Baltimore Ecosystem Study III: Education, Engagement and Outreach

The third phase of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES III), Long-Term Ecological Research project builds on 13 years of experience in establishing and refining a platform for integrated urban ecological and social research, education, and outreach.   The BES education team consists of partnerships and collaborations with organizations like the US Forest Service, the Parks & People Foundation (PPF), UMBC’s Center for Urban Environmental Education and Research (CUERE) and other research and education centers throughout the United States.

 

BES Education strives for a seamless interplay between our research into teaching, learning and information flow; our programs; and our collaborations among scientists, managers, policy makers, educators, students and the public. Sustainability and adaptive processes are both a topical focus and an outcome for our work. We seek to understand how schools and other information systems adapt to global change and rising societal interest in sustainability. During BES III, the BES Education Committee will work with the full BES community on 9 activities aimed at key pivot points in the socio-ecological education system (Figure 1). These are described here by type of activity: A) Education Research, B) School and Informal Programs, C) Programs for Public and Targeted Groups, and D) Career Development Programs.