Goralnik, L.; O'Connell, K. 2016. H.J. Andrews Forest Discovery Trail: An interpretation of place based on curriculum of interpretive learning trail and field trip support, 2016 Long-Term Ecological Research Andrews Forest LTER Site. [Database]. Available: https://andrewsforest-stage.forestry.oregonstate.edu/data/fsdb-data-catalog/SS006 Accessed 2026-05-10.

The H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest (HJA) in the Oregon Cascades is one of 24 sites in the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network. It supports research on forests, streams, and watersheds, and fosters collaborations between ecosystem science, education, natural resource management, and the humanities. The site currently hosts 85 interdisciplinary research projects, as well as experiential training for undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, the HJA runs a vibrant professional development program for teachers. Because much of the HJA’s terrain is steep and occupied with sensitive research materials, middle and high school visits are limited to tours in designated areas. The Discovery Trail was developed in 2011 as a place for visitors (~1800 in 2014) to explore the forest and site research themes from HJA headquarters, but it is not yet amenable to unguided educational exploration. We have designed an interpretive learning trail and field trip support framework for the Discovery Trail. Our primary objective is to educate students about place while guiding them to reflect upon their own relationships with place and personal responsibility for stewardship behavior. Long-term place-based conservation research is woven with creative writing from the HJA writer’s residency program and paired with reflection and creative inquiry. Interactive trail stops enable students to engage the forest from multiple perspectives. The Discovery Trail is wired for intranet wifi and content and assessment will be delivered by digital media (i.e. iPads). We will evaluate conceptual learning according to the Framework for the Next Generation Science Standards, as well as observe affective changes in sense of place, empowerment, and expressions of care or empathy through analysis of student responses to the trail activities. Because conservation attitudes require not just knowledge about systems, but also emotional connections to the material, our learning experience will incorporate art, ethics, and reflection alongside environmental science and natural history.

Temporal coverage: 2014-12-01 to 2017-05-15

Geographic coverage: HJ Andrews Experimental Forest

Spatial coverage:

Bounds: W -122.26077333, E -122.12174888, N 44.27447074, S 44.20664191

No purpose entries listed in this EML file.

Title: Long-Term Ecological Research

• Kari B. O'Connell
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Oregon State University Center for Research in Lifelong STEM Learning, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
  Phone: (541) 737-1289
  Email: kari.oconnell@oregonstate.edu
  URL: http://stem.oregonstate.edu/people/kari-oconnell
• Sarah Minette Kelly
  Role: Other Researcher
  Email: sarah.minette12@gmail.com
• Mark D Schulze
  Role: Other Researcher
  H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest; PO Box 300, Blue River, OR, 97413
  Phone: 541-822-6336
  Email: mark.schulze@oregonstate.edu
• Michael P. Nelson
  Role: Other Researcher
  Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society; 201K Richarson Hall; College of Forestry; Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331
  Phone: 541-737-9221
  Email: mpnelson@oregonstate.edu
  URL: http://www.michaelpnelson.com
• Kari B. O'Connell
  Role: Creator
  Oregon State University Center for Research in Lifelong STEM Learning, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
  Phone: (541) 737-1289
  Email: kari.oconnell@oregonstate.edu
  URL: http://stem.oregonstate.edu/people/kari-oconnell
• Lissy Goralnik
  Role: Creator
  Email: goralnik@msu.edu, akalippy@aol.com
  URL: http://www.canr.msu.edu/people/goralnik

• Information Manager
  Andrews Forest LTER Program, US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331
  Phone: (541) 750-7335
  Email: hjaweb@fsl.orst.edu
  URL: http://andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu/

• Andrews Forest LTER Site
  Role: Publisher
  Forest Ecosystems and Society Department in Forestry, Oregon State University, 201K Richardson Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331-5752
  Phone: (541) 737-8480
  Email: lterweb@fsl.orst.edu
  URL: http://andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu/

The H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest (HJA) in the Oregon Cascades is one of 24 sites in the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network. It supports research on forests, streams, and watersheds, and fosters collaborations between ecosystem science, education, natural resource management, and the humanities. The site currently hosts 85 interdisciplinary research projects, as well as experiential training for undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, the HJA runs a vibrant professional development program for teachers. Because much of the HJA’s terrain is steep and occupied with sensitive research materials, middle and high school visits are limited to tours in designated areas. The Discovery Trail was developed in 2011 as a place for visitors (~1800 in 2014) to explore the forest and site research themes from HJA headquarters, but it is not yet amenable to unguided educational exploration. We have designed an interpretive learning trail and field trip support framework for the Discovery Trail. Our primary objective is to educate students about place while guiding them to reflect upon their own relationships with place and personal responsibility for stewardship behavior. Long-term place-based conservation research is woven with creative writing from the HJA writer’s residency program and paired with reflection and creative inquiry. Interactive trail stops enable students to engage the forest from multiple perspectives. The Discovery Trail is wired for intranet wifi and content and assessment will be delivered by digital media (i.e. iPads). We will evaluate conceptual learning according to the Framework for the Next Generation Science Standards, as well as observe affective changes in sense of place, empowerment, and expressions of care or empathy through analysis of student responses to the trail activities. Because conservation attitudes require not just knowledge about systems, but also emotional connections to the material, our learning experience will incorporate art, ethics, and reflection alongside environmental science and natural history. In June 2016 we launched a pilot field test of the Discovery Trail curriculum. Because the iPad application was not yet built, we used Powerpoint content delivery and paper handouts for student responses and assessment. Thirty upper-level high school students from Sisters, Oregon participated on the trail in groups of 3. Each group shared an iPad and participated in as many of the 10 Discovery Trail stops as they could in the allotted timeframe (about 90 minutes on trail); most groups completed 4-5 stops. Students also individually filled out a feedback form when they completed the trail activity to comment on the logistics and content of the trail learning activity. We also conducted a final group assessment, for which the students worked in small groups to fill out a questionnaire and draw a large format picture to share their qualitative experience on the trail. All of this data will be used to make the trail more effective for the anticipated 3 school groups who will visit the trail in Fall 2016 and 3 groups in Spring 2017.

Method Steps

Sampling

No software entries listed in this EML file.

• LTER controlled vocabulary: forest ecology (theme), forest ecosystems (theme)
• Andrews Experimental Forest site thesaurus: education (theme), human dimensions (theme), public assessments (theme)

No taxonomic hierarchy listed in this EML file.

No data tables listed in this EML file.

No data tables listed in this EML file.

No units listed in this EML file.

No related dataset codes found in the EML text fields.

No publication citations found in this EML file.

• Discovery Trail Pilot Trail Stops
  2016 pilot curriculum with integrated formative assessment
  URL: https://andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu/data/studies/ss006/Discovery_Trail_Pilot_Trail_Stops.pdf
• Discovery Trail individual student feedback
  2016 pilot post-assessment student feedback
  URL: https://andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu/data/studies/ss006/Discovery_Trail_individual_student_feedback.pdf
• Discovery Trail qualitative group assessment
  2016 pilot qualitative post-assessment group questionnaire
  URL: https://andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu/data/studies/ss006/Discovery_Trail_qualitative_group_assessment.pdf
• HJ Andrews Forest Discovery: A conceptual framework for interdisciplinary interpretation.
  Abstract for 2015 SEER Conference
  URL: https://andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu/data/studies/ss006/goralnik_seer_2015.pdf

Data Use Agreement:

The re-use of scientific data has the potential to greatly increase communication, collaboration and synthesis within and among disciplines, and thus is fostered, supported and encouraged. This Data Set is released under the Creative Commons license CC BY "Attribution" (see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Creative Commons license CC BY - Attribution is a license that allows others to distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work (even commercially), as long as you are credited for the original creation. This license accommodates maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials.

It is considered professional conduct and an ethical obligation to acknowledge the work of other scientists. The Data User is asked to provide attribution of the original work if this data package is shared in whole or by individual parts or used in the derivation of other products. A recommended citation is provided for each Data Set in the Andrews LTER data catalog (see: http://andlter.forestry.oregonstate.edu/data/catalog/datacatalog.aspx). A generic citation is also provided for this Data Set on the website https://portal.edirepository.org in the summary metadata page. Data Users are thus strongly encouraged to consider consultation, collaboration and/or co-authorship with the Data Set Creator.

While substantial efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of data and associated documentation, complete accuracy of data sets cannot be guaranteed and all data are made available "as is." The Data User should be aware, however, that data are updated periodically and it is the responsibility of the Data User to check for new versions of the data. The data authors and the repository where these data were obtained shall not be liable for damages resulting from any use or misinterpretation of the data.

General acknowledgement: Data were provided by the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest research program, funded by the National Science Foundation's Long-Term Ecological Research Program (DEB 1440409), US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, and Oregon State University.

License: N/A

Maintenance update frequency: asNeeded

Description

• An update history is logged and maintained with each new version of every dataset.

Change History

• Version1 (2016-07-20)
  Study code and preliminary metadata established
• Version2 (2016-10-31)
  Uploaded documents that Lissy sent on 7/24/2016.