When children encounter plants and animals they don’t recognize, the first thing they may ask an adult is, “What is that?” A new program developed by The North Carolina Arboretum is making it possible (and easy) for children to learn more about the various species around them.
An incentive-driven science enrichment program for students in third through eighth grade, ecoEXPLORE (Experiences Promoting Learning Outdoors for Research and Education) encourages children to photograph species they might not know. Participants engage in self-directed activities focused on increasing interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
Once parents register their children at ecoexplore.net, participants will be able to submit observations to the Arboretum’s youth education staff through the BioKIDS app. The staff will then upload the information to a global network for citizen science. This way, educators and scientists are able to aid in identification. There are additional incentives for participation, including patches, field study tools, and invitations to work alongside scientists at Arboretum events.
Places designated for observation and study—known as Citizen Science Hotspots—are located throughout the Arboretum property and at a dozen Buncombe County libraries. Once they begin the program at one of these designated spots, children can submit observations from anywhere—even in their own backyard.
“What is so exciting about this initiative,” says Jonathan Marchal, the Arboretum’s youth education manager, “is that we are providing means for young people to become active participants in the scientific method. What these children will be doing is not just learning about science—it is actually practicing science methodologies and contributing to scientific discovery.”
During each season, programming and self-guided activities will focus on one particular area of field ecology (botany, herpetology, entomology, or ornithology). The program kicks off with an event at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 12, at Pack Memorial Library in downtown Asheville. Botany season begins at this time and lasts until April 9 when herpetology season begins. The program received a grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund to be implemented over a three-year period.
To assist participants, a Citizen Science Cart will be available on-site at the Arboretum on Saturdays in March. The cart contains a microscope connected to an iPad, measuring devices (such as calipers and weather instruments), and a variety of specimens (live and preserved) that cover all four areas of study.
Admission is free for Arboretum Society members or with the standard parking fee of $12 per personal vehicle. The NC Arboretum is located at 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way in Asheville. To learn more, visit ncarboretum.org, or call 828.665.2492.
