Profession

Land conservation and preservation Wildlife Biologist and Land Trust/

Conservation Administrator

Ecological Restoration and Rain Water Harvesting Biologist and Restoration Expert

Invasive Species Botanist/Ecologist

Wetland vegetation and the importance of 

wetlands

Biologist and Botanical Curator

History of El Paso water and the Rio Grande River Hydrogeologist and Professional 

Engineer

Wetland water; Water of the Rio Bosque; 

groundwater

Hydrogeologist and Geochemist

Wetland birds, particularly resident and migrant 

birds of the Rio Bosque

Wildlife Biologist and Avid Birder 

(Audubon Society President)

Burrowing owls, conservation efforts for the 

species and the role Rio Bosque plays for the owls

Urban Wildlife Biologist

Desert wildlife tracking and monitoring Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 

PhD students

Native desert pollinators and the importance of 

pollinator gardens/native vegetation

Texas Master Naturalist

Science communication, citizen science, 

participatory science, and the importance of 

diverse and inclusive science and research

Ecologist and Environmental 

Scientist

Table 1. Project’s priming lesson topics and the corresponding presenter’s profession. Priming

lessons served as a means to provide information and knowledge students would need to 

understand field trip objectives, as well as a means of career exposure and development
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 25

employed the help of local experts who presented on the topic and also highlighted their 

experience in their career field, as well as their journey to reaching that point. Several of 

these guest speakers attended in-person field trips and served as mentors to the high school 

students. The students would then participate in stewardship activities (invasive removal 

and native planting) and hands-on lessons relating to the correlating topic during the 

subsequent field trip at the site. In total, eleven priming lessons, which included providing 

introductory information for the respective field trip, a deeper dive into the respective field 

trip topic by a STEM expert, and material preparation for hands-on activities, (Table 1) were 

given and seven of the eight planned field trips took place. Due to constraints related to the 

Covid-19 Pandemic, some activities were rescheduled or canceled altogether. 

Data Collection

This project included a number of data collection activities. Students learned to collect 

physical data within the restoration area as well as at a control site (where no stewardship 

activities were conducted) at several intervals within the project timeframe. The control 

site served as a comparison for environmental assessments. The project administrator also 

collected data on student perceptions and learning outcomes. 

Environmental Monitoring

In an effort to enhance student learning and understanding 

of habitat restoration, environmental measures including 

vegetation assessments, soil and water analyses, pollinator 

surveys and bird counts were conducted by the students 

under the guidance of experts and volunteers and served 

as a means to illustrate how habitats can be monitored, and 

restoration efforts guided based on the results. The number 

of native plants installed and amount of invasive biomass 

were also monitored and recorded.

Vegetation assessments included pre and post-linear 

transects. Linear vegetation surveys (LVS) were conducted 

along a 50 m transect parallel to a water channel within the 

restoration and control sites. Image 1. Students conducting linear vegetation transects to measure and 

record present species and calculate the most dominant species at the site

Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chavez

Image 2 (left). Students learned 

about soil dynamics within 

wetland/riparian habitats and 

conducted soil analyses to 

compare nutrient levels between 

the control and restoration sites

Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chavez

Image 3 (right). Participating 

students learned that the 

diversity of wildlife can indicate 

habitat health. During the

project, students learned to 

identify and survey wetland 

bird species

Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chavez
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 26 The Earth Scientist

Species data was collected at random points along the transect both at 1 meter towards the 

water channel and 5 meters away from the water channel. This double, simultaneous LVS 

allowed for a more robust understanding of the vegetation along the varying ecotones 

within the riparian habitat. 

We had intended to conduct pre and post assessments but the second half of the project year 

was faced with pretty severe drought conditions. Water that was planned to be delivered 

to the wetland was diverted to farmers downstream in Socorro and San Elizario, Texas and 

elsewhere further down river. The wetland was bypassed by two upstream river releases in 

February and April and remained dry during the duration of the second half of the project. 

Despite this, students did learn how to conduct the assessments and learned how these 

measures are used to determine habitat health and the relationship between water quality/

quantity and vegetation along with the presence of wildlife. 

Student Learning and Perceptions 

To assess student learning and perceptions of riparian wetland restoration, we utilized 

two abstract survey techniques. The Draw-an-Ecosystem Approach (Sanford et al., 2017) 

consists of a pre-test and post-test in which students draw and label an ecosystem and is 

graded based on a rubric (https://ncsce.net/the-draw-an-ecosystem-task-as-an-assessmenttool-in-environmental-science-education/) including eight categories (abiotic/biotic mass 

transfer, energy input, trophic interactions, human activities, hydrologic cycle, atmosphere, 

system/environmental issues) each with a 0–3 score, where 0 represented no display of that 

category and 3 represents a comprehensive response. We also investigated the effects of 

hands-on educational programing on student’s environmental perceptions using Bogner 

and Wiseman’s Model of Ecological Values using an Environmental Perception (ENV) scale 

(Bogner and Wiseman, 2004). 

Multiple choice questionnaires 

regarding wetland habitats were 

scored on a 5-point Likert scale 

ranging from “strongly agree” to 

“strongly disagree”. The pre-test for 

both methods were administered 

before students were introduced 

to any habitat restoration 

concepts, and the post-tests were 

administered upon completion of 

the project. 

Results 

Environmental Monitoring 

As a result of the students’ 

stewardship efforts, approximately 

one acre of riparian wetland 

habitat was improved and well on 

its way to natural regeneration. 

The restoration site was 

dramatically improved and cleared 

of many invasive species. 

Images 4, 5, 6. Part of the 

project’s restoration efforts 

included removal of invasive 

species. Students remove

an invasive tree tobacco; 

remove tumbleweed growing 

along the water channel, and 

students amass a large pile 

of invasives during one of the 

project workdays

Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chavez
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 27

Vegetation pre-surveys showed that invasive tumbleweed (Salsola kali) was the dominant 

plant species within the site (Table 2). 

After invasive removal, native wetland vegetation like willow baccharis (Baccharis salicina) 

and hoary tansyaster (Machaeranthera canescens) became dominant and established in areas 

where tumbleweeds were removed (Table 3). 

A total of 65.2m3 of invasive plant material (including tumbleweed, tree tobacco (Nicotiana 

glauca) and Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense)) was removed from the site. 72 native 

plants and seedlings, including Rio Grande Cottonwood (Populus deltoides wislizenii), 

Goodding Willow (Salix gooddingii), Broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae), and Sand 

sagebush (Artemisia filifolia) to name a few, were transplanted while three dozen seeds were 

germinated offsite for future transplantation. 

Student Learning and Perceptions 

According to the pre-assessment survey multiple choice questionnaire a majority of 

the students had existing positive and strong beliefs about environmental science and 

awareness of their environment. This was reflected once again in the post-assessment 

survey. However, some students felt that the same beliefs and awareness may not be shared 

by their school and community. More than half the students felt unsure as to whether their 

school/community shared the same beliefs after stewardship activities were conducted. 

West - Restoration West - Control East - Restoration East - Control

# of species @ 1m 5 3 6 5

# of species @ 5m 5 4 7 7

Total # of species 6 5 9 9

Most frequent species @ 1m Tumbleweed; Coulter’s 

horseweed

Bare ground; 

Tumbleweed Tumbleweed Bare ground; Lamb’s quarters

Most frequent species @ 5m Tumbleweed Indian rushpea Bush seepweed; 

Tumbleweed

Fall tansyaster; tumbleweed; 

Lamb’s quarters

Most frequent overall Tumbleweed Tumbleweed Tumbleweed Tumbleweed; Lamb’s quarters

West - Restoration West - Control East - Restoration East - Control

# of species @ 1m 2 3 2 2

# of species @ 5m 3 3 5 5

Total # of species 5 4 6 6

Most frequent species @ 1m Bare ground; Hoary 

tansyaster

Indian Rushpea; 

Tumbleweed Bare ground; Bush seepweed Bare ground; 

Tumbleweed

Most frequent species @ 5m Bare ground; Willow 

baccharis Tumbleweed Bare ground; Willow baccharis Tumbleweed

Most frequent overall Hoary tansyaster Tumbleweed Bush seepweed; Narrowleaf 

Globemallow Tumbleweed

Table 2. Linear Vegetation Survey pre-assessment. Transects were conducted on both sides of the water channel (East and West), and both in the restoration

and control sites. Pre-assessments show that Salsola kali (tumbleweed) was the dominant species within the restoration and control site

Table 3. Linear Vegetation Survey post-assessment. Transects were conducted on both sides of the water channel (East and West), and both in the restoration

and control sites. Post-assessments illustrate that native wetland vegetation like willow baccharis (Baccharis salicina) and hoary tansyaster (Machaeranthera

canescens) became more established within the restoration site, while the control sites remained dominated by tumbleweed
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 28 The Earth Scientist

The Student’s Environmental Perceptions and Behavior pre-survey (https://docs.google.com/

document/d/18F2lW1wthTGNrUKqjO1iNw1c8CVry5vnykT4NwvmGik/edit?usp=drive_link) 

illustrated little connection and knowledge about wetlands among students, particularly 

in desert ecosystems like the Chihuahuan Desert. However, the post-survey showed much 

higher correct responses to specific wetland concepts. For example, the pre-survey indicated 

that 30% of students were unsure about migratory species’ connections 

to desert wetlands. However, the post-survey showed 93.8% of student 

respondents understood these connections. This is directly attributable 

to lessons and stewardship activities as a part of this project. Finally, as a 

result of the activities and interactions incorporated in this project, more 

students have indicated that they would like to pursue a career in STEM 

fields (pre-survey: 72.5% agreed, post-survey: 100% agreed) and perhaps one 

that incorporates scientific research (pre-survey: 52.5% agreed, post-survey: 

65.7% agreed).

The Draw-an-Ecosystem pre-assessment mirrored results from the 

questionnaire which illustrated the students’ lack in understanding/

knowledge of desert wetland ecosystems. The rubric provides that an 

individual can obtain an overall score of 0 to 24. Comparing the pre/post 

assessments showed a stark increase in student scores. Most students scored 

between 1 and 2 on the pre-assessment, however, most students obtained 

a score between 5-10 on the post-assessment (Table 4). The highest score 

obtained on the pre-assessment was a score of 4 (n=2). The highest score 

obtained on the post-assessment was 15 (n =1, though 6 students scored 

eleven or higher). 

The pre-assessment drawings were rudimentary depictions of desert habitats 

displaying very basic manifestations of the following categories: External energy 

input (a sun), Geosphere (rocks/mountain features), Trophic levels/organism 

interrelationships (predator/prey), and Hydrologic cycle (a water source).

Score

Pre-assessment

# of Students

Post-assessment

# of Students

0 1 0

1 13 0

2 12 1

3 9 4

4 2 3

5 0 4

6 0 2

7 0 0

8 0 2

9 0 1

10 0 5

11 0 2

12 0 1

13 0 1

14 0 1

15 0 1

Image 7. Students work to install native plants 

where invasive tumbleweeds were removed

Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chavez 

Image 8. A student works alongside the park 

assistant manager to plant a native willow tree 

in November 2021. Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chave

Image 9. Students plant wolfberry seeds to 

germinate plants that will be installed at the site 

once matured. Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chave

Table 4. Draw-an-Ecosystem pre and post-assessment 

student scores. Thirty-seven total students participated

in the pre-assessment, while 28 students participated 

in the post-assessment. The highest possible score is

that of 24; no students scored higher than 15 on either 

assessment
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 29

None of the students included any representation of the following categories: Nutrient 

cycling/Abiotic and biotic mass transfer, Human activities, Atmosphere, and Systems and 

environmental issues on the pre-assessment drawings. There was evidence of student 

learning in the above-mentioned categories as depicted in post-assessments drawings except 

‘Nutrient cycling’ where only a few students obtained 1 point for that category. The teacher 

agreed that this tends to be where most students struggle as these concepts were only briefly 

discussed in class. Though we did discuss nutrients and nutrient cycling in one of the lessons 

and field trips, it is illustrated here that this is a challenging concept for these students.

Conclusion 

This project helped restore a small portion of this river-valley environment and it inspired 

young community members, a majority of whom (93%) are minorities, to be stewards of 

their environment far beyond the duration of this project. It also provided the skills and 

knowledge needed to make real environmental improvements to their own communities and 

beyond. The two-pronged approach of hands-on, practical experiences coupled with career 

development via expert mentors provided a unique and perhaps singular opportunity for 

many of the participating students.

In all, students helped rehabilitate approximately one acre of desert wetland/riparian 

habitat by removing invasive species and planting native vegetation. Though carrying out 

this project in the middle of a global pandemic was challenging, we feel this project was quite 

successful and can serve as a model for future hands-on, participatory projects with the 

intention of including young people from diverse experiences, backgrounds and cultures. 

We found that these in-person and hands-on experiences connected with the students far 

more than any other classroom lesson could. 

The city of El Paso is at a critical point in its development and in order to ensure that 

natural, open spaces are conserved for future generations, it is imperative that we delegate 

the leadership and solution development to the young people that will soon inherit the 

responsibility of legislative, community, and environmental decision-making. Furthermore, 

arming high school students in this region with the knowledge and resources necessary to 

Image 10a (left). Student example of Draw an Ecosystem Preassessment shows very basic and 

elemental depictions of a wetland ecosystem illustrating the lack of knowledge and/or experience/exposure to 

these habitats. 

Image 10b (right). Student examples of Draw-an-Ecosystem post-assessment. Overall, the postassessment drawings were clear portrayals of what they had learned and experienced during their interactions 

with the project activities.
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 30 The Earth Scientist

affect environmental change empowers not only student 

participants, but an entire community of traditionally 

economically, environmentally, and educationally 

disenfranchised citizens.

Acknowledgements

This project was made possible through funding provided 

by NOAA Planet Stewards. Significant contributions to the 

success of this project were made by the various volunteers 

involved including those from the University of Texas 

at El Paso’s (UTEP) Center for Environmental Resource 

Management (CERM), Friends of the Rio Bosque, The 

Frontera Land Alliance, The Green Hope Project, El Paso 

TransPecos Audubon Society, UTEP BEE Grads, and UTEP 

faculty from the Departments of Biology and Geology. Last, 

but certainly not least, there would not be a project without 

the teacher, Mrs. Carlye Flores, and students from Mission 

Early College High School and Cathedral High School who 

worked so diligently and gave up many Saturday mornings to work on this project. 

Additional Resources

Lesson – Conservation Wetland: Impacts of Human Activities on the environment 

and biodiversity (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cDAOk7U-ovmT204IQGgrT

oEDls7hATktTj9iU88QY2M/edit)

Additional Chihuahuan Desert Educational Materials Developed by Insights 

(https://www.insightselpaso.org/sesi-teacher-resources)

References

Bogner, F. X., & Wiseman, M. 2004. Outdoor ecology education and pupils’ environmental 

perception in Preservation and Utilization. Science education international, 15(1), 27-48.

Briggs, M. K., Lozano-Cavazos, E. A., Poulos, H. M., Ochoa-Espinoza, J., & Rodriguez-Pineda, 

J. A. 2019. The Chihuahuan desert: A binational conservation response to protect a global 

treasure. Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences.

Howe, W. H., & Knopf, F. L. 1991. On the imminent decline of Rio Grande Cottonwoods in 

Central New Mexico. The Southwestern Naturalist, 218-224.

Sanford, R. M., Staples, J. K., & Snowman, S. A. 201). The Draw-an-Ecosystem task as an 

assessment tool in environmental science education. Science Education and Civic Engagement, 

9(1), 35-40.

Tan, L., Ge, Z., Zhou, X., Li, S., Li, X., & Tang, J. 2020. Conversion of coastal wetlands, riparian 

wetlands, and peatlands increases greenhouse gas emissions: A global meta-analysis. Global 

Change Biology, 26(3), 1638-1653. doi:10.1111/gcb.14933.

U.S. Census Bureau. 2021. National Intercensal Tables: 2000-2010. Retrieved from: https://

www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/intercensal-2000-2010-national.html

U.S. Census Bureau. 2022. County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2022. 

Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020scounties-total.html

Watts, S. H., Sproul, J., & Hamlyn, E. 2002. A Biological Management Plan for the Rio Bosque 

Wetland Park. Center for Environmental Resource Management. University of Texas at El Paso, 

500 West University Avenue El Paso, Texas 79968.

Image 11. Students work alongside volunteers to level out a water channel to 

allow for more water flow and bank inundation once water is released into the 

wetlands. Photo Credit: Dr. Ramos-Chave

About the Author

Jennifer Ramos-Chavez, P.h.D., is 

the Environmental Education Manager 

at Insights Science Discovery where 

she coordinates and implements 

immersive environmental education 

programming. Additionally, Dr. RamosChavez is a Postdoctoral Researche

at the University of Texas at El Paso 

where she studies the intersection 

between the environment, energy 

and education. Specifically, her

research focuses on community-based 

participatory environmental research 

and community-centered outreach

She is interested in understanding 

how student perceptions and 

behaviors are influenced by immersive 

environmental and engineering 

education programming. Prior to her

appointments, Dr. Ramos-Chavez led a

United States Agency for International 

Development (USAID) funded project 

centered around cost-effective 

environmental monitoring research in 

Indonesia. Jennifer can be reached at

jennifer@insightselpaso.or
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 31

NATIONAL EARTH SCIENCE

TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

NESTA

This journal 

is an example 

of what 

membership 

includes!

• quarterly peer-reviewed journal

• monthly newsletter

• current event alerts

• website for Earth Science teachers

Join NESTA today! nestanet.org

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Page 32 The Earth Scientist

Abstract

Modeling Marine Ecosystems with Virtual Reality is a series of three-lesson 

modules that use a computer-based simulation of marine environments to 

provide high school students with minds-on explorations of scientific modeling 

concepts and techniques. Scientists at NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration) Fisheries (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/) developed a Virtual 

Reality software environment called VES-V (Virtual Ecosystem Scenario Viewer) 

(https://nmfs-fish-tools.github.io/VES-V/) to help fisheries stakeholders visualize 

marine environments and the organisms living within them. The software provides 

a “virtual SCUBA diving” experience. Educators at NOAA realized that the VES-V 

software had great potential for use in educational settings, and developed modules 

that use VES-V to help students learn about scientific modeling. 

Module Development

The overarching goal of these modules is to provide high school students, as is encouraged 

by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, 2013), opportunities to develop and use

scientific models. The education team that created these modules shares the belief that 

students need to move beyond learning about scientific modeling to engage in the use and 

development of such models. Active engagement with models is a central, unifying theme in 

the Modeling Marine Ecosystems with Virtual Reality modules.

Scientists who were part of the development process were very supportive and helpful. 

However, due to their unfamiliarity with the strong modeling emphasis in the NGSS, they 

initially were curious as to why teachers might be interested in a seemingly obscure topic. 

However, as scientists who use models extensively, they were very much in tune with the 

importance of the topic. They readily understood the nuances about modeling that we hoped 

to convey through the modules (topics such as model resolution, differences between models 

and observations, and the relationship between trophic levels and biomass).

The scientists were instrumental in identifying datasets (geographic regions, specific 

marine species, observational vs. modeled datasets) included with the VES-V software that 

contained exemplars of the concepts the team hoped to convey. The expertise of the NOAA 

Modeling Marine Ecosystems 

with Virtual Reality 

Dr. Randy Russell, STEM Consultant

Wild salmon migrating upstream 

in the Columbia River, Oregon

Photo credit: Dave Alan, Getty Images
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 33

scientists and education staff was crucial throughout the iterative design process; the 

scientists even added features to VES-V software updates specifically to support the lesson 

modules. Also, it really helped that all members of the development group were on the same 

page in terms of the desire to convey the importance of modeling as a key idea via data from 

marine environments. The result is a series of “minds-on” activities that enable students to 

work with these concepts and not simply learn “about” them.

The Lesson Modules

The three modules in the Modeling Marine Ecosystems with VR suite are: Ocean Food Webs, 

Observations and Models, and Predators and Prey. Each module includes 7 or 8 activities, 

each of which requires one or two class periods to complete. These modules build upon 

each other and are meant to be used together, though they can be used individually if time 

constraints or other considerations require. Each module begins with a brief tour of the 

VES-V virtual environment, to spark student interest, before delving into the scientific 

modeling topics explored in that module.

The VES-V software includes numerous geographic regions, data from both observations 

and models, data spanning varied time periods, and model runs with varying conditions 

(more or less fishing, changing ocean temperature or acidity, etc.). Many species of marine 

organisms are represented in the datasets, and students have the ability to highlight a 

species in order to view its population graph over time.

Each module begins with a slight variant of the same “Big Question”, which provides 

relevance to students and anchors the rest of the module. In each case, students consider 

whether the modeling techniques learned in the module can help individuals, communities, 

or governments accurately predict the health of marine environments and the future supply 

of seafood. Students revisit the “Big Question” during the wrap-up discussion at the end of 

each lesson.

Image 1. Students use the scientific data and models employed by NOAA scientists to explore changes in ocean 

ecosystems and the impacts these changes have on the animals in those ecosystems

Image 2. All modules (https://

oceanservice.noaa.go

education/marine-ecosystemmodeling-vr/) include student 

worksheets, NGSS alignment, 

and presentation graphics

The modules feature the 

Virtual Ecosystem Scenario 

Viewer, an interactive virtual 

reality model that NOAA 

scientists use to visualize 

changing ocean ecosystems
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 34 The Earth Scientist

Ocean Food Webs

In the Ocean Food Webs module, students use the concepts of food webs, biomass, 

and trophic levels to explore populations of marine organisms. After an 

introductory tutorial in the VES-V environment and being introduced to the 

“Big Question” about predicting future populations in marine environments, 

students work together to build a food web diagram as part of a whole-class 

jigsaw activity.

Individual students or small groups each research a species of marine 

organisms from the Gulf of Maine in the Atlantic Ocean. Then, 

they combine their data with their classmates to construct a food 

web diagram for that ecosystem. This diagram is used during a 

whole-class discussion about trophic levels and their relationship 

to biomass.

During a virtual “dive” using the VES-V software, students 

collect biomass data about herring and cod (which eat herring) 

in the Gulf of Maine, which they then graph. Based on this data, 

students form a hypothesis about the relationship between 

trophic level and biomass. On a second virtual “dive”, this time 

in a kelp forest in Monterey Bay in the Pacific Ocean, students 

collect biomass data for sardines, sea lions and orcas. After 

graphing their data in relation to trophic level for each species, they test and refine their 

hypothesis about the relationship between biomass and trophic level. Using their newfound 

knowledge of this relationship, students predict how a change in one species’ biomass 

might affect the biomass of another species that eats it. Students apply their biomass and 

trophic level relationship knowledge to the initial “Will there be enough seafood?” question 

in a third case study, this time from the Gulf of Mexico. Students use data about changing 

mackerel biomass to predict the biomass of tuna, which feeds on mackerel and is an 

important human food source.

Observations and Models

This module explores the distinction between data derived from observations versus data 

generated by models. Students build simple conceptual models for temperature based on 

geography, analyze temperature graphs depicting a mix of observational and model-based 

data, and learn how scientists use sampling to estimate populations too large to count.

Students construct a simple mental model to estimate the temperature at a place halfway 

between two towns where the temperature was measured. First, using simple interpolation 

in an inland locale with relatively featureless terrain; then taking geographic features into 

account in a coastal setting.

Students construct another simple model to estimate temperature in a location between 

Hawai’ian islands, using observational temperature data from different times of day on the 

two bracketing islands. Next, students compare observational data at the modeled location in 

the ocean with predictions from their simple model to validate and calibrate their models.

Students analyze several local and global temperature graphs to learn the distinctions 

between observational data, model-generated data, and datasets that blend the two types of 

data. This comparison of model-generated data and observational data is done first with the 

Image 3. Ocean Food Webs – Students use the concepts of food webs, 

trophic levels, and biomass to explore populations of marine organisms

They research an organism and combine their data in a jigsaw activity 

to produce a food web diagram for that habitat. Students then collect

biomass data during “virtual dives” to determine the relationship 

between biomass and trophic levels
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 35

familiar concept of temperature, then applied later in the 

lesson to data about populations of marine organisms.

The next activity explores the use of sampling when 

observing populations that are too large to count. 

Students first consider how to estimate whether a garden 

has enough berries for a pie without directly counting 

all of the strawberries. They consider the challenges of 

counting creatures that move about, and the data biases 

that can be introduced when sampling a population, by 

discussing how the birds spotted at a feeder might or 

might not represent the local bird population. Students 

then discuss how marine biologists use sampling 

to estimate fish populations, as well as the potential 

problems associated with such sampling.

During a virtual “dive” using the VES-V software, students 

collect lobster population data from two different 

datasets. Using the understandings that they have gained in comparing model-based and 

observational temperature data earlier, students attempt to identify the marine data as 

observational or model-based. During another virtual “dive”, students compare data from 

a model with data from observations, using the same marine species and time span in 

each case. They assess the validity of the model based on how well it mimics observations. 

Finally, students revisit the “Will there be enough seafood?” question, analyzing a mix of 

observational and model-based data about tuna and lobster populations.

Predators and Prey

This module explores population dynamics 

in a predator-prey system, first using a classic 

example from a simple ecosystem on land, then 

delving into a more-complex aquatic example. 

Teachers can choose between three options 

for this module: students can build and run a 

model using spreadsheet software, can simply 

run a provided model, or can simply analyze 

data produced by the model. After observing 

how modeled populations of predators and 

prey rise and fall in comparison to each other, 

students compare modeled data with historical 

observations to validate the model. The 

observational data represents a real predatorprey system of Canada lynx and snowshoe hares 

in Canada in the 1800s.

Students collect biomass data for mackerel and cod (which eats mackerel) on a virtual “dive” 

in VES-V. They compare biomass trends for cod and mackerel over time to see whether 

the patterns from the terrestrial predator-prey system are evident. Students learn that 

ecosystems with complex food webs can exhibit much different dynamics that a simple 

two-organism ecosystem.

Image 4. Observations and Models – Students learn about data derived from 

observations and data produced by models, including how to recognize each, 

and how each type is used to make predictions. Students also explore methods

to estimate the size and composition of populations. Students then observe

simulated marine habitats generated by models and observational data to 

estimate future populations of tuna and of lobster

Image 5. Predators and Prey–Students work with models that predict changes in populations 

of organisms. Students first analyze a simple predator-prey system, optionally building and

“running” a simple, spreadsheet-based model. They compare population graphs produced

by the model with historical data from a similar, simple predator-prey system. Students then

collect data in simulated marine habitats, gathering biomass data for predators and their 

prey in complex marine food webs, comparing changes over time to the dynamics in simpler 

systems with a single predator and its lone prey
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 36 The Earth Scientist

Challenges

The wide range of computer expertise among high school students makes development of 

“minds-on”, computer-based activities challenging. We didn’t want to make most activities 

too hard for students with limited expertise; but also didn’t want to diminish the richness of 

the activities for more computer-literate learners. In some cases (Predator-Prey module) we 

offered options to build and run models (for more tech-skilled students) or to just analyze 

data from such models (for less tech-adept students). We emphasized data analysis of graphs, 

whether student-produced or provided by scientists. Students are able to construct several 

simple models that require only lightweight arithmetic skills, not complex calculations 

requiring a computer.

There are many real datasets that ship with the VES-V software, covering several regions 

and many species. Even with the help of experts, it took considerable effort to identify good 

case studies for which appropriate data was available. Some case study examples proposed 

by NOAA educators turned out to not have the required data in VES-V. Real ecosystems are 

complex, so it was difficult to find cases that illustrated principles, such as the relationship 

between the population of a predator and one of its prey species, in a way that was simple 

and “clean” enough for students to readily see the key patterns. Overall, the development 

team is hopeful that these modules will provide students with opportunities to explore 

models and data rich representations of systems to better understand scientific processes 

critical to understand our changing world. 

Acknowledgements

Jason Link, NOAA Fisheries Senior Scientist for Ecosystem Management, and Howard 

Townsend, NOAA Fisheries Cooperative Oxford Lab Ecologist and Systems Modeling, led 

the project to develop the VES-V software for use by fisheries stakeholders and were very 

supportive of this effort to develop lessons to extend its use. They guided the education 

team to appropriate scenarios and datasets within the software. NOAA educators Bruce 

Moravchik, Bart Merrick, and Lisa Hiruki-Raring provided a clear vision for the goals of 

the project; were integrally involved in planning, reviewing, and improving the lessons; and 

provided excellent suggestions and support throughout the editorial process. 

References

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. https://www.

nextgenscience.org/search-standards

About the Author

Dr. Randy Russell develops resources to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) 

education, with a special emphasis on simulations and games. His professional background is in space

science, educational technology, and the development of interactive multimedia software. He received

a B.S. in astrophysics from Michigan State University, a Master’s in aerospace engineering from th

University of Maryland and a Ph.D. in educational systems development from Michigan State. He work

for 16 years developing Earth science educational resources with education and outreach groups at 

the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. Randy is currently doing

freelance work developing STEM education resources. He is an avid bicyclist and hiker, and a 2-time

world champion at Ultimate Frisbee. He can be reached at dr.randy.m.russell@gmai
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 37
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 38 The Earth Scientist

Abstract

According to experts, such as psychotherapist Caroline Hickman (Hickman, 2020), 

climate anxiety in young people can be countered by engaging them in collaborative 

work that binds them to the environment and demonstrates for them the power of 

collective action. Inspired by such work at schools in Brazil, China, and Malaysia, 

and thanks to funding from the NOAA Planet Stewards program, our pre-K-throughtwelfth-grade school built a so-called “Tiny Forest” on our campus in 2022. Tiny 

Forests are dense plantings of native plants in a space about the size of a tennis 

court. Students took key roles in writing the proposal to the school, choosing the 

plants, preparing the ground, and planting. A year later, the Tiny Forest has become 

an outdoor classroom, offering a site for age-appropriate lessons about topics 

ranging from carbon capture to nature poetry. By sharing the positive effects of 

reforestation and species diversification, students could articulate the possibility 

of making small but meaningful impacts on environmental problems. At the Tiny 

Forest we hope our students might experience empowerment rather than anxiety.

The Tiny Forest Project 

Portland, Oregon, home to my school, Catlin Gabel, has 

made worldwide headlines over the past two years, first 

because it briefly had the worst air quality in the world 

due to catastrophic forest fires, and second, because of 

a deadly heat wave in 2021. For students, these events 

came in conjunction with the Coronavirus pandemic and 

many were stuck in houses, learning on Zoom, unable to 

go outside because of hazardous air quality. Like teachers 

everywhere, I have noticed rising worry and anxiety about 

climate change and the disruption it brings. As Anthony 

Leiserowitz, Director of the Yale Program on Climate 

Change Communication, has noted, “worry” can be a 

motivator, but “anxiety” can become “overwhelming and 

debilitating.” (Yale 2023)

A Tiny Forest as an Outdoor 

Classroom and a Place for Hope

Dr. Patrick Walsh, Catlin Gabel School, Portland, Oregon

Image 1. Students from the Environmental Action Team, preparing the soil, 

early 2022. Photo Credit: Patrick Wals

Microforests are small, dense 

patches of forest plants native 

to the location of the forest and 

are being used as a climate 

change solution

Photo Credit: Witney Tree Keepers.
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 39

Hoping to counter my students’ climate anxiety, 

and inspired by a story I heard on the BBC during 

lockdown, I decided to build a Tiny Forest at my 

school. A grant from the Planet Stewards program 

made this possible. A Tiny Forest is a dense planting 

of 600 native trees and shrubs in an area the size 

of a tennis court. Begun in Japan and now popular 

in Malaysia, Brazil, China, Tiny Forests offer 

opportunities for communities and especially kids to 

reconnect with nature while improving water, soil, 

and air quality. Tiny Forests create a carbon sink, an 

outdoor learning space, and a way to reintroduce 

a diverse range native plants and the animals they 

attract. Because the soil is prepared and the trees are 

planted closely together, the trees grow up to ten times 

faster than usual. Most importantly, Tiny Forests are a 

space for hope and reflection for students. 

My students, colleagues, and I followed the “Miyawaki 

Method” of planting, named for the Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki (https://daily.jstor.org/

the-miyawaki-method-a-better-way-to-build-forests/). This way of planting involves specific 

steps; first, learning about the plants native to the specific area of the proposed forest and 

assembling a plant list based on a four-layer model of canopy, understory, shrubs, and 

herbaceous plants or groundcovers; and second, preparing the soil, making it loose and rich 

with no chemical fertilizers and by turning it over down to a meter deep. 

With the generous support of NOAA and a local water district, I purchased 600 native trees, 

shrubs, and groundcovers. After the school grounds crew turned over the soil with a tractor 

and dumped compost on the site, middle-school and high-school students further broke up 

the soil and mixed in the compost. A pair of sophomore girls pounded fence poles into the 

soft earth. I divided the site into twenty small sections with rope and short poles; an online 

sign-up sheet netted almost 200 volunteers. I divided these folks into small groups and gave 

each one a time and a section for our planting day, so the space wouldn’t be crowded, and to 

make sure the volunteers didn’t compact the soil by walking on it too much. 

On February 22, 2022, the volunteers—students, parents, alumni, staff, and faculty—came in 

waves, each group staying for an hour or so while they made a small hole and slipped in their 

sapling or other plant. In accordance with the Miyawaki method, they didn’t tamp down the 

soil, leaving it loose and ready for quick growth. By late afternoon, the forest was planted 

and the final work group helped quickly erect a four-foot metal fence. We wore masks and 

braved a little drizzle, but the mood was light and the morale high. Numerous people told me 

it felt so good to feel like they were doing something to help the earth after almost two years 

of the Covid crisis.

Later that spring, seniors in my elective honors course, “American Environmentalism,” 

made sets of guides for the Tiny Forest, one appropriate for second graders and one suitable 

for eighth graders. Each guide contained information on about twenty species, including 

Indigenous uses for the plants, as well as photos of the Seniors in the Tiny Forest, puzzles, 

and games.

Image 2. Students help plant the 600 trees and shrubs on February 21, 2022

Photo Credit: Tea Bear
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 40 The Earth Scientist

In the approximately eighteen months since planting day, the Catlin Gabel Tiny Forest has 

grown quickly. While many of the pine and fir trees are still only two to four feet tall, some 

of the understory species, including Black Cottonwood and Red Alder, are already well over 

ten feet high. 

Many Academic Uses 

The Tiny Forest has quickly become a place on campus where students can connect with 

Oregonian flora. This school year, second graders investigated different habitats on campus 

and compared the living things they saw in them. Third graders used the Tiny Forest to learn 

how to spot toxic plant species. Fifth graders investigated which types of plants they might 

successfully grow in our small greenhouse, and visited the Tiny Forest to learn about native 

plants. Tenth graders partnered with first and third graders, meeting in the Tiny Forest, 

choosing a plant to observe closely and, then, together writing poetry about it. 

A Tiny Forest Lesson: the Cross-Grade Tour

Another cross-grade use of the Tiny Forest was led by middle-school teachers Berkeley 

Gadbaw and Christa Kaainoa. The idea behind the assignment was to link students’ 

experience with the climate fiction they had read in Christa’s seventh-grade English classes 

with the climate change unit in Berkeley’s eighth-grade science course. The science students 

ultimately led their younger peers on tours of the Tiny Forest and of some woodland nearby. 

For all the students, the same key goals were in place:

■ Connect student classroom learning with experiences outside. 

■ Engineer experiences in which students teach students about fighting 

climate change.

■ Encourage students to bond deeply with the natural environments on campus. 

In order to prepare for the tours, Berkeley’s eighth-grade students began with what she calls 

“Wonder Walks.” For several days, part of their classroom time was spent outside, sitting 

and sketching the plants they saw. Berkeley’s goal is to establish a connection with nature 

before students are compelled to learn “facts” about the plants. Berkeley then instructed 

Image 3. A Student Identifies Plants at the Tiny Forest, 2023

Photo Credit: Teresa Walsh

Image 4. “Beaked Hazelnut.” Watercolor by student Eve Cody, 202
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 41

them in the layers of the forest; students used Tiny Forest guides (made by high school 

students in the Spring of 2022) to learn how to identify most of its forty-plus species. From 

the guides, they also learned about the interdependence between species in various layers of 

the forest as well as Indigenous uses for many of the plants.

Next, students returned to the Tiny Forest with the goal of 

calculating carbon capture during its early years. All the 

eighth graders measured the circumference of existing trees 

in established forest, specifically Western Red Cedar, Douglas 

Fir, and Big Leaf Maple. They tagged twenty individual trees for 

measurements in future years. Using a great handout from the 

New York Sea Grant (NYSG) and the Paleontological Research 

Institution (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UV_HNr-EwD4I_

xZM9QfMRNVeQUx4oRVL/view?usp=sharing), students 

derived the trees’ biomass from their measurements. Students 

read a graph that shows a species’ diameter to biomass ratio, and 

then divided the biomass by two to discover how much of the 

tree was carbon. From this they derived the amount of carbon 

dioxide. They then practiced online graphing tools to indicate 

their findings. 

This baseline of data will be used for the future, something 

the students could feel proud of. Finally, the eighth graders 

learned about heat islands and their links to historic racial 

inequality. (Portland is among the cities with the greatest heat 

differences between neighborhoods.) With a new understanding 

of the connection between the built environment and heat, the 

eighth graders grabbed clipboards and digital thermometers and 

measured the temperature in several places on campus, including 

the main parking lot and the Tiny Forest. They cataloged their 

results and then discussed where in Portland the next Tiny Forest 

might be planted to most effectively lower the temperature and 

provide shade where it is most needed.

Importance of forests

By the end of the unit, the eighth graders had been in the forest 

every single day for three weeks. First, they had had outdoor, direct 

instruction from Berkeley. “Being out there exceeds anything I 

can do in the classroom, even if I don’t have a particular agenda,” 

Berkeley said. Students then had time to sit in a different place 

every day, always with a physical journal to take notes and record 

reflection. In those weeks, they learned about the importance of 

forests in regulating the earth’s temperature and harboring its 

biodiversity. They became experts on their own campus; they can 

point out a number of the trees and shrubs that shade the school, 

and they have found favorite places outside of the classroom to 

sit and write. 

Image 5. Relative Predicted Biomass for a Number of Key Tiny 

Forest Species. Source: NYC Stem Summer Institute: Climate to Go

Image 6. Beginning a Baseline. Photo Credit: Patrick Wals
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 42 The Earth Scientist

Results

In the spring of 2023, eighth-grade students from the Catlin Gabel Middle School learned 

about topics relevant to the Tiny Forest: the Greenhouse Effect, biodiversity, native plants, 

and heat islands. After three weeks of outdoor instruction and observation, the students led 

small groups of seventh graders on nature walks, through campus and to the Tiny Forest, in 

order to share what they had learned. 

In many ways, the cross-grade tour was really the culmination of the assignment. This was 

the best and most meaningful forum for the students to demonstrate their knowledge. The 

conversation during the tour was the assessment, the transfer task. But since the instructor 

couldn’t be present during the entirety of every tour, and because the interaction between 

students of different grades has a value a classroom test does not, she was satisfied with 

feedback from the seventh-grade students after they have been led around the Tiny Forest 

by the eighth graders and relevant areas of the broader campus. Each guest on each tour 

had a checklist so the instructor could see if any topics were omitted. She also asked the tour 

guides to turn in all their documentation. Eighth graders were required to fill out and hand 

in a guided note sheet (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m8D6gNgcaQMhnqZUolTA0

RNYr7jXO8qaAJw2Fz98YuU/edit?usp=sharing). Later, Berkeley quizzed the students on the 

content of the tour. 

Berkeley and Christa were not with the students on their walks and couldn’t correct errors 

from student tour guides or make sure every student remained focused on the task at hand. 

Yet entrusting students to teach their peers has more than enough value to offset the lack 

of teacher control. By having the eighth graders become “tour guides,” Berkeley and Christa 

compelled them to take “ownership” of the Tiny Forest and share its value with younger 

members of the community. 

Conclusions

The activities surrounding the Tiny Forest provided students 

with ways to experience how human activities have altered the 

biosphere and to provide avenues for positive action. 

As Berkeley shared with me, it’s hard to teach climate change 

and not be pessimistic, ”even,” she noted, “with a pageful 

of solutions.” She’s right: showing students how shifting 

diets away from red meat or creating a national market on 

Greenhouse Gas emissions can often exacerbate student 

anxiety because of our inability, working individually, to make 

the shifts necessary to prevent catastrophic changes during our 

students’ lifetimes. Berkeley went on to explain that this project 

was a viable way of lessening climate anxiety by connecting 

kids to nature and to give them time and structure to notice 

how learning about their environment feels empowering and 

motivating. The lesson links students to particular plants 

at the school. Understanding the positive impact of careful 

reforestation through the calculation of carbon captured by 

trees in the Tiny Forest gives students the opportunity to appreciate the importance of 

beauty on the campus in a new way and affords their teachers the chance to tell the kids it’s 

not too late to make meaningful change. 

Connections to the Next Generation Science 

Standards (NGSS, 2013)

Performance Expectation

MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for

monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment

Disciplinary Core Idea

• ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems: Human activities

have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or 

destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other 

species. Changes to Earth’s environments can have different

impacts (negative and positive) for different living things

Cross-Cutting Concept

• Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society 

and the Natural World: All human activity draws on natural 

resources and has both short and long-term consequences, 

positive as well as negative, for the health of people and the 

natural environment. (MS-ESS3-4
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 43

Learning about Indigenous uses for native plants, 

and then sharing that knowledge with other young 

people, potentially offers hope in the form of a 

historical connection to Nature. Realizing that 

other civilizations have flourished in the same place 

suggests there are other ways to live besides our 

shared American culture and its reliance on fossil 

fuels. More importantly, perhaps, is the lesson 

that climate change can best be addressed through 

collective action, such as the construction of a Tiny 

Forest. By planting trees in historically underserved 

areas which are so often also heat islands, 

communities can make a real difference in how their 

neighbors, especially people of color and those with 

the fewest economic resources, will experience their 

daily lives in the decades to come. 

References

Hickman, Caroline and Elouise Mayall. 2020. Minerva 

series: Climate Change, Coronavirus and Anxiety. 

University of Bath. Vimeo. July 10, 2020. https://

vimeo.com/showcase/5413701/video/442745768.

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science 

Standards: For States, By States. https://www.

nextgenscience.org/search-standards

Will, Madeline. 2022. Teens Are Struggling With Climate 

Anxiety. Schools Haven’t Caught Up Yet. Education 

Week. December 7, 2022. https://www.edweek.

org/leadership/teens-are-struggling-with-climateanxiety-schools-havent-caught-up-yet/2022/12.

Yale Sustainability. 2023 Yale Experts Explain 

Climate Anxiety. Yale Sustainability. March 13, 

2023. https://sustainability.yale.edu/explainers/

yale-experts-explain-climate-anxiety.

Image 7. The Catlin Gabel Tiny Forest, June 2023, Sixteen Months Since Planting

Photo Credit: Patrick Walsh

About the Author

Dr. Patrick J. Walsh is the Chair of Social Studies at Catlin Gabel School 

in Portland, Oregon, where he has taught for seventeen years. At Catlin

Gabel, he teaches courses on Civics, American Studies, Globalization, 

and Environmentalism. Patrick holds a Ph.D. from the University 

Texas at Austin, where his graduate work focused on counter-cultural 

communities and movements in the twentieth-century American West

He has been granted two Fulbright awards, one to teach American 

Studies at the University of Passau in Germany and a Distinguished 

Award in Teaching grant for research in Finland. Patrick can be reached

at walshp@catlin.ed

SCHEDULE

Sep 12, 2023 Don’t Look Up 

Oct 10, 2023 Diary of a Young Naturalist

Nov 14, 2023 There’s Something in the Water: Environmental 

Racism in Indigenous and Black Communities

Dec 12, 2023 Escape Undersea 

Jan 9, 2024 Fragment, a climate crisis novel

Feb 13, 2024 Engage, Connect, and Protect: Empowering 

Diverse Youth as Environmental Leaders

Mar 12, 2024 The Only Woman in the Room: Why Science is 

Still a Boys’ Club

Apr 9, 2024 Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: 

Colonialism, Climate Change, and Consumerism

May 14, 2024 Fen, Bog & Swamp 

Join the 

2023-2024 Book Club with 

books of thought-provoking 

topics to be discussed at 

monthly meetings. 
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 44 The Earth Scientist

https://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov

FREE! NASA Earth System 

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• Organized by Earth System Sphere 

& Phenomena

• Aligned to NGSS Standards

• Ready to Use Content

 – Student Facing Mini Lessons

 – Interactive Lessons

 – Teacher Lesson Plans

 – Data Literacy Cubes
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 2 Page 45
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Insights intern, Luis Salmeron, helps 

Mission Early College High School 

work together to extract an invasive 

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