Description
Start Date-End Date: 01/10/2015-01/10/2015
Land Manager Office:
Land Manager Contact: Rob Buirgy
Funding Partner:
Programmatic Partner:
Summary: Students performed a "Bio-Blitz" at the Bob Taylor Eco Area at Denver water's Kassler Center. Students surveyed various plant life at the center and mapped their findings for Denver Water's use. They also brainstormed and made recommendations for the improvement of the area's interpretative signs.
Description: Students performed a "Bio-Blitz" at the Bob Taylor Eco Area at Denver water's Kassler Center. Students surveyed various plant life at the center and mapped their findings for Denver Water's use. They also brainstormed and made recommendations for the improvement of the area's interpretative signs.
Latitude/Longitude: 39.486572, -105.082522
Additional Information:
Camping Available: No
Physical Difficulty: Moderate
High Altitude Project: No
Desired Number of Volunteers: 30
Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 6
Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 21
Total Volunteer Days: 27
Total Unique Volunteers: 27
Total Volunteer Hours: 168
Staff Hours: 11
Stipend Hours: 0
Project Summary:
Successes and Challenges:
Lessons Learned:
Special Notes:
Stewardship Education: Denver Water staff provided a vibrant educational expereience. In addition to plant idenitifcation, Cairn students were provided with a long list of outdoor education expereinces, inlcuding:
-The role that Denver Water plays in land management
-The logic and reasoning behind the establishment of survey transects
-Map and Compass work
-Identification of birds through their songs (specifically Belted Kingfisher and Balck Capped Chickadee)
-The process that goes into developing an interperative area
Even the Cairn mentors got in on the educational act, engaging well with the students in the brainstorming and Q&A sessions, and learning along with their groups during the surveying and mapping. Mentor Katy French also did some great job networking, as she is currently studying outdoor recreation and education programming at Metro State.
Finally, this project was done as part of Cairn student Ben Papadopoulos's IternationalBaccalaureate requirements at George Washington Hisgh School. Ben worked with denver Water staff and me to help develop the project idea from start to finish, and then took on various leadership roles on the day of the project, including outlining crews and tasks for the day, and presenting an educational piece about how transects are established.
Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Awesome project
Description of Accidents/Incidents:
Description of Work Completed: Students surveyed and mapped various plant life at the Bob Taylor Eco Area at Denver Water's Kassler Center. With the help of Denver Water Staff, Cairn spent the morning learning to identify four key speiceis; Cottonwood and Plum trees, which are important components of the native ecosystem, and Common Mullein and Thistle, two invasive species which are detrimental to the area.
In the field, Cairn split into four groups and worked to map out the location of these species. They started by establishing transects, and then used graph paper to identify the location of the vairous targets. They also identified "habitat tress," which are large, dead trees that are home to various bird species, and they measured the Diameter at Breast Heigth (DBH) of the largest Cottonwoods in their transects.
The final portion of the day was spent brainstorming ideas for Denver Water to help improve the eco area, specifically the interperative signs located there. Cairn started with a group brainstorming session, and also worked in small groups sketching sign layout idas and offering notes for Denver Water staff to use as they continue to develop the site.
Details
| 14 and older |
