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Join us in monitoring Maine's forests through community science
Explore the wonders of Maine forests with FERN! This experiential field-based program for students, conservation organizations, and landowners combines place-based environmental education methodology with standard forest data collection protocols. FERN empowers community scientists to answer their burning questions about the Maine Woods.
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Modified Claim Evidence Reasoning Model
Observation Protocols:
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Turns initial curiosity into a testable research question and hypothesis.
Data & Evidence Protocols:
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Moves students from "What happened?" to "What does it mean?"
Evidence-Based Claim Protocols:
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Moves students from "I think" to "I know."
Scientific Reasoning Protocols:
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Explains the "Why?"
Protocols
Observations
The Observation Protocols are the starting point for scientific inquiry within the 1/10th-acre FERN plot. These protocols encourage students to look beyond individual trees to see the forest as a layered system, from the overstory canopy to saplings, seedlings, and coarse woody debris. By noticing the diversity of species and the variation in tree size, we begin to identify and define the forest's structure. This initial phase of open-ended observation is designed to turn curiosity into questions.
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Resources
We invite schools, land trusts, and environmental organizations to join us in our mission to educate young people about forests and to build a long-term dataset for forestry professionals.
Imagine connecting learning in your classroom to the outside world and to a professional forester. Imagine contributing data for one year, ten years, or longer and how that service will inform our collective understanding of how Maine’s forests change over time.
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Educator
Describe your service here. What makes it great? Use short catchy text to tell people what you offer, and the benefits they will receive. A great description gets readers in the mood, and makes them more likely to go ahead and book.
Forester
Describe your service here. What makes it great? Use short catchy text to tell people what you offer, and the benefits they will receive. A great description gets readers in the mood, and makes them more likely to go ahead and book.
Landowner
Describe your service here. What makes it great? Use short catchy text to tell people what you offer, and the benefits they will receive. A great description gets readers in the mood, and makes them more likely to go ahead and book.
Coming Soon!
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FERN Kits
Coming Soon!
Borrow a FERN kit that includes all the tools you need to establish and study a FERN plot with your students! Or purchase a mini FERN kit with the essentials needed to install a FERN kit on your private property (coming soon).
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Learn More About FERN from WABI's Discover Science Program
FERN is part of E-RISE RII: Enhancing Maine Forest Economy, Sustainability, and Technology Ecosystem To Accelerate Innovation (Maine-FOREST) and is supported by National Science Foundation award #OIA-2416918