Forest Ecology

For K through 12 Educators

July 20-25, 2008 at Brevard College

This workshop offers participants an opportunity to learn about the interrelationships within forest ecosystems.  Participants will discover how plants, animals, fungi, and microbes connect to each other to create forest ecosystems.  The importance of abiotic features in determining forest type will also be examined, and the role of humans as agents of change will be addressed.  The workshop will use the national forests of Western North Carolina as a classroom to teach participants about the unique organisms and ecosystems of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.  Topics include: types of forests, changes within the forest systems, and biodiversity.  This workshop is designed for K-12 educators. 

Workshop participants are eligible to receive up to four Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits based on forty contact hours, as well as criteria II credit in the North Carolina Environmental Educators (NCEE) certification program.

Forest Ecology, like any sub-discipline of ecology, looks at how the environment and organisms interact.  The southern Appalachian region is one of the most diverse ecosystems in North America. It is also one in which humans have had a long-lasting impact, yet its diversity has been supported.

The workshop will focus on unique forest ecosystems, such as the Appalachian Cove Forest, Spruce Fir Forest, or Granite Outcrop.  Participants will be provided information to add to their own personal knowledge bank, along with classroom lessons and resources to effectively bring the topics of the forest ecology workshop into their own classroom.

See photos from our most recent Forest Ecology workshop HERE