Montana Discovery Foundation

YOUTH FOREST MONITORING PROGRAM

The Montana Science Institute and Helena National Forest formed a partnership in 1998 that involves high school students in Forest Service monitoring activities. The original goal of this partnership was enhancement of the Helena National Forest's monitoring program, the Montana Science Institute's environmental education program, and the skills of youth.

The goals of the program are

Provide youth with skills and experience in field monitoring techniques
Foster connections between youth and professionals
Acquire useful information about forest conditions

YFMP training is structured to integrated numerous teaching techniques and learning styles. Participants are separated into teams that work individually and together throughout the training. A sample of what a week of work looks like for a student attending this program-

Day 1-You will be introduced to general concepts of forest ecology, the Forest Service's role in managing with the objective of maintaining sustainable ecosystems, and the role of monitoring in forest management. You will learn and practice using maps, compasses, and GPS units to locate a study site, establish a study plot, and collect general field data.

Day 2 & 3-You will head out for two days in the field, where you will learn to collect soil, stream, and weed data from Forest Service specialists. You will learn and practice safe and low-impact outdoor skills.

Day 4-You and you team will prepare and deliver an oral presentation. Teams will present an introduction, discuss methods, and the results of the monitoring activities learned during this training. You will need to pay attention and take good notes during the week, because you will need to relay your findings in a professional manner at the end of the week. Public speaking is also part of your training and there will be sessions to help with this aspect and you will receive presentation tips and format.

If you would like more information about the Youth Forest Monitoring Program, please contact the Montana Discovery Foundation at 406-495-3711.


	Youth Forest Monitoring Program students monitor three parameters in the Helena National Forest: streams, soils, and weeds. In the photo to the left, a stream monitoring student uses a surveyor's rod to complete a cross section of nearby Shep's Creek in the Elkhorn Mountains. A surveyor's level (inset photo) is used to sight measurements of the surveyor's rod as it is placed at intervals along a transect tape. This data will be used to create a cross-sectional view of the stream bed. Earlier in the field season, the stream monitoring team used a streamflow meter (streamflow3.JPG) to capture late Spring runoff data. This particular shot was taken in the Elkhorn Mountains as well, at Eagle Creek.
The soil monitoring team uses an erosion bridge (photo to right) to determine how quickly soil is being transported down a slope. The metal rod is inserted at 10 points along the converted carpenter's level, and measurements are made from the bottom of the rod to the ground. Any substantial difference in these measurements from year to year would indicate the presence of erosion or deposition.
	The weed monitoring crew revisited many of the previous year's sites in 2002. The photo to the left was taken in the Magpie Gulch area, site of the 2001 Cave Gulch fire. Students were amazed to see the amount of regrowth that has occurred in this burn area in just two years.
Eight high school students entering grades 9-12, took part in Youth Forest Monitoring Program 2002 (YFMP2002.jpg)". These students came from Helena National Forest area schools including Helena High, Capital High, and Jefferson High. Students interested in this program should contact Liz Burke at 449-495-3713 recruitment for YFMP begins in March.