K-12 Education
An ecologically literate public may be the “last best hope” for a sustainable biosphere. Partnerships between ecologists and educators may be the best hope, though not the last, for moving towards an ecologically literate public. – Feinsinger et al. 1997
At the Avian Science Center, we seek educational outreach opportunities that not only allow us to teach about birds and the environmental conditions needed to sustain their populations, but also about the process of science and field-based inquiry. Through the Science Teacher Institute and a high school field ecology program (Students Investigating Burns), we have worked to develop and transfer curricula to local high school teachers and their students.
Science Teacher Institute
In 2005 the Division of Educational Research and Service (DERS) of the University of Montana invited the ASC to partner in teaching their Summer Science Institute for local science teachers, the goals of which were to enhance science proficiency among teachers and help them develop inquiry-based lessons that explore locally relevant ecological topics. The ASC was invited to serve as the science content expert for that year’s topic – Fire Ecology.
Wildfire is the primary disturbance agent here in the Northern Rockies, and we have a strong interest in conducting and explaining research designed to understand fire’s effects on birds and other taxa. Participating in the Science Institute gave us the opportunity to develop a Fire Ecology Curriculum (see Products page) and to work with local teachers.
Over the course of two weeks, we used lectures, computer labs, hands on activities, and field trips to teach over 40 public school teachers about both the scientific process and fire ecology. Visiting local burned areas – our “outdoor laboratories” – proved to be the favorite component of the Institute. Here we made observations, formulated scientific hypotheses and predictions, and collected data to test our hypotheses. These teachers now have the background, tools, and confidence to study fire ecology with their students, exposing them to the complex effects that wildfires have on our forests and wildlife.
Students Investigating Burns
In partnership with the Montana Natural History Center, we received a grant from the Bullitt Foundation to develop a fire ecology education curriculum. The goals of this program were to build basic ecological literacy among high-school students and create a model that could be applied broadly throughout the region and beyond. Specifically, during 2004 and 2005, we developed a pilot program with Big Sky High School teacher Dave Oberbillig and his students. We visited the Black Mountain fire near Missoula to look at the ecological effects of fire on birds, beetles, and plants. We also held a teacher workshop to 
provide local high school teachers with our fire ecology curriculum and to highlight our emerging field inquiry program. With additional funding, we expect to make this curriculum available to other high schools in western Montana.
For more information, contact Kristina Smucker at 243-2035 or by email kristina.smucker@mso.umt.edu.