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My @FernCreekHigh environmental science students have explored some varied topics since August while learning remotely, & I am super proud of how they have grown & applied their new knowledge to issues in Louisville.
An appreciation thread.
An appreciation thread.
We started off globally, exploring the world through the context of sustainable development and it became clear early this group was most interested in conservation of biodiversity of life on land.
We explored biomes, & focused down on deciduous forests given we 
live in one 
We went on walks in my backyard looking for leaves in put video call classes, sketched leaves, went on scavenger hunts for leaves, & identified 10 common Ky native trees with dichotomous keys
live in one We went on walks in my backyard looking for leaves in put video call classes, sketched leaves, went on scavenger hunts for leaves, & identified 10 common Ky native trees with dichotomous keys
Then we started to address the "why should we care" aspect of biodiversity, where answers may not always be terribly obvious. The concept of ecosystem services blew some minds, & how nature can have monetary (& non-monetary) values to humans, not just wildlife.
They read an article to help them consider the value of nature & had great insights. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/09/how-much-is-a-whale-worth/
Some thoughts include:
Most of humanity does not value nature enough.
We need to treat nature the way it should be treated, not as money, but for how beneficial it is for our Earth and ecosystems.
We have been caring less because we don't go outside as much.
Most of humanity does not value nature enough. We need to treat nature the way it should be treated, not as money, but for how beneficial it is for our Earth and ecosystems. We have been caring less because we don't go outside as much.
They calculated biodiversity of hypothetical spaces like an ecologist. They discussed the value of trees in terms of their ecosystem services like arborists. They considered evidence based solutions to local problems with biodiversity in mind like landscape architects.
They were told about the @OlmstedParks502 proposal to redesign Cherokee Park Golf Course into a lush city park, & asked to explain benefits to Louisville's urban biodiversity if the park was approved. https://www.olmstedparks.org/news/olmsted-parks-conservancy-reimagines-cherokee-golf-course-as-a-public-park-in-rfp-response-to-louisville-metro-government/
After reading some responses, I am hopeful that these students will speak for the trees, through advocacy and direct action 
