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throughout the world. As greenery disappears and is replaced by impermeable concrete cityscapes, we create an expanding heat island that is notably warmer than surrounding rural areas. So when The Nature Conservancy approached the Fairchild Challenge team to help devise a way to mitigate these ever-rising temperatures, we knew we had to come up with something special. The Nature Conservancy is one of the world’s leading conservation agencies, working in more than 30 countries and all 50 U.S. states to effect change in both public policy and landscape conservation. One of the keys to its success has been to partner with local institutions and nonprofits to spark action at the community level. The Fairchild Challenge reaches thousands of South Florida’s K-12 students through its award-winning, multidisciplinary, science-based competition. That made Fairchild the perfect partner to help study and combat rising urban temperatures. We created the “Shade our Schools” challenge to do just that. “Shade our Schools” encourages elementary school students to explore their school grounds and assess the benefits shade trees provide. After classes map out where all the shade trees are at their schools, they will pick one or more trees to study during the school year. Fairchild and The Nature Conservancy created an instructional video to show teachers and students how to measure their tree’s DBH (diameter at breast height) and canopy circumference (https:// youtu.be/9ELFxdQbUrA). We also provided schools with a shade tree identification guide so students know exactly which tree species they are studying. On at least 10 separate days, classes will measure air temperatures at both ground level and chest height at three intervals—near the trunk, mid-canopy and in the sun. Their findings will be recorded on a custom data sheet, to be compiled and analyzed at the end of the year. The significance of having children ages 5 to 11 years old collecting usable scientific data cannot be overstated. Fairchild is empowering some of South Florida’s youngest residents to assuage the effects of one of the most profound climatic shifts humanity has ever encountered. However, trees are more than simple providers of cooling shade. They also form the base of complex ecosystems, providing food and shelter for numerous other plants and animals. Because these ecosystem services so often go unnoticed, the Fairchild Challenge team decided to also have each participating student create a field journal, recording observations made while their class is outside collecting data. We provided schools with a list of topics students can focus upon, such as leaves, bark, insects or birds, encouraging students to look at trees in a novel way. Each entry will be a combination of written notes and labeled illustrations, mirroring how working biologists and ecologists create their field journals. We recently distributed more than100 “Shade our Schools” kits containing tape measures, string, data sheets and portable thermometer/ hygrometers, which measure temperature and humidity, to elementary schools. This ensures that every participating class has all the tools needed to complete this study. South Florida’s elementary school teachers are energized and excited to start their classes on this journey and the Fairchild Challenge team cannot wait to see what these students discover. With the help of hundreds of fledgling scientists, the future looks bright … and hopefully a little cooler. PREVIOUS PAGE Young students learn why trees are important to the environment LEFTU sing tools provided through the Fairchild Challenge, students measure trees in their school yard. Photos by Education Staff/FTBG


FairchildTropicalBotanicGardenDEMO
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