Hubbard Brook Research Foundation

Education and Outreach

NEW! HBRF Science Links Teaching Guides and Workshops

To bridge the gap between ecosystem science and public policy, HBRF publishes Science Links reports that synthesize major research findings of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study. Using these reports as a foundation, we are developing a series of teaching guides that will help secondary educators teach complex ecological concepts through classroom activities and outdoor student fieldwork. Our first guide, Exploring Acid Rain, is aligned with the New Hampshire Science Frameworks and has been introduced to teachers through workshops held around the state. The guide contains slideshows, lessons, fieldwork protocols for measuring acid rain parameters, and ideas for student research. Click HERE to view the Table of Contents and some sample activities.

Mystery Migratory Birds of New Hampshire: Here in Summer, Where in Winter? This new teacher's guide contains engaging activities to learn about unique characteristics, habitats, migration routes, and conservation concerns of four diverse migratory bird species that visit New England forests, including monitoring trends from 40 years of data collected in New Hampshire and scientific equipment and processes used in the field. (middle school level)

Contact Jackie Wilson if you would like more information

TEACHERS!

Click here for an overview of HBRF's professional development opportunities

for classroom teachers (middle and high school level).

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Education Programs at Hubbard Brook: An Overview

Part of the mission of HBRF is to foster public understanding of the functions of ecosystems and their importance to society. To achieve this goal, HBRF developed a Comprehensive Education and Outreach Plan in 2006 and created the position of Director of Education to implement it. Through this plan, we will:

1. Raise awareness about the value of ecosystem science and long-term monitoring, and Hubbard Brook’s role in advancing them.
2. Help the public learn how ecological knowledge is obtained and used for decision-making.
3. Help cultivate the next generation of ecosystem scientists.
4. Help Hubbard Brook researchers achieve their outreach and education objectives.

To focus our efforts most effectively, we have chosen to work primarily with these key audiences: secondary (middle and high school) teachers, college students, and interested members of the public. Our principle programs for 2006 and 2007 are explained below.

For more information on HBRF Education and Outreach, please contact Mary Ann McGarry, HBRF Director of Education (mmcgarry@plymouth.edu) or Geoff Wilson, HBRF Educator at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (gwilson@hbresearchfoundation.org).

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Environmental Literacy Program (ELP)

Imagine a society where individual and collective decisions are informed by a working knowledge of ecosystem functioning. This is the goal of the Environmental Literacy Program (ELP), a joint effort of HBRF and the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station. ELP has a three-pronged approach:

1. Teacher professional development: training workshops for practicing teachers, pre-service workshops for college students in teaching programs, and follow-up support.
2. Curriculum development: HBRF-created teaching materials, like the Science Links Teaching Guides and curriculum units that teachers create during our training programs.
3. Adopt-A-School: ongoing relationships between HBRF educators and selected schools to provide classroom support and assistance for student fieldwork, and individualized tours of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in Woodstock, New Hampshire.

ELP aims to promote an environmentally literate citizenry that has the knowledge, tools, and motivation needed to enhance ecological health and human well-being. We are looking for ELP schools for the 2006-2007 school year, so please contact us if you are interested in learning more about this new program.

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HBRF was one of the original sponsors of the New Hampshire program of A Forest For Every Classroom (FFEC), a year-long professional development series for middle and high school educators, aimed at providing the inspiration, knowledge and skills required to transform classroom teaching into effective and exciting place-based education. Teachers visited the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest for a two-day workshop learning directly from Hubbard Brook science on a variety of forest ecology topics. For more information about the FFEC program, please contact Erin Walsh at New Hampshire Project Learning Tree: 603-226-0160

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Tours at Hubbard Brook

Every year, college students, high school students, and educators get a first-hand glimpse into ecosystem research through tours of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in Woodstock, New Hampshire. A typical tour lasts about 2.5 hours and includes a slideshow and a visit to the forest. Tours run all year long, but staff are most available to give tours during the spring and fall seasons. To schedule a tour, contact Geoff Wilson, HBRF Educator, at (603) 726-8911 or gwilson@hbresearchfoundation.org.

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Lectures and Other Public Events

Please check our events calendar to see announcements for upcoming events. Or, sign up for our list serve in the left column of this web site for notification directly to your email address.

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Articles

Coming soon.

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Other Hubbard Brook Resources

Coming soon.

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