Outdoor Final Exam

It is that time of year when students are cranking out final projects for courses, many of which are long papers that involve extensive online research. However, Environmental Studies professor Aaron Iverson is offering an alternative kind of research project, which involves getting the students outside to observe and analyze the nature in our backyard.  

Students enrolled in the Our Shared Environment course are asked to do two things for the project: the first part is collecting data from sugar maple trees around campus during the phenology process, and the other part is dedicating twenty minutes in a chosen nature spot to observe and analyze change in that area. For the sugar maple part, students were divided into small groups to produce hypotheses about why their trees changed when they did and are analyzing the whole class data to see if it supports or does not support them.  

Professor Iverson explained that outdoor observations and data collection have been done in other classes before. However, this is one of the first classes (if not the first) to have it as a final research project. He hopes that the students gain a better connection and understanding of the natural world through this project. Hopefully, through this, they are more inspired to make changes in the environment. As he puts it, “How can we care for the environment if we don’t understand what is around us?”  

When talking with Professor Iverson, he explained how he cares about his students’ mental health and hopes that this project will benefit them emotionally. He referenced scientific research that more time spent in nature can increase mental health, especially in times of stress.  

Professor Iverson isn’t the only person excited about this project. Students in the class have engaged with this project in a way that has allowed them to learn more about not only the world around them but also about themselves. Student Henry Hagen ’27 found the twenty-minute observation report particularly valuable. He explained that it was something that he did as a kid and would like to reincorporate back into his weekly routine.  

The students collected specific data from sugar maple trees around the campus, keeping track of when buds broke and the flowering process. They also analyzed differences in circumference, location, height, and slope, amongst other things, to develop hypotheses on how these differences affect the phenological process. A student in the class, Charlotte Blake ’27, said that one of her group’s hypotheses was that the greater the amount of daily shade a tree experiences, the more the tree would show later blooming days.   

This hands-on project is also designed in a way that lets students understand our campus better. Another student in the class, Cecily Hansen ’27, said that after this project, she noticed phenological changes in trees all around campus now, as well as wildlife, which is something she had never paid attention to before.  

Professor Iverson plans to continue doing this project in the future, possibly with some changes. He elaborated that he would like to find other kinds of trees that experience phenology earlier than sugar maples in hopes of being able to see the full process. He would also like to incorporate more readings into the class that are relevant to their observations in nature, encouraging them to look for certain changes. In general, he would also like to spend more class time outside in nature with the students.  

The students will present their hypotheses and findings on May 1, which Professor Iverson and the students are both looking forward to.