PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 11: Ecology Education.

Tuesday, August 3 Presentations from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall A 1.

Teaching ecology in urban settings: Schoolyards and gardens as ecosystems of study.

Ford, Mary^*,1, Berkowitz, Alan¹, ¹ Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, USA

ABSTRACT- The mission of the Education Program at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies (IES) is to advance the theory and practice of ecology education, fostering ecological literacy - an understanding of and ability to use the ideas and methods of ecological science for oneself - in youth, teachers, young scientists, professionals, decision makers and the general public. One of the IES Education Program's Standards of Excellence is a commitment to engaging a diversity of people in the field of ecology as students, educators, and scientists. Meeting this standard requires recruiting people currently underrepresented in the environmental sciences, including urban populations, into our programs. Working in urban settings in turn demands the development of methodologies that are appropriate for urban audiences and contexts. The Education Program has developed many methodologies for improving ecological literacy in urban areas and involving students in real scientific study of the ecosystems that they have easy access to: schoolyards and gardens. These methodologies include multi-session teacher trainings that integrate scientific investigations with pedagogical models, the introduction of outdoor inquiry-driven science at urban school sites, work with students in community gardens in the City of Poughkeepsie, and other programs. Specific techniques range from analysis of time sequences of aerial photos to quantifying ecological parameters through field work to studying patterns of human use in ecosystems of interest. Evaluation of these programs indicates that students' interest in and understanding of urban ecology increase through participation in the study of local ecosystems, and that teachers gain confidence and knowledge through working with scientists and other educators in professional development experiences related to urban ecology. This poster includes details of a variety of programs, results of assessments of these programs, and descriptions of successful techniques for use by ecology educators working in urban areas.

Key words: urban , garden, ecology education, schoolyard