Big Research in a Small Space:

Bringing hands-on, real research to high school students

Big Research in a Small Space: Synergistic effects of climate change & invasive species PART TWO

What happens when climate change induced drought and invasive species legacy gang up on native plants? These high school students are about to find out with a year-long experiment they have recently set up in their courtyard garden.

Big Research in a Small Space: Synergistic effects of climate change & invasive species PART ONE

This video shows the collection of an important part of the experiment being set up at the local high school. Tamarisk, or salt cedar, (Tamarix spp.) is a highly invasive species in the southwestern US. One of the problems is that tamarisk can alter the chemical and biological properties of the soil, which remain for years even after the tamarisk die or are removed. These students will be looking at how the foundation species, coyote willow (Salix exigua), respond to the combined stresses of tamarisk legacy soil and climate change induced drought. Stay tuned for more updates as the experiment progresses.

Restoration of Riparian Ecosystems in the Southwestern United States

I created this video during the COVID-19 pandemic because, honestly, who wants to give yet another PowerPoint presentation via Zoom??? Not me. And I don't think my high school students wanted to sit through another one either.

Turns out, this video was a fun way to make what would be an in-class event accessible to more students in both space and time!

Thank you to the Arizona Community Foundation for making this possible.