Earthwatch - Live From the Field

Explore the fascinating world of caterpillars to see how they protect themselves and respond to changes in their habitats.

Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana — Hurricane Katrina dramatically changed the cultural and natural history of Louisiana and it will take years before we fully understand its impact. Dr. Lee Dyer has been compiling data on the effects of extreme weather events on caterpillar populations for more than a decade. Now, New Orleans has had an extreme weather event that allows a direct test of his predictions about decreases in parasitoid populations and resulting increases in caterpillar populations—along with resulting effects on various plant species. As a volunteer on this Expedition, you’ll be at the cutting edge of science’s understanding of how global climate change affects biodiversity in a given region.

In more general terms, this research enriches our understanding of caterpillars as important regulators of plant biodiversity and as an important food source for other animals. The more you help uncover about caterpillars and the species that prey on them, the more resource managers can see them as indicators of ecosystem health in areas where they are desired, and the more farmers and others will be able to employ non-toxic measures to contain their populations in areas where they are unwelcome.

Find out more about this expedition.

RESOURCES

Earthwatch expedition briefing
Essential information for the expedition - daily schedule, research area details, project conditions etc.

Photo gallery from the expedition.

General:
Climate Change resources
Education Resources from the EPA
The GLOBE Program - International Environmental/Science Education Program
Computer simiulations of GLobal CO2 Emisions
NOAA education resources
Center for Instruction, Staff Development and Education
North American Associate for Environmental Education

Research site specific:
Dr. Lee Dyer's Caterpillar website - caterpillars.org
Dr. Dyer's homepage on the Tulane website
“Can Global Warming Cause Caterpillar Outbreaks” in National Geographic News
“Build Your Own Caterpillar” interactive simulation developed in collaboration with Scholastic Explorers

Follow our blogs as we experience our Earthwatch expedition Climate Change & Caterpillars in New Orleans April 17-27 2009.

This Live From the Field program and educator fellowships are made possible by generous funding from HSBC in the Community.

This site is the result of collaborative efforts from the members of this Earthwatch project and the support of Earthwatch Institute.

Meet the Teachers

Carol Barrett Cassandra Duff is in her third year of teaching and teaches third grade at Taylor Ranch School in Venice, Florida. In 2006, she graduated with a BS in Elementary Education and in 2008 a M.Ed. in Instructional Technology both from the University of South Florida. Cassandra was previously a registered nurse for nine years and served in the United States Navy as a dental technician. She has a love for science and sharing knowledge with others.

Blog: Earthwatch2.org/LFF/Duff

Megan Ellis Maureen Carreau is an eighth grade science teacher at Maple Hill Middle School in Castleton, NY. She has taught science for 22 years and is eager to bring a taste of field work to her students to get them interested and excited about conducting some field research back at school. Other activities she pursues include Adventure Course facilitation, running, gardening and travel.

Blog: Earthwatch2.org/LFF/Carreau

Julie Schneider Liz Coleman - While I truly enjoyed growing up in Chapel Hill, NC, I knew that I was destined to extend my learning experiences beyond my comfort zone. I traveled to the University of Colorado in Boulder for college, where I received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. This led me to Los Angeles, where I spent nearly 2 years working in the advertising industry. Despite the fact that I worked for a great company and enjoyed my job, I found that working with kids in various volunteer activities was my true passion! I decided to return to school to obtain my Masters Degree in Education and teaching credential at Pepperdine University - a career and life adjustment that I was excited to undertake! I returned home to Chapel Hill in 2007, where I now work as a 4th grade teacher. One of my biggest goals as a teacher is to make learning fun and hands on, utilizing innovative and untraditional teaching methods. I believe that great things can happen when we work together and I hope to convey this idea with the students in their daily life!

Blog: Earthwatch2.org/LFF/Coleman

Daniel Thompson Lisa Ball teaches 9th grade biology in Lawrence, Kansas. In her free time she enjoys hiking, traveling, exercising, reading, birdwatching, playing with her cats, and baking goodies for her seven-year old son and husband. She loves teaching but is very excited to get back to some field research, having spent lots of her undergraduate and graduate career doing fieldwork in the US, Mexico, and Costa Rica.

Blog: Earthwatch2.org/LFF/Ball

Sheila Westbrook Erika DuRoss - Science goes from question to question, reflecting our curiosity of the natural world. As a scientist, I strive for continued personal growth through the observation and study of our natural environment. I aspire to relate science, and its breadth and significance, to the everyday lives and futures of my high school students. I appreciate the importance of learning outside of the classroom, connecting with the surrounding community, professional scientists, resources, and organizations. When not teaching, I can be found outside enjoying Utah's amazing ecosystems: hiking, skiing, rock climbing, rowing, camping, or just exploring. Inside, I am frequently found in the kitchen. My cooking is inspired by a passion for gardening, the value of nutrition and the pleasure of reading cookbooks.

This April I am excited to be joining a team of teachers and researchers in New Orleans to study climate change and caterpillars. Following this expedition, students (in my earth science, biology, Bioneers and possibly even nutrition or math classes) will be invited to develop a follow-up community project.

Blog: Earthwatch2.org/LFF/DuRoss

Kevin McAndrew Dana Frye - I am the Science Coordinator and Lab Science Teacher at Sligo Creek Elementary School in Silver Spring MD, a suburb of Washington DC, where I work directly with about 240 children. In this position I draw on my experience in field biology, my degrees in Environmental Science and Curriculum and Instruction and my love of nature, travel, different cultures and scientific exploration. I believe that all children benefit from understanding the natural world around them and learn most profoundly through inquiry and problem solving. I hope to use my Earthwatch Fellowship experience to expand our program and provide students with a connection to science as it works in the “real world”.

Blog: Earthwatch2.org/LFF/Frye

Kevin McAndrew Cheyne Cumming - I have been a teacher in Portland, OR for 22 years. Currently I teach ESL and literacy skills to third and fifth grade students. I love to hike and bike with my Australian Shepherd in our incredibly beautiful state. I am a mother of two daughters and the grandmother of six grandchildren.

Blog: Earthwatch2.org/LFF/Cumming

Meet the Scientist

Lee Dyer, Ph.D., is an ecologist who has worked with a variety of organisms in the tropics for more than a decade and in temperate areas for the past 15 years. He received a B.S. in Biochemistry and English from the University of California at Santa Barbara. After four years of research on the effects of water diversions on the Mono Lake ecosystem, he moved to Boulder, Colorado, where he received a Ph.D. in ecology. His thesis work examined interactions between plants, herbivores, and their natural enemies and included work in Costa Rica, Colorado, and California. Dyer was a professor for 5 years at Mesa State College in Colorado where he established the Western Colorado Center for Tropical Research and received the distinguished faculty scholar award. Dr. Dyer has been a faculty member in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at Tulane University since 2001.

Nassau, The Bahamas

Earthwatch Expedition Briefing

Earthwatch Classroom Earth Case Study

Photographs from the expedition

Year on Earth. Video clip overview of environmental issues facing the coral reefs and various tools used to survey the reefs as told by three students volunteering on the Bahamian Reef Survey expedition.

Blogs from previous teams:

Heather Brown
Young Achievers Science and Math Pilot School
Jamaica Plain, MA
Blog: http://www.earthwatch2.org/LFF/brown/

Sherrill Dappan
Saint Helena Elementary School
Napa Valley, CA
Blog: http://www.earthwatch2.org/LFF/dappen/

Denise Deghi
San Mateo Park School
San Mateo, CA
Blog: http://www.earthwatch2.org/LFF/deghi/

Sarah Hahn
Community Academy of Science and Health
Hyde Park, MA
Blog: http://www.earthwatch2.org/LFF/boston/

Grace Hancock
Hanover Park High School
Florham Park, NJ
Blog: http://hornetunderwater.blogspot.com

Sarah Mitchell
Johnson Middle School
Bradenton, FL
Blog: http://xit.manatee.k12.fl.us/?blog=SMitchell

Shea Pickelner
City Academy
Salt Lake City, UT
Blog: http://www.earthwatch2.org/LFF/pickelner/

Karen Stein
Ridgedale Middle School
Florham Park, NJ
Blog: http://mrsstein.blogspot.com

Consuela Taylor
Charles R. Drew Charter School
Atlanta GA
Blog: http://www.earthwatch2.org/LFF/taylor/

Kristina Willmarth
Lydia Hawk Elementary School in
Lacey, WA
Blog: http://www.earthwatch2.org/LFF/willmarth/

Map

rollino map page