Students from Gateway Community Services ventured into the forest with staff from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute to search for invasive species and get a better understanding of what it means to be a citizen scientist.
Our Color of Climate group hiked Bradbury Mountain to collect data for the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid citizen science project that the Maine Forest Service is using to understand the insect. Until recently, cold winters have limited the spread of this invasive. As winter temperatures warm, scientists suspect this pest could spread throughout our region and drain sap from hemlock branches that cause the trees to die. Our team enjoyed their time in the woods and got some first-hand insight into what it means to steward the ecosystem.
This activity exemplified the following Connected Learning Ecosystem attributes:
Submitted by Gateway Community Services, Lewiston, Maine.