Abstract:

In Finnmark County, Norway and Murmansk Oblast, Russia, Phenology monitoring is carried out by secondary schools in the project “Phenology of the North Calotte”. The project is an initiative aiming for stimulating schools to actively take part in nature observations and registrations. The pupils participating are from 7 – 11 grade. Five Norwegian schools and twelve Russian schools participate, involving 3000-6000 pupils per year. The pupils make observation of phenology for nine species of animals (birds and insects), and four phenophases on nine species of plants (trees, herbs and berries), of environment in the vicinity of their schools. The project started in 2000 and registrations started in 2002. Data series is available at https://www.miljolare.no/en/aktiviteter/pnc/resultater/.

For schools and the teachers this project provides possibilities for use the data in a combination of disciplines (geography, mathematics, biology, computer information technologies, English) and other thematic in curricula. As well, annual seminars for the teachers provide continuing competence development that they can use in the daily classroom situation. The data reveal regional differences in plant phenology, and reveal variations of animal’s appearance, like birds. The data contributed by participants can be used for comparisons across years and regions. Phenological data contribute to increase ecological knowledge and is also useful when studying climate changes and natural cycles, and traditional use of nature resources.

The outcome for the pupils is that they gain hands-on experience on fieldwork by making the observations, understanding the scientific approach. Further, the use of their own observations combined with data that pupils have collected previous years may develop ownership to the work, as they know that their observation and work become important for the classes that will follow the next years. At last, during guest lectures and the annual school gathering, the pupils get the possibility to meet scientist making the arena for developing a better understanding and interest for higher education.

The most important feedback from pupils after they finished their education is that they experienced trust that the work they made were important. Some pupils respond that their interest and knowledge obtained increased their insight in science better than ordinary education, because the practical observations made the basis for the theory.

Keywords:

Long-time monitoring series into classrooms, Phenology of the North Calotte, Phenology work in schools.