Resources

Field Based Natural Science Institute
January 12, 2008

An introduction to the camp by EAST’s Samantha Langley-Turnbaugh started the morning.

We proceeded to get to know each other by having a Tower Challenge amongst the individual groups.

Students immediately were asking questions about Environmental Science and Forest Inventory Growth Plots, the topic for the day.

Ken Laustsen, a biometrician for the Maine Forest Service, proceeded to give information about how the data being collected that day would be put in to a software program and shown as figures and graphs.

Ken Canfield, the district forester for the Maine Forest Service, led a hands on discussion regarding winter tree identification. Shortly thereafter students were outside being instructed on how to use their clinometers and how to measure the diameter of a tree.

After a full lunch, students returned to the woods to collect their data. Data was taken on tree species, height, width, damage, and other observations such as wildlife in the area.

Class data was displayed on the whiteboard and Mr. Laustsen entered it in the computer and came up with this information.

The afternoon continued with SMACT (Southern Maine Advisory Council on Transition), introducing the students to self-advocacy and transition to post-secondary education. This began with the students “dreaming” and beginning to realize where they want to go in life.