Long-term ecological monitoring partnerships between higher education, government facilities, and high schools are potentially valuable for all parties. Potential benefits include: undergraduate recruitment, a valuable outdoor learning experience for high school students, and long-term data collection for federal land managers. To explore this potentially valuable relationship, faculty from Virginia Tech and the University of Georgia partnered with the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge and Woodbridge, Virginia’s Freedom High School. Twenty four, 0.02 ha permanent plots were installed at the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge and baseline data on tree species, tree diameter (>10cm), and soil profile descriptions were collected in the fall of 2008 by University faculty. High school students and teachers, supervised by university faculty, visited the plots and collected data in the spring 2009. After data collection, students returned to the classroom and submitted their data via the internet. Based on the accuracy of the first round of student data collection, it was determined that procedural modifications were necessary. Specifically, trees were individually labeled and instructors were provided with answer keys. Students revisited the site and collected another round of data in spring and fall, 2009.
Results/Conclusions
Student-collected data from spring 2009 did not closely match the baseline data collected by faculty, despite a faculty member assisting each group with all aspects of data collection. Students sampled ten plots, but only six were successfully submitted via the website. Tree counts matched baseline data in only one plot, and student data varied by +/- 6.5 trees per 0.02 ha plot. Students correctly matched species richness on one of six plots. Student measurements of tree diameters did not match, with several groups reporting tree circumferences instead of diameters. In spring 2009 students visited the site without University faculty. No data were submitted from this visit. During the fall 2009 faculty-assisted visit (all trees tagged and instructors provided with baseline data), the quality of student-collected data increased. Of 10 plots sampled, 9 were successfully entered into the online data collection site. Tree counts matched baseline data in all plots and species richness matched in 7 seven of nine plots. Tree diameters matched baseline data well. Overall, these results indicate that student-collected data from permanent plots can be considered reliable if baseline data are provided, plot trees are clearly tagged, and University faculty accompany students.
