Presenter: Tanner Laiche
Co-Presenters: Cassie Hahn, Megan Hanson
Mentor: Kathryn Lynch
Oral Presentation
Major: Environmental Studies
Canopy Connections, a project of the Environmental Leadership Program, is designed to promote a connection to place and a love for the environment. Working in collaboration with H.J Andrews Experimental Forest (HJA) and the Pacific Tree Climbing Institute, our team took middle school students into H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest to directly engage with an old-growth forest, both 90 feet up in the canopy and on the ground. We aimed to foster a relationship between the students and nature using natural science and the humanities, enhancing their personal connection with this special place. This presentation discusses how our team of 10 undergraduates developed and implemented field trips for 150+ middle-school students with a focus on “students as scientists” within the Willamette National Forest. The field trip curriculum used an engaged pedagogical approach, and was designed as four separate stations, including activities such as a canopy climb, identifying plants using dichotomous keys, journaling, among others. Collectively, these activities reflect the research and creative writing transpiring at HJA. While children participated in an amazing fieldtrip experience, the members of the ELP team gained valuable communication and leadership skills, as well as first-hand experience in the environmental education field. Upon completion of this program in May, we will evaluate if our learning objectives have been met through conclusion surveys, student journal entries, and guided group discussions. Additionally, the undergraduate student facilitators will be assessed through our project peers, the project leaders as well as the program executive directors.