Brookhaven Lab Sponsors an Open Space Stewardship Program for Suffolk County Students

February 9, 2006

UPTON, NY - About 50 key leaders in education, government and environmental organizations attended a planning meeting at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory to discuss a program proposed by the Laboratory in which students in grades K through 12 would perform environmental research on undeveloped land. Called the GREEN Institute Open Space Stewardship Program, the initiative is expected to begin in the fall of this year, primarily in mid and eastern Suffolk school districts. GREEN stands for "Gaining Research Experience in the Environment."

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(From left) Michael Holland, U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven Site Office Manager; Melvyn Morris, Brookhaven National Laboratory Educational Program Administrator ; Steven Englebright, New York State Assemblyman, District 4; Michael Bebon, Brookhaven Lab's Deputy Director for Operations; Michael Deering, Suffolk County Director of Environmental Affairs; and Tim Green, Brookhaven Lab's Cultural and Natural Resources Manager, were key participants in the planning meeting of Brookhaven National Laboratory's GREEN Institute Open Space Stewardship Program. (Click image to download hi-res version.)

New York State Assemblyman Steven Englebright, 4th District, strongly supported the proposed program, saying it will "bring a coherence to our long-term management of our greatest treasure - our wild lands of Suffolk County." He added that Long Island is biologically the richest part of New York State, with the greatest collection of rare and endangered plants and animals. "It is wonderful that Brookhaven Lab has taken this initiative…which may become a national model," Englebright said. Participants in the workshop also were very enthusiastic about the program.

Melvyn Morris, an educational program administrator in Brookhaven Lab's Office of Educational Programs (OEP), said schools would be partnered with land stewards in their local communities. Areas of interest for monitoring the health of the property would be defined, and would be developed. Brookhaven Lab plans to conduct workshops in the summer for interested teachers.

"Students can provide data that will help land stewards in making informed decisions," Morris said. "For example, students can make invasive species assessments, perform a water pH or soil analysis, study insect populations or identify plant and animal DNA." He added that there would also be opportunities for interdisciplinary studies on open lands, involving photography, poetry and literature, art, history and adopt-a-tree programs.

OEP Manager Kenneth White said the program would promote a consolidation of efforts already being made by some school districts and landowners and develop new partnerships with a focus on preserving valuable environmental assets in local communities. "The program integrates the challenges each of the participating

communities faces, such as managing open space properties and improving science and math capabilities of students. With the support of leadership displayed at this initial planning meeting, we will move forward confidently to implement the program."

Brookhaven Lab plans to maintain a database of information gathered by the students. Working with environmental researchers and land stewards, the Lab will analyze students' data for trends and other parameters of interest. All students will have access to the data, which could be compared over time and regions. In addition, the students may present their research at an annual public forum. Land stewards, working with teachers and students, will have data available to help them better preserve and protect their property.

The program will be integrated with the school curriculum, and students will gain research experience and learn about the scientific process through working with real-life data in the field. Ideally, the program will promote scientific literacy and encourage students to consider careers in science and technology. Further, it should foster a sense of civic responsibility and respect for open space property in participating students.

Among the workshop's participants were superintendents, administrators and teachers from 15 school districts, mostly from mid and eastern Suffolk; New York State and Suffolk County parks representatives; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency representatives; environmentalists from such groups as the Pine Barrens Commission and The Nature Conservancy; and officials from the towns of Brookhaven, East Hampton, Islip, Riverhead, Smithtown, Southampton and Southold.

As the Open Space Stewardship Program matures, more schools and properties are expected to be integrated into it. Open space property managers, teachers and environmentalists may contact OEP's Melvyn Morris at 631 344-5963 for information about participation.

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