PartI:Overview ofDepartmentMissionStatement:

“Ourmissionistomaintainahealthyurbanforestbyprovidingexpertmaintenanceforthetreesfoundintheright-of-way(ROW)andothertreeslocatedthroughoutinCity-ownedcemeteries,golfcoursesandparks.”

The forestry division is responsible for all ROW and City-owned trees in the Des Moines region.

CurrentMainProject: EmeraldAshBorer(EAB)TheEAB,whichisinIowa,destroysashtreesfromtheinsideout.Thismeansinfectedtreesbecomehighriskhazards.TheDesMoinesPublicWorksForestryDivisioniscompletingadatasetforalloftheashtreesintheDesMoinesregion.ThecurrentsolutioninDesMoinesistoremove2/3orthecurrentashtreepopulationwhiletreatingtheremaining1/3.

PartII:ExternJobSpecificsWearecompilingacompletedatasetforallashtreesintheDesMoinesregionfromtwodifferentsurveys.Thetwosurveyshavebeencombinedanddiscrepancieswerehighlighted.Weareverifyingeachdiscrepancyinperson.Ifthereisnoashtreeatthediscrepancypointwecrossoutthepoint.Ifthereisanashtreewemeasurethetree’sdiameterwithDBHtapeandmarkthetreeforeitherremovalortreatment.Wedecidethetree’sfatebasedonphysicalcharacteristicsofthetreeandthesurroundingarea.Forexample.Ifthetreeisgrowingintopowerlines,wemarkthetreeforremoval.

PartIII:IntroducetheProblemInvasivebeetlessuchastheEmeraldAshBorerandtheAsianLong-hornedBeetlehaveenteredIowaandaredestroyingnativetrees.Peoplecareaboutthisissue,becausethesebeetlesturnlivingtreesintoenvironmentalandlivinghazards.Thismeansthatinfectedtreesaredangerousforeverydayliving.TheforestrydivisioninDesMoineshasheardrumorsofanewbeetleenteringIowaonlyafewweeksago.LittleisknownabouthowthisnewbeetlewillaffectIowa’snativetrees.FortheDesMoinesForestryDivisiontobeginpreparationstosaveexistingnativetrees,theyneedyourhelpincollectinginformation.TheForestryDivisionwantsacompleteinventoryandmapofthetreesatAmosHiattMiddleSchoolandyourdecisionsonwhatshouldbedone.

PartIV:BuildingBackgroundStudentswillexploretheschoolgroundsfocusedonmappingtreelocations..Studentswillusetheirowncriteriatomapandidentifytrees.Theteachercanguidestudentcriteriabysettingupcompetitivebasedincentivessuchasfindthe“best”tree(classroomdiscussionscanbeheldtodecidethiscriteria).Afterstudentshavecollecteddata,sharedinformation,andcreatedfinaldatasetsbasedontheircriteria,studentsshouldresearchhowscientistscollectinformationontrees.Anewdataset/inventoryshouldbecreatedbasedonnational/globalscientificstandards.

Basedonthedatastudentscollected,theteachercanprovideinformationaboutthe“new”beetle.Thisbeetlecanbehypotheticalorrealbasedonthedatacollectedandwhattheteacherwantsstudentstoconsiderwhilecreatingforsolutionstoprepareforthisnewbeetle.Theteachercanholdclassroomdiscussionsand/orletstudentsresearchsimilarcases.Studentscouldalsodebatepossiblesolutionsandpresentideasinapublicforum.

PartV:ForestryDivisionSolutionsDesMoines’currentsolutionistoremovemostoftheashtreeswithaverageorpoorconditionswhiletreatingidealashtrees.Differenttypesoftreeswillthenbeplantedwherecurrenttreesareremoved.Withinthreeyears,theforestrydivisionwillcheckontheremainingashtreesandmakedecisionstoremoveortreatagain.

PartVI:StudentSolutionsThetwomainsolutionsmoststudentswillfocusonwillbetoeitherremoveortreatexistingtreesthatthe“new”beetlewilltarget.Therecouldalsobesolutionsonwhattodowiththelandiftreesareremovedandthetreesthemselves.Somestudentsmaydecidethatweshouldfindresourcestokillthebeetleandleavethetreesalone.

HaleyDavis8thGradeScienceAmosHiattMiddleSchoolDesMoinesPublicWorks

PreparefortheEmeraldAshBorer