Students Complete Yearlong Ecological Research

The second graders of Catlin Gabel School helped us get started on a project that we’ve been keen to focus on for years.  Guided by their simple, central questions of “who’s home?” and “how do the organisms depend on one another?”, the students, supported by their courageous teachers and adult helpers, spent their 2013-14 school year exploring the Timber Forest, these questions and their answers.   In addition to classroom research and analysis, they did research in the forest through all seasons of the year, enjoying the chance to see the system change through the seasons and to get to know that forest more deeply.  On the afternoon of June 2nd the students did a polished and energetic job of presenting their findings to an enthusiastic adult audience.  Here is a sampler of some of the food web diagrams that were the centerpiece of their presentations.

We, the Hyla Woods crew, thank the students and all who made this project so successful and fun.  What’s next?