.jpg)
Join us in monitoring Maine's forests through community science
.png)
This experiential, field-based program for students, conservation organizations, and landowners combines place-based environmental education with standard forest data collection protocols. FERN encourages community scientists to explore and discover answers to their questions about the Maine Woods.
FERN activities take place in an established forest monitoring plot that can be revisited over time. By collecting data from the same location year after year, you can observe changes in forest composition, tree growth, succession, and accumulation of coarse woody debris.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
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.
Data Analysis
The Data and Evidence Protocols transition raw field notes to the FERN database and move students from the "What happened?" to "What does it mean?" This phase focuses on data integrity, visualization, and comparative analysis. By comparing their findings with historical data and other FERN plots across the state, this process transforms simple observations into evidence-based claims, allowing students to see their local plot as part of a larger, statewide ecosystem.
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