Students will be introduced to the polar desert ecosystem of
the Dry Valleys, Antarctica - as they learn about explore earth sciences, environmental sciences,
and ecology.
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The National
Science Foundation is sponsoring a Dry Valleys’
long-term ecological research project - or LTER.
The goal of the project is to study the
components of a polar desert ecosystem and the
interactions between them over long temporal and
broad spatial scales. Each year since 1987,
scientists have gone to the Dry Valleys to
investigate glaciers, streams, lakes, soils,
rocks, and the valleys’ mainly microbial
inhabitants. Incorporated into this objective is an
on-line educational project for schoolchildren,
focusing on the environment and ecological
awareness. |
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| This
expedition covers the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Around 98% of Antarctica is
covered with ice. The Dry Valleys region is the
largest area on the continent that is not.
Located among mountains by McMurdo Sound, on the
part of Antarctica closest to New Zealand, the
valleys receive the equivalent of only 6 mm of
water, on average, each year in the form of
snow. Completely devoid of terrestrial
vegetation, the region is considered one of the
most extreme deserts on the planet. |
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| The
live portion of this
project will begin in November 2002 conclude in
January 2003. |
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To
register for this project, please e-mail us at
dvstreamteam@yahoo.com and
include the following information:
- Your name
- Name of your school or
organization
- Location of your school or
organization
- Grade level of your
students
- Number of students in your
class
We’ll keep
you posted via e-mail every time a report is posted.
Or, you can visit our web site at:
huey.colorado.edu/77DegreesSouth
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John Gartner and Karen Cozzetto, two Ph.D. students at
the University of Colorado-Boulder, are heading
to Antarctica this November as the Dry Valleys’
“Stream Team.” The Stream Team is responsible
for repairing, maintaining, and collecting data
from the gauges that measure stream flow and
also for collecting water quality and algae
samples from the streams. The
nature of the expedition precludes direct
interaction with the explorers; however,
students can track this adventure online, submit
questions via email, and get great ideas for lesson
plans. |
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Sandstone algae
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