🎓 Cornell DNRE Winter Symposium (2025) ❄️

Lifeworthy Learning: Engaging Students in Forest Ecology for a Sustainable Future The theme of my presentation examines the critical role of academic initiatives in addressing the climate and biodiversity crises through innovative education and research programs. The Changing Forest research program at the O'Hara Nature Center, in partnership with the Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology program, engages Irvington middle and high school students (grades 8–12) in hands-on forestry and land use management research. Over the past three years, students have utilized cutting-edge tools such as GIS, remote sensing data (e.g., LiDAR and NDVI), and long-term ecological research site methodologies to collect, analyze, and interpret data on forest health and ecosystem services. This research explores pressing ecological issues, including Beech Leaf Disease, tree coring, and forest inventory assessments, demonstrating how academic partnerships empower young researchers to think critically and solve complex environmental problems. By equipping students with advanced geospatial tools and fostering engagement with "lifeworthy" knowledge—practical, transferable insights—the program prepares learners to navigate and influence an increasingly complex world through innovative problem-solving strategies. The program also models collaboration across networks by connecting students, educators, and research institutions like the Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology program. Through these partnerships, students learn to lead by influence, leveraging shared expertise to develop solutions that benefit local and global ecosystems. Its dynamic and project-based approach cultivates agility and adaptability as participants navigate changing ecological conditions, integrate new technologies, and refine conservation strategies. The Changing Forest program addresses urgent environmental challenges locally while inspiring students to become adaptable leaders in the global fight against climate and biodiversity crises.