Global Environmental Change

Faculty: Robin Harrington, Natural Resources, UMass

Professor Harrington has done extensive research in invasive species and ways in which invasive species (and plants in general) adapt to changing environmental conditions and how plants can help us understand changing environmental conditions (such as climate change, air pollution, infestations, etc). She will lead a thread that will have a plant focus but also allow flexibility. Teachers may also choose to pursue lichen studies, be a part of Forest Watch, or log into the Project Budburst or Project Globe websites for data exchange on phenology. A focus on invasive species research could lead to a group working on eradication somewhere within their town as one possible approach. Another major component of this research project could be to study the effects of ozone on trees, especially white pines. The needles of white pines stay on the trees for three years, and offer a record of the effect of ozone damage over that period that can be accessed at any time of the year. The University of New Hampshire Forest Watch program at the University of New Hampshire connects schools all over New England that are participating in these studies. Similarly, interested teachers can pursue an affiliation with Project Budburst or Project Globe.