Summary
Learning about an orchid’s lifecycle from real-time observation of this beautiful plant growing inside one’s classroom has captivated students, teachers and local partners - especially in the midst of Alaska’s winter.
Photo: Kachemak Bay student records growth data from orchids growing in test tubes in their classroom.
Thanks to funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (KBNERR) received an Environmental Education Grant to support students around Kachemak Bay who are contributing to a Smithsonian research study on orchids. The project, Connecting Communities Through Peatland Ecology, is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), KBNERR, The Pratt Museum, and other local partners. This past September, teachers from Susan B. English School in Seldovia, McNeil Canyon Elementary, Homer Middle School, and Homer Connections attended a two-day training led by Smithsonian scientists on planting and then monitoring growth of orchids in the classroom.
This past January, each school began monitoring thirty two orchids, split into four different nutrient treatments: 1) rich nutrient agar, 2) oat agar with no fungus, 3) oat agar with slow growing fungus, and 4) oat agar with fast growing fungus. Every two weeks students spend an hour measuring plant height, documenting leaf growth, and recording observations. This project brings plant science and interactive plant ecology exploration into classrooms and on school grounds. It is part of a national research project including students in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; Wilmington, Delaware; Kenai Peninsula, AK; Washington DC; and Maryland regions. By working with plants native to their community, students are learning to collect and analyze data, gaining research experience, and learning how to communicate science through storytelling. If you are interested in learning more or helping with this project, please reach out to KBNERR’s Education Coordinator, Ingrid by emailing: ieharrald@alaska.edu.