Enhancing Field Trips Making field trips more relevant with citizen science By Leroy Jones
knowledge-wise in their respective disciplines as well as in character;2
F
IELD TRIPS ARE opportunities that can positively impact and motivate students.1
They are considered
important learning tools that can help students grow however, as stated by Rieger, improperly executed
field trips due to lack of proper planning and follow-up rein- forcement can result in tremendous loss of valuable time and can lead to misconceptions by students and teachers about the effectiveness of trips.1
Over the past 10 years as an educa-
tor, I have overseen both successful and unsuccessful trips, with the unsuccessful ones ending up as leisure outings. In an effort to avoid the pitfalls that generally turn field trips into leisure outings, I have tried different interventions such as changing trip locations and rescheduling trips to different times of the year, but none has been as effective as incorpo- rating citizen science. Citizen science involves a partnership between volunteers and trained professionals to carry out research.3
It is a pro-
cess that harnesses collective curiosity and employs common technology, engaging participants in learning about the world
around them in a quick and comprehensive manner.4 Having
this concept of citizen science in mind made me consider it as a great fit to incorporate into field trips. I have conducted var- ious field trips with citizen science project components, and they have taken a variety of forms, including gathering bio- diversity data on a small island over multiple years to assess climate change effects, measuring pine trees in a neotropical savanna to monitor growth rate and tree health, and conduct- ing surveys of bird populations at specific field sites. To successfully integrate a citizen science project into an
educational field trip, the following must be considered: part- nerships, site selection, and proper planning and execution of the selected project. I will be sharing my personal experience with citizen science-based field trips with 16–18-year-old students.
Partnerships Networking is an important self-management practice that is beneficial for both one’s career and life.5
Interestingly,
an instructor who regularly conducts field trips may have unintentionally started a professional network over time. If you are a novice, there is no need to worry when it comes to
Green Teacher 119 Page 25
Photo credit: Leroy Jones
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