Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Cool, Calm, Conifers
Developed By: Ariella Dahlin and Kiana Seto
Time: 75 minutes
Overview
This activity introduces middle school students to old growth forests, ecosystem services, and the
relationship between the two. Through observation, discussion, and handson activities, students
will learn about the significance of old growth forests and what the forest provides for different
species as well as humans. The Life in the Forest station allows students to explore H. J.
Andrews Experimental Forest through a silent hike and games that encourage students to use the
forest as a place to expand their knowledge. Students will connect old growth forests and
ecosystem services in a way that allows them to develop a personal connection and appreciation
for what old growth forests provide to the natural world and humans. Additionally, this station
helps students expand their observational, listening, exploring, and critical thinking skills.
Rationale
Life in the Forest is designed to introduce students to the practice of observation and interact
with the forest in a way that fosters a knowledge, respect, and awe of old growth forests. The
placebased physical connections they make will allow students to understand the interconnected
relationships within the forest, and think critically about their place in the complex interactions
within the forest ecosystem. Practicing critical thinking and observation allows students to excel
in other subjects and future projects. Being able to engage in discussion and knowing how to ask
thought provoking questions is an essential part of learning, and these activities provide the
opportunity for students to develop those skills.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Define the 4 key characteristics of old growth forests (OWLS)
2. Identify and explain 2 ecosystem services specific to old growth forests
Links to Standards
Next Generation Science Standards
MSLS23: Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among
living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. This station will meet the standard by having
students participate in a range of different activities and lessons that demonstrate the flow
of energy through the oldgrowth forest of H. J. Andrews.
Materials Needed
❏ Paper for each student
❏ Pencils for each student
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❏ Silent hike cards (17)
❏ A copy of “The Web” by Alison Hawthorne Deming (attached)
❏ “Who am I?” activity cards & string (attached)
❏ Ecosystem service cards (attached)
Background Information
Old growth forests are natural forests that have developed for at least 100 years, and
include characteristics and structures such as old trees, woody debris, layers, and snags. These
key characteristics can be identified using the acronym OWLS . Old trees include any tree that is
at least 100 years old, and woody debris include any fallen trees, branches, or nurse logs. Layers
refer to vertical diversity in the forest, such as grasses and ferns, shrubs, understory trees, and
canopy trees. Snags are defined as standing dead trees. Significant plant and animal species
found in H. J. Andrews include spotted owls, cyanide millipedes, pileated woodpeckers,
Douglasfirs, Western Red Cedars, and Pacific yew. Ecosystem services are the widerange of
benefits that ecosystems provide.
There are four categories of ecosystem services: habitat, cultural services, regulatory and
provisioning. At H. J. Andrews, these ecosystem services are all present. Old growth forests
serve as a home and habitat to many species, such as spotted owls. They also provide many
cultural services, such as tree climbing, hiking, and outdoor education. Regulatory services at H.
J. Andrews are provided by pileated woodpeckers who eat bark beetle larva to prevent bark
beetle invasion and tree roots in the forest that help prevent the erosion of soil. While the trees in
H. J. Andrews are not cut down and used for commercial purposes, the trees are used for
research in a variety of fields. Some of the tree species that thrive in older forests such as Pacific
yew and Western red cedars also have medicinal uses.
Old trees Trees in old growth forests that are 100
years old or older. Examples include
Douglasfirs, western hemlocks, and
western red cedars. These trees provide
habitat for a variety of animals species.
http://mgracetimber.ie/wpcontent/uploads/2016/02/DouglasFir2.jpg
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Woody Fallen dead trees and tree branches in
debris forests. These structures become habitat
for forest organisms. An example is a
fallen log called a nurse log which is
home to mosses, lichens, saplings, and
other organisms.
Layers Layers refer to vertical diversity in the
forest, such as grasses and ferns, shrubs,
understory trees, and canopy trees. In old
growth forests there are large canopy trees
like old Douglasfirs, understory trees that
compete for light such as Western
hemlocks, and shrub like plants on the
http://www.oregonwild.org/forests/learnaboutoregonsfores
forest floor. ts/oldgrowthforests
Snags Standing dead trees that provide
significant habitat in old growth forests.
For example, northern spotted owls build
nests in snags.
http://www.ancientforest.org/whatisoldgrowthforest/crw_6362/
Activity Description
Location: This station will take place towards the end of the discovery trail as well as the road
next to the discovery trail. It will start near the Tree Circle (located on the map) and work its way
towards the pump house (located on the map) on the road and end between the road and the Tree
Circle.
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Step 1: Introduction/Review of OWLS Time: 5 minutes
❖ Have students get into pairs and ask: What is an old growth forest?
➢ A: Natural forests that have developed for at least 100 years, and include
characteristics such as towering tree size, accumulations of large, dead woody
material, and vertical diversity
❖ Allow students to discuss in pairs for 1 minute
❖ Have each pair share what they discussed
❖ Can anyone remember from the pretrip lesson what OWLS stands for?
➢ See if students remember the following, if so, quickly review and show examples,
if not, indepth review and show examples
➢ 4 Key Characteristics of old growth forests
➢ Ask students first to see if you can get a definition from them, if not then share
definition and point out an example
■ Old trees : trees in old growth forests that are 100 years or older. Examples
include Douglasfirs, Western hemlocks, and Western red cedars. These
trees provide habitat for a variety of animals species.
■ Woody debris : fall dead trees and tree branches in forests. These structures
become habitat for forest organisms. An example is a fallen log called a
nurse log which is home to mosses, lichens and other organisms.
■ Layers : refer to vertical diversity in the forest, such as grasses and ferns,
shrubs, understory trees, and canopy trees. In old growth forests there are
large canopy trees like old Douglasfirs, understory trees that compete for
light such as Western hemlocks, and shrub like plants on the forest floor.
■ Snags : standing dead trees that provide significant habitat in old growth
forests (i.e. northern spotted owls build nests in snags).
❖ “In conclusion, these are the four defining characteristics of an old growth forests”
❖ Do you see any of those around us right now?
➢ Let students look around, brainstorm, and respond if they see any examples
❖ As students bring these up point out examples on the trail for students to see
❖ Now that students have a base knowledge and working definition, allow students to think
about if they have ever been in an old growth forest:
➢ Do any of you think you have ever been in an old growth forest? What sort of
things do you remember from the forest that indicated it was older?
➢ Lots of really large or old trees, snags, fallen logs. Let students brainstorm and
discuss
❖ Next, head towards the Tree Circle (marked on the map). Along the way, point out any
significant trees or plants or animals you see to keep the students engaged on the short
walk
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Step 2: Silent Hike Prep Time: 5 minutes
❖ Once at the tree circle, have students gather in the middle of the circle and explain that
you will call out a the name of a tree (i.e. Pacific yew) and students should go stand by
the tree they think is that species
❖ Repeat two or three times to let the students get familiar with a few different species
❖ Note: This may need to be adjusted depending on what order the group gets to this
station. If this is the first station, the facilitator might expect students to have trouble
identifying the trees, so aiding students to identify the differences will be helpful.
However, if this is the last station of the day, students should have a better understanding
of how to identify particular species if they are repeatedly pointed out throughout the day
❖ Transition into Silent Hike prep and ask students
➢ Are you ready to put your I.D. skills to the test and have some fun?
❖ Explain that we are going on a silent hike through a section of the forest and there will be
cards placed along the trail for students to stop and read and possibly do a short exercise
with
❖ The facilitator will go first and lay the cards out. The chaperone will stay behind and send
the students off one by one, leaving 2030 seconds or more gaps between each student to
allow them to have their own space
❖ Remind students this is a silent hike and if they get too close to a classmate, to take a
moment to stop and allow them to regain some distance. Also, remember to use all of
their senses during the hike to get the full experience
❖ “Remember to be respectful, stay on the trail and that this is a time for observation and to
have fun!”
Step 3: Silent Hike Activity Time: 10 minutes
❖ Note: This activity could take between 1015 minutes depending on how long students
take to move along the trail. Keep this in mind and know there might need to be some
adjustments at the end of the station to accommodate for the longer time
❖ Students will walk silently through the section of the discovery trail that goes from the
Tree Circle and breaks off towards the road (near pump house – see map for reference)
❖ The cards along the trail will ask students to do things such as try and wrap their arms all
the way around a huge Douglasfir tree
❖ Another card might ask them to put their cheek to some moss on a tree or simply stand
with their eyes closed and listen to their surroundings, see appendix for examples
❖ There will be 18 cards placed throughout the hike
❖ Cards will be collected by the facilitator when we come back down the trail in Step 6
❖ Make sure to note how long this activity takes so you can track how long
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Step 4: Silent Hike Debrief Time: 5 minutes
❖ As students finish the hike, have them gather up in a circle and write about their
experience until all students are done
❖ If it is too rainy for the students to use their notebooks, have them pair up and talk about
the parts of OWLS that they may have seen or their favorite part of the hike
❖ If students are getting off topic or are cold from waiting, you can play a back pocket
game to get them moving around and bring their focus back
❖ When all students are back in the circle, ask students to share their experiences, and focus
on the difference in the hike between old growth and new growth forest
➢ What stuck out to you the most during the hike?
➢ What was your favorite activity?
➢ What was the most interesting thing you spotted?
➢ Could you identify any of the trees along the way?
➢ What differences did you notice?
❖ Make sure to keep note of student responses
❖ Allow the conversation to keep going naturally if students want to keep sharing their
experience
❖ However, do not let the debrief go on for more than 5 minutes
Step 5: Ecosystem Service Introduction Time: 5 minutes
❖ With students already circled up from the debrief, move into introduction of the next
topic
➢ Can anyone define what an ecosystem is?
■ A system, or a group of interconnected elements, formed by the
interaction of a community of organisms with their environment
➢ What do you think old growth forest ecosystems provide? For animals and plants?
For us?
■ habitat for plants and animals, a place we can go hike, oxygen to breath
➢ What personal connections or stories do you have with the forest?
❖ A way to think about what forest ecosystems provide for us is ecosystem services
➢ Does anyone know what ecosystem service is?
■ Wide range of benefits that ecosystems provide
❖ There are four specific services we want to focus on, to show why we love old growth
forests and why we want to protect them!
❖ Ask for four volunteers and hand the four ecosystem service cards to each of them
❖ Have each student one by one, step out into the circle and read their service card out loud,
then the definition and examples found on the back of the card
❖ Be sure to repeat what the student says after to make sure all students heard, and for
clarification and repetition
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❖ As students call out ecosystem services, show them examples, such as bark beetle larva
wood for regulatory service, and a nearby snag for habitat service
➢ Does anyone have any questions about ecosystem services before we move onto
the next activity?
Step 6: Search for the Service Activity Time: 15 minutes
❖ Split the students into two groups such that each group has two ecosystem service cards
❖ Explain how each group is going to go back down the trail and make note of any
examples of the service they see
❖ Each group is responsible for finding the ecosystem service that corresponds to the cards
they have
➢ These examples can be woodpecker holes in the tree, a fallen log being used as
habitat for a plant or animal, mushrooms, edible plants, etc.
❖ Tell the students the boundaries are the top of the road (where the trail starts) to the fork
in the trail where it splits down to the tree circle and off to the right
❖ Tell students they will have 10 minutes to search with their group
❖ Remind students to stay on the trail and to be respectful when passing each other on the
trail
❖ When students are done, they should wait at the fork in the road
❖ Allow the students to go down the trail with their group
❖ After 10 minutes, all groups should be at the fork in the road
❖ Note: as a facilitator, remember to pick up the silent hike cards as you go back down the
trail to the fork in the road.
❖ Share and discuss what each group found for 5 minutes
Step 7: What Am I? Time: 15 minutes
❖ Ask students if they are ready to put their new knowledge to the test!
❖ Put students into pairs
❖ Explain to students the name of the game is “What Am I?”
❖ Tell them that with their partner they have to guess what they are by asking their partner
yes or no questions until they themselves guess what they are, then switch and have the
other partner guess who they are
❖ Place the necklace “What am I?” cards around each student’s neck so it is hanging down
their back facing outwards so they are unable to see it. The facilitator will also wear one
❖ Have the pairs guess who they are
❖ After both partners guess who they are, have them turn and face the group in a circle
❖ Once all pairs are done, state that they should move their “What Am I?” cards around so
that they are facing out on their chest to the group
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❖ Explain that now we are going to work as a group to show how ecosystem services relate
to other cards
➢ For example, humans interact with Douglasfirs and Western red cedars as a
resource and for art inspiration, and pileated woodpeckers also relate to
Douglasfirs because they eat the beetle larvae in the tree
➢ Note: see the appendix for a flow chart that shows the relationships
❖ Have each student go one by one and say how their card is related to the other cards in
the circle
❖ Once the circle is completed, ask the students if they realized how all these species are
connected with each other either indirectly or directly?
➢ Why do you think these connections are important?
■ They’re important because all species interact with each other either
directly or indirectly, to create a network of relationships that make up a
wellfunctioning ecosystem. When one is disrupted, another is affected
and that can throw off the balance and function of an ecosystem
❖ To give you an idea of how this would take place, let’s have the snag, which will also
represent other old and dead trees in the forest, step out of the circle
❖ Now determine how this changes how you all relate to each other
➢ Does this change the ecosystem?
■ Yes, without old trees and snags, spotted owls and pileated woodpeckers
no longer have a place to nest. This will impact the population of these
species.
➢ How does removing snags impact the species in the forest?
■ Snags and old trees are the homes of pileated woodpeckers and northern
spotted owls. Without snags, bark beetle populations will increase without
pileated woodpeckers eating the beetle larva. This will lead to more sick
Douglasfirs, which affect humans and other species, etc.
❖ As you can see, ecosystems are interrelated and it is important to realize how one action
can affect many things
Step 7: Wrap Up Activity Time: 7 minutes
❖ Have students sit in a circle and get their notebook and pencils out
❖ Introduce “The Web” poem by Alison Hawthorne Deming
❖ Ask students to listen quietly to the poem
❖ Instruct students to draw anything they hear from the poem that they think relates to one
of the four key characteristics of old growth forests (OWLS) or anything they learned
about during the station
❖ Answers include:
➢ “large as the trees that survive the fivehundredyear”
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➢ “ the highrise of a snag”
➢ “giant firs”
➢ “to spotted owl”
➢ “to Douglas fir”
➢ “each needing and feeding the other”
❖ Read poem
❖ Let students share their drawings and why they picked out those features from the poem
➢ This will act as a quick assessment to see if students are able to identify OWLS
characteristics
❖ Ask: Does anyone have any closing questions or thoughts to share?
Step 8: Questing Time: 5 minutes
❖ Establish that students will take turns being Riddler (who reads the clues) and Navigator
(who reads the map)
❖ Establish that only by working together will they be able to navigate the forest
❖ Give them the name of the station and assist them with interpretation
❖ While on the move, reinforce key species in the forest and have the students call out
when they find a particularly interesting specimen
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Appendix
The Web
By Alison Hawthorne Deming with lines from Claude LeviStrauss
Link: https://orionmagazine.org/poetry/theweb/
Is it possible there is a certain
kind of beauty as large as the trees
that survive the fivehundredyear fire
the fiftyyear flood, trees we can’t
comprehend even standing
beside them with outstretched arms
to gauge their span,
a certain kind of beauty
so strong, so deeply concealed
in relationship—black truffle
to redbacked vole to spotted owl
to Douglas fir, bats and gnats,
beetles and moss, flying squirrel
and the highrise of a snag,
each needing and feeding the other—
a conversation so quiet
the human world can vanish into it.
A beauty moves in such a place
like snowmelt sieving through
the fungal mats that underlie and
interlace the giant firs, tunneling
under streams where cutthroat fry
live a meter deep in gravel,
fluming downstream over rocks
that have a hold on place
lasting longer than most nations,
sluicing under deadfall spanners
that rise and float to let floodwaters pass,
a beauty that fills the space of the forest
with music that can erupt as
varied thrush or warbler, calypso
orchid or stream violet, forest
a conversation not an argument,
a beauty gathering such clarity and force
it breaks the mind’s fearful hold on its
little moment steeping it in a more dense
intelligibility, within which centuries
and distances answer each other
and speak at last with one and the same voice.
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Silent Hike cards:
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What am I? cards:
http://online.sfsu.edu/bholzman/courses/Fal
l01%20projects/flyings.htm
https://heartofthewestcoast.com/201 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/evidenceofabsencenorthe
http://fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors/HT 2/01/26/douglasfirtrees/ rnspottedowlsarestillvanishingfromthenorthwest/
ML/articles/portraits/2014/cedar.h
http://www.ancientforest.org/wha tm#.WpuR4xPwaCQ
tisoldgrowthforest/crw_6362/
https://www.forestryimages.org/bro
wse/detail.cfm?imgnum=2252087
http://clipartbarn.com/stickperso
http://www.visitsacandaga.com/p
ileatedwoodpecker/ nclipart_22462/
https://islandnature.ca/2010/04/smellslikealmonds/
Relationships for “What am I”
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Ecosystem service cards :
Cultural service
Definition: nonmaterial benefits such
as intellectual development, recreation,
artistic inspiration
Example: Today the H. J. Andrews
forest is providing a place to learn and
have fun as a community. Other
examples include artwork, poetry, and
music inspired by forests.
Habitat service
Definition: ecosystems provide habitat
for a variety of species
Example: Old growth forests provide a
unique habitat that specific animals
want to live in. Northern spotted owls
use snags in the forest as nest sites.
Regulating
Definition: the benefits forest
ecosystems gain from regulating
processes such as pest control, erosion
service prevention, and climate regulation.
Example: Trees in the forest are
beneficial because they help regulate
the climate by taking in carbon from the
atmosphere. Old growth forests are also
home to animals like the pileated
woodpeckers who control tree pests like
bark beetle larvae.
Provisioning
Definition : Things obtained from the
forest such as food, wood, and medicine
Example : Taxol, used to fight cancer,
service was derived from the bark of the Pacific
yew tree.
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Additional Resources/Readings
1. “Ecosystem services.” Biodiversity Information System for Europe. https://biodiversity.
europa.eu/topics/ecosystemservices
In depth description of ecosystem services and the way that they serve human beings.
Useful when discussing ecosystems and the importance of maintain their integrity.
2. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 2009. Ecosystem Services:
Key Concepts and Applications , Occasional Paper No 1, Department of the Environment,
Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra. https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/
resources/b53e60024ea74108acc840fff488bab7/files/ecosystemservices.pdf
Thirty page document with more information about the key concepts of ecosystem
services, including identifying them, accurately valuing them, and measuring them.
3. Franklin, Jerry F., Kermit Cromack, Jr., William Denison, Arthur McKee, Chris Maser,
James Sedell, Fred Swanson, and Glen Juday. 1981. “Ecological characteristics of
oldgrowth Douglasfir forests.” USDA For. Serv. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW118, 48 p. Pac.
Northwest For. and Range Exp. Stn., Portland, Oreg. https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/
pnw_gtr118.pdf
Descriptive document about the defining characteristics of oldgrowth Douglas Fir
Forests, and methods for proper management. Provides excellent information about the
concept of OWLS and provides resources for more in depth discussions of the
characteristics of these forests.
4. H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest website. http://andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu/
Information about the history of the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest as well as the
experiments being conducted at the sight currently. Also has links to works by artists in
residence. All of these are valuable to discuss the significance of the forest and the
research being conducted there.
5. Oregon Forest Resources Institute website. https://www.oregonforests.org/
Information about sustainable management practices in Oregon forests. Good resource to
help provide context to students about human dependence on lumber, and efforts to
properly manage these resources.
6. Rapp, Valerie. 2003. “New findings about oldgrowth forests.” Science Update, Issue 4,
Pacific Northwest Research. https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/scienceupdate4.pdf .
Details current research about the ecological value of oldgrowth forests, as well as
providing more information about the defining characteristics of these ecosystems.
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