Originally appears in the Winter 2015 issue
TEACHING AND LEARNING about invasive species in students’ local places can peak students interest in caring for the environment. My ninth grade students and I partnered with the Prospect Park Landscape Management Department to engage in a place-based learning experience in our local urban park in Brooklyn, New York to study the invasive plant species Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata). In this article, I describe how we investigated Garlic mustard in the hopes that it will enable you to replicate the
project in your community.
Garlic mustard poses a severe threat to native plant communities in eastern and midwest North America. Originating in Europe and Asia, Garlic mustard is thought to have been brought to the United States to be used for medicinal purposes and food. It was first reported growing in Long Island, NY in 1868 and has since spread from the Northeast United States throughout North America. It grows aggressively, even in poor soil conditions, and competes with native plants for sunlight, nutrients, water, soil, and space. A biennial plant that takes two years to complete its life cycle. In the first year it forms rosettes close to the ground and in the second year it grows into a flowering plant. One plant produces anywhere from 600-7,900 seeds, which are then mainly dispersed by animals and humans. Garlic mustard has a distinctive smell, much like the garlic you buy at the grocery store, when the leaves are crushed. It is not eaten by wildlife like the native plants, so it often replaces them in great quantity, quickly taking over the understory of a forest and reducing the biodiversity of ecosystems. This invasive species can usually be controlled by pulling the plant and making sure not to spread the seeds.
The Prospect Park Landscape Management Department monitors the growth of Garlic mustard and organizes the park’s volunteers to “pull” the plants in order to control their growth. The Landscape Management Department met with my ninth grade Field Studies class at Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment (BASE High School) to explain how to identify Garlic mustard, and enlist the class to survey the plants populations in several locations within the 585 acre urban park. The class was tasked with determining its spread and detecting locations in which to organize a “group pull” of the plant. This project introduced students to concepts of invasive species, plant identification, and using transects for field research in the local urban park.
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Context
BASE is a small New York City public school established in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance and Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and is a high needs school based on the proportion of (approximately 80 percent) students receiving free or reduced price lunch. Approximately 500 students attend the school, representing the following ethnic groups: 90% African American, Caribbean American or African, 5% Latino/Latina, 5% other. The partners provide a Field Studies educator and materials for the Field Studies program. The curriculum is planned by BASE teachers, Field Studies educators, school administrators, and education directors from Prospect Park Alliance and Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Students attend Field Study class once a week with their Living Environment teachers during an extended two-hour period. The curriculum is able to be more flexible than traditional science classes because the class does not end in a state assessment. The school’s partnership with Prospect Park Alliance also encouraged our collaboration with the park’s Landscape Management Department.
How Did We Study Garlic Mustard?
The Field Studies program follows a place-based science education approach where learning experiences are designed around students’ local environment showing the relevance of science in students’ communities in order to make science learning appear more beneficial. I contacted the Prospect Park Landscape Management department and asked if they would volunteer to meet with BASE students to explain the status of Garlic mustard in Prospect Park. The Landscape Managers agreed to meet with our class and described how to identify the plants and where they needed help surveying the spread of Garlic mustard in the park. The overarching learning goals of the project were for students to see how humans have impacted the park’s environment by spreading invasive species, and for students to learn field research techniques in order to provide accurate data to the Landscape Managers. We had two lessons in the classroom before conducting four lessons of data collection in the park, followed by three lessons for interpreting data and creating science fair project boards. It is hoped that the descriptions of what we did at BASE are helpful for both formal and informal educators who are interested in working with their local parks departments on removing invasive species.
Discussing background information in the classroom before embarking on a field trip with students maximizes the learning experience. For our project, the first 90 minute lesson in the classroom explored what invasive species are, and why Garlic mustard in particular can be harmful by decreasing the biodiversity of forest ecosystems. Students watched a thirteen minute video titled Stemming the Tide: Garlic Mustard ID and Control[1] which describes how to identify Garlic mustard, where it grows, why it is an ecological threat, and how to control its spread. Students then read the Garlic Mustard Fact Sheet and completed the Garlic Mustard—An Invasive Species worksheet[2]. Students learned how to define an invasive species, determine how to identify garlic mustard, where it grows, why it is an ecological threat, and how to control its spread. The video and background information introduced students to why Garlic mustard, growing as an invasive species, is a threat to forest ecosystems.
When students are presented with a research task that has relevance to the real world, and when they are expected to publicly report their findings, they are more engaged in the learning experience. In the second lesson, I explained what the Landscape Management Department asked us to help them with. Our class had four weeks, meeting once a week, to conduct a field study, collect data, and report back our findings to Landscape Management with our Science Fair projects. This scenario positioned science teaching and learning in a real-world problem, and held students accountable to publicly present their findings.
The next task was for students to work in cooperative learning groups to develop investigative research questions to focus on while conducting the Garlic mustard survey. We wanted to do more than just determine if the plant was present. When students determine their own research questions they are more invested in their inquiry. Students’ questions included: Where were the most adult Garlic mustard plants found out of the four sites? Are more Garlic mustard plants found along the paved walkway or in the forested area? Were there more adult plants or rosette (first year) plants found? What location had the highest density of Garlic mustard? How does canopy cover affect garlic mustard populations? Students made predictions for their results in their Field Studies notebooks. These questions became the topics for students’ Science Fair projects which they completed in groups of four.
The next sequence of classes was held at Prospect Park in the early spring in order for students to conduct their investigations. Garlic mustard is one of the first plants to grow in spring, but it is important to make sure that plants will be present when you schedule your field trips. The park’s department or local naturalists should be able to help with planning appropriate dates for your area. I also suggest that educators visit the location in advance to plan the data collection sites. During the first lesson at Prospect Park we met outside with a representative from the Landscape Management Department who brought samples of Garlic mustard and taught us how to identify the plant. We crushed the leaves and smelled the “garlicky” scent of the plant. They also described the threat of Garlic mustard lowering the biodiversity of plants in the park. Using a map they showed the four sites where they wanted our class to monitor the spread of the plant.
It was helpful to demonstrate to students how to set up a 10 meter transect in an open area before we walked to the monitoring sites. We followed the data collection protocol from Garlicmustard.org. The materials required for each group were: GPS units, digital cameras, tape measures, meter sticks, and data tables. All of the required materials, excluding the meter sticks, could fit into a backpack for easy transport. Divided into teams of four, students assigned roles within their group: GPS Manager, Task Master, Recorder, and Materials Manager. All students were responsible for counting and recording data in their data tables in their Field Studies notebooks. Therefore, each student was held personally accountable while in the field to help maintain focus. We had a student teacher and the Field Studies educator assisting with supervision and data collection. When we got to the site, students looked for the densest population of Garlic mustard and ran a 10 meter transect with the tape measure through the middle of the population. Meter sticks were placed one meter apart, perpendicularly to the tape measure. Adult flowering plants and first-year rosette plants were counted in the one meter box and recorded along the 10 meter transect. It was also noted if any plants had fungus. Students recorded the GPS locations of the transects and took digital pictures documenting percent canopy cover (the amount of sky visible through the trees and the amount of sunlight reaching the plants). There is more canopy cover in the understory of a forest where there are more tree branches blocking the light, than along a roadside where there is more sky visible. Each group conducted two transects each week, for four weeks, at the appointed locations.
After four weeks of collecting data in the park, Field Studies class was held at the high school so students could complete their Science Fair projects in their groups. Students analyzed their data and made posters to share their findings with the school community. Posters included the following components: title, research question, background information, hypothesis, results, and conclusions. Students used Google maps to locate and mark their sampling sites. They explained their results to other BASE students, teachers, and to the volunteer judges. Presenting students’ posters raised awareness within our school community about Garlic mustard as an invasive species.
What did we find?
Student groups had different inquiries about Garlic mustard growth and mixed results. Overall we were able to share population counts for the locations requested by the Landscape Managers. One of the four locations students surveyed did not have any Garlic mustard growing. Initially students were disappointed that they weren’t able to count any plants that week but after some discussion of the data, students realized it was actually good that the location did not have any since it is an invasive species. The results for the percent canopy cover groups were inconclusive since the project was completed in early spring and there weren’t any leaves on the trees for the first two weeks of surveying, if re-doing this project students could have estimated what the percent cover would be with leaves on the trees so that they could compare data between sites. One of the groups discovered that there were many more first year rosette plants growing at a particular site than adult flowering plants, which lead them to suspect that this was a new location for growth based on the biennial life cycle of the plant. Another group found that there were more Garlic mustard plants at the site near the paved walkway than in the forested area. This could possibly be because humans or animals spread the seeds along the walkway, enabling the population to spread.
Although these are only initial findings, students’ results raised questions for further study. Students were able to use the same transect method for counting plants to support various research questions and provide useful data about Garlic mustard populations in Prospect Park. Landscape Managers will use this information to determine locations where the Garlic mustard needs to be pulled.
Extensions and Recommendations
Prospect Park Landscape Management coordinates with volunteers to schedule Garlic mustard pulls because pulling the plant and carefully disposing of it, making sure not to spread any seeds, is the most effective method for controlling it from spreading. In an ideal situation this project could have been extended so that BASE students could participate in a “group pull.” Students would enjoy pulling the plants and feel empowered as though they were helping make a healthier forest ecosystem.
My Field Studies class was fortunate to have extensive time available to sample Garlic mustard at four different sites in order to do comparative studies. This project could be modified to fit the time requirements of other education programs. For example, instead of going to the park once a week for four weeks, educators could organize a whole-day field trip for data collection. Then, depending on the time available, students could sample either one or several sites all on the same day.
Collaborating with the Landscape Managers for this project made students feel like their data was important and students were more invested in collecting accurate results. For schools or other educational programs without such partnerships, I recommend that educators reach out to the community and see what resources are available. Parent volunteers or other teachers in the school may serve as additional chaperones. Park’s departments may be accommodating to your inquiries, if students can be trained and organized to volunteer to pull the invasive plants. Other educators may study Garlic mustard in local wooded areas around their schools, along roadways, or in open lots in their neighborhoods. Possibly the “pulling” of the plants could be a school-wide community initiative involving parents on a weekend. In our case, students had more motivation do their best work on this project because they knew they would be presenting their results to our school community in the Science Fair. Incorporating some form of presentation or public display of knowledge is important, not just for creating student buy-in, but also for educating the community about local ecological issues.
This project could be modified and used in a variety of settings. Since Garlic mustard is able to grow in varied conditions and has spread throughout North America, many educators may have this plant in their areas and it can be used as an example of a local invasive species.
Urban environments are often thought to be void of nature. However, urban science educators know this is far from the truth. Cities should be viewed as urban forest ecosystems where living and nonliving things continuously interact. The Garlic mustard project created an opportunity for my Field Studies class to learn about invasive species that are present in our urban forest ecosystem. It is hoped other educators in all settings are successful studying invasive species, such as Garlic mustard, in their local environments with students.
Sidebar
Partnerships Support Urban Education
The Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment (BASE) is a small New York City public school, established in partnership with the Prospect Park Alliance (PPA) and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG). It is a high needs school based on the high proportion of students receiving a free or reduced price lunch. Approximately 500 students attend the school representing the following ethnic groups: 90% African American, Caribbean American or African, 5% Latino/Latina and 5% other.
“BASE is a three campus New York City Public High School that integrates the missions and resources of Prospect Park Alliance and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to offer academic excellence and rigor. Our community of staff, families and community partners supports students in becoming critical thinkers, active learners and problem solvers who are scientifically literate, engaged citizens who value and respect the environment.” –BASE mission statement
The school is unique because of its partnership with institutions that support the school in a variety of ways. The partners provide an educator and materials for the Field Studies program. They organize internships for students at local agencies and encourage and support students in applying for The Nature Conservancy summer programs. As well, they plan special trips and environmental programs for students, run the school’s gardening club, facilitate harvest lunches, and provide the educator for the Young Naturalists’ after-school club.
BASE Field Studies
The fall curriculum focuses on biodiversity, as well as the biotic and abiotic factors observed in the aquatic, forest, meadow, and urban ecosystems found within Prospect Park. In the winter months, Field Studies is held indoors at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden located across the street from the school. During these winter sessions students design and conduct controlled experiments on plant growth while continuing to observe in the conservatories.
In the spring classes resume outside in Prospect Park where students investigate human impacts on particular ecosystems within or near the park. Students’ spring research projects are presented at the school’s annual Science Fair, where staff from the park, garden and other school partners come to view, and some volunteer as judges. All of these activities are designed to fulfill the program’s goals of generating knowledge and a sense of care for the natural environment.
Field Studies is a required course for ninth grade students at BASE. Students take the course concurrent with the Living Environment course. This is an integrated biology content course that leads to a state-wide assessment. Curriculum planning is a collaboration between BASE teachers, Field Studies educators, school administrators, and education directors from PPA and BBG. Place-based science learning opportunities are incorporated as much as possible. By positioning learning in the local community, it affords students the opportunity to see the relevance of what they are learning and to become more engaged in learning science. Field Studies classes conduct different projects in the spring based on student interest. Students attend Field Studies class for a 2-hour extended period once a week. The class meets the Field Studies educator and assistant, who have materials ready at a designated location and co-teach the class with the BASE teachers. Many of the activities incorporate cooperative learning strategies where students have roles and work in small groups to complete the assigned task. The Field Studies curriculum is more flexible for teacher and student voice because the class does not end in a state assessment.
Recently, our partner’s funding for education programs was cut back. Because they now provide less staff support, fewer classes are being held at the Park and Garden. But the program is adapting and the partnership remains intact. More classes are being held at the high school and new BASE teachers are encouraged to take ownership of the curriculum and tailor it to their current students’ interest. BASE remains a model of how schools and community organizations can collaborate to develop science curricula about the local area that support teaching and learning in urban environments.
Notes
[1] Stemming the Tide: our Garlic Mustard Educational Video http://garlicmustardeducationalvideo.blogspot.ca/
[2] PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of State Parks, 2005
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Amy DeFelice recently completed her doctoral degree at the City University of New York Graduate Center in Urban Education. She is currently a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Leadership at Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus and previously taught at the Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment.
This is an expanded version of an article that appeared in Green Teacher’s latest book Teaching about Invasive Species.
