Engaging students in plant ecology with vegetation management plans for local natural areas: Benefits to cognition and community

Background/Question/Methods

The intent of service learning is to increase student gains in the affective and cognitive domains by engaging them in projects that are meaningful to the community yet simultaneously promote student learning. Service learning can be especially effective in upper-level university courses in which advanced students have a knowledge base which can provide specialized benefits to community stakeholders. I describe the development and execution of a natural areas management service learning experience in a four credit upper-level plant ecology course. The project learning goals were 1) skills in data collection, management, and analysis, 2) interaction with stakeholders to identify mission and goals, 3) combining site analysis with research to develop an adaptive management plan, and 4) knowledge gains in modern plant management strategies.

Results/Conclusions

Student groups were matched with property-owner organizations, including land trusts, county boards, and state natural areas programs to develop vegetation management plans. The process includes student engagement with stakeholders, site data collection using a distributed-group model, compilation and analysis in a geographic information systems environment, SWOT analysis, and identification of best implementation strategies using library and internet research. Students presented recommendations to local government and conservation organizations. Important findings included the discovery of new invasive plant species locations and historical aerial photography. Students reported that, “I really enjoyed working on the management plan, knowing it could actually be implemented. It also allowed me to … improve my writing and analytical skills,” and, “I am able to develop the components of an in depth paper, through a variety of methods from data, data analysis, research and contributions. I also think the thought of developing a plan that is able to adapt and must be feasible for longer than today is an aspect I see as useful in my career.” These management plans can be combined with community service activities in lower-level courses and student organizations to actually implement strategies.