PARENT SESSION
Thursday, August 10, 5:00-6:30 pm
Poster Session 25 - Ecological and science education
Exhibit Hall, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center
An interactive web-based natural history guide to support schoolyard ecology.
Alaback, Paul*,1, Burnham, Josh2, Brewer, Carol2, 1 College of Forestry and Conservation, Missoula, MT, USA2 Division of Biological Sciences, Missoula, MT, USA
ABSTRACT- Natural history, systematics, and other field-based studies are often limited by the difficulty of using field guides or manuals to identify species of plants and animals. We designed illustrated interactive keys that avoid the frustrations and challenges of dichotomous keys, so that people with a wide range of abilities and interests can better document biodiversity patterns in their schoolyards. Using a dynamic framework of linked databases the guide illustrates many connections that exist between species and their habitats in our area. Our guide includes detailed descriptions, ecology, history, and uses of over 200 vascular plant species, and information on all 84 mammal species and 100 bird species that frequent our area. Our online natural history guide, developed as a part of our NSF-funded GK-12 program (ECOS) links fellows, teachers, students, and college faculty in a common project that integrates our data across physical and biological fields of study. Models and structures we have developed can easily be adapted to other geographic areas. Local guides make natural history information more readily available to the public, and help promote interest in ecosystems and their conservation.
Key words: education, web applications, biodiversity