Expedition Fieldwork

Greetings Families!

Expedition fieldwork

For our Fire Ecology expedition we have been mastering local conifer identification, studying forest fuels, fire behavior, and succession.  As part of our fuels study we spent the past week learning about the different moisture classes of forest fuels, how they are layered on the forest floor, and how they impact fire behavior.  We also spent a few sessions examining and evaluating photos of both primary and secondary succession.  Not that it is explicitly a part of this expedition, but in the discussion around primary succession, Mount St. Helens came up on numerous occasions.  I suspect each student in class can speak to the events and biological impacts of the 1980 eruption.  With that said, because this expedition is woven together with the common thread of fire, we will mostly be discussing secondary succession.  Next week we will really tackle succession!   

Beza and Karina collecting 'noticings and wonderings' prior to the full explanation of fuel classes.

Ivy taking a measurement of a 10 hour fuel.

Avery collecting data on 1 hour fuels.

Dan and John examining 1,000 hour fuels.

Brekken, Owen, and Avery, collecting 'big picture' data on Thuja plicata.

john, Avery, and Emily collecting data on Pinus monticola.

Karina and Lee collecting data on Abies lasiocarpa var. bifolia (one of Mr. MP's favorites)

Spring Expedition

Hello Families!
I am excited to say that we have started our spring expedition!  We had a great kickoff and bbk (building background knowledge).  The topic of this expedition is fire ecology and land management, and we are calling the expedition 'Burning Change.'  For our bbk we explored the ideas and eccentricities of Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Gifford Pinchot, and how their individual philosophies (along with the big blow up of 1910), shaped the National Forest Service and the National Park Service.

student examination of the Pulaski Tunnel after the big blow up of 1910.

Examination of Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir.

 For our first case study we are examining Federal Wildland Fire Policy and how it guides specific Fire Management Policies of National Forests and National Parks.  Our second case study is all about coniferous tree identification.  Right now we are down to the genus level, but when we get back from spring break we will tackle identification down to the species level.  Both case study 1 and 2 are challenging, but I have been impressed with this CREW's ability to work through difficult tasks and accomplish the learning targets.  Case study three hasn't begun yet, but will cover Fire Ecology in Ponderosa Pine / Douglas-Fir Ecosystems. 

Expedition Board with guiding questions and long term learning targets

Students diligently working on Federal Wildland Fire Policy posters.

This picture is a reenactment (the actual examination of the tree just moments before).

Upon closer examination one student pointed out that the cones on this tree were upright, thus making it a fir (Abies).

Frances testing out the ol' 'ouch vs OUCH!' test on Spruce.

Karina, Beza, Owen, and Avery, collecting observations on Larix.