COMBINING SERVICE LEARNING AND CITIZEN SCIENCE ON THE ST. CROIX NATIONAL SCENIC RIVERWAY: NATIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION AND THE PARK STEWARDS GRANT

Jean Van Tatenhove, National Park Service
Brian M. Collins, Unity High School Life Sciences

Major teaching colleges present science education as, "Hands on, Hearts on, Minds on," meaning that students will appreciate the nature of their lessons if they are actively involved. When interviewed, many professors of biology have reported that High School students are not coming into college with the tools needed to effectively work in science. While many teachers are giving students a wealth of science facts, it would seem that active participation in science and authentic learning in the science classroom is lacking. Still, there are no shortages of opportunity, as citizen science is on the rise. Nationwide databases are growing as citizen scientists contribute data about birds, monarch butterflies, and other organisms.

We aim to demonstrate that students in schools along the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway can contribute valuable science to the National Park Service while receiving a meaningful science and service-learning education. As recipients of a National Parks Foundation-Park Stewards Grant, we are developing curriculum that will be introduced to schools along the entire length of the protected St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers. This Service-Learning curriculum will be focused on inventory and monitoring needs of the National Park Service and will likely incorporate existing research protocol.

A handful of teachers in Wisconsin have demonstrated in recent years that well-guided students are very capable of contributing professional-quality scientific data. Students have made professional contributions and even biological discoveries for agencies such as the Wisconsin DNR and the National Park Service. As resource-monitoring needs are identified, High School teachers and students may soon be filling those needs along all 255 miles of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Keys to success in this venture may be in limiting the scope of each study to one or a few specific species or parameters. The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology has demonstrated repeatedly that citizen science works when a few readily-identifiable species are selected and a single protocol is offered. Teachers with more advanced skill sets in field biology have proven that students are capable of handling a wider range of study, but the protocol we aim to develop will be useful to all teachers and all schools along the river.

The Park Stewards Grant is offered as a Service Learning grant. Service learning is widely used and is successful in building feelings of ownership, stewardship and community in students as they directly experience the improvements of their own hard work. Often, Service Learning is categorized with trail-building, landscape beautification, and mentorship with younger peers. Science is not often linked with Service Learning. In coupling a scientific and environmental exploration with service learning, we aim to promote St. Croix River stewardship through experiential environmental awareness, an understanding of scientific data, and a sense of academic accomplishment. We feel that generations of students participating in the study of the resource will eventually promote stewardship among the St. Croix's local communities as those students live and work in their hometowns along the river.