Открытая биологическая лаборатория: обучение на природе

Outdoor laboratory for biological study
A land lab is an area of land that has been set aside for use in biological studies. Thus, it is literally an outdoor laboratory based on an area of land. Studies may be elementary or advanced. For instance, students may simply be given the task of identifying all the tree species in a land lab, or an advanced student may be doing an intensive survey of the microbial life forms found in a soil sample. Hands on, tangible, project base learning is a key aspect of land labs within an educational context. Land labs can exist anywhere with outdoor access: educational campuses, residential neighborhoods, peri urban settings, urban settings, or even a small courtyard. The driving principle behind land lab education is getting outside and interacting with the world directly. Land labs are often marked out in plots or transects for studies. A plot may be any size, usually marked out in square meters. This allows for more intensive, delimited studies of changes and inventories of biota. Transects are straight lines at which, at intervals, measurements are taken for a profile of the ecological community. Land labs serve an important role in giving students access to a natural environment to observe native plants and wildlife, apply STEM concepts with hands on projects, and build a better understanding of how critical biodiversity is for ecological health.

Learning to produce food, fiber and energy in sustainable ways is a tremendous opportunity for students of all ages within land labs. Students can explore biomass energy, biogas fuels, solar energy, permaculture, composting, organic gardening, and many other facets of sustainability through land labs. By designing systems that mimic natural processes (biomimicry), we are able to produce food, fiber, and energy in more sustainable ways for local communities. Numerous environmental and economic benefits exist to growing food locally and producing energy locally. These biomimicry inspired systems are circular in nature. Nothing is wasted, as the outputs of one circular system become the inputs of another.

In today's digital world, many students spend inordinate amounts of time on a screen both at home and at school. Inherent limits exist to project based learning that takes place entirely behind a screen or within a classroom. Land labs help break students out of a digital environment by providing much needed time outdoors. Studies have shown that as our digital landscape of social media has exploded in popularity, depression and mental struggles have increased dramatically in students. Studies also show that student's mental health benefits immensely from being outdoors and participating in hands on projects with meaningful outcomes.

Multiple types of local "waste" streams, that can often be obtained freely, can be used to supply a land lab with the raw materials to build soil, generate power, grow food, and restore biodiversity. Woodchips Used for garden paths, mulch, composting & biochar. Often available from local tree companies or municipalities for free. Grass clippings Used for compost and mulch. Available from neighbors and onsite. Leaves Used for compost and mulch. Available from neighbors and onsite. Food waste Used for composting, methane production, liquid fertilizer, and feeding BSF. Coffee grounds Used for composting and BSF production. Pallets (Non treated) Used for making raised beds, biochar, composting bins, and other structures. IBC totes (Food grade) Used for storing rainwater and liquid fertilizer. 5 Gallon Buckets Used for collecting food waste, and other waste streams. Shredded paper Used for composting. Shredded cardboard Used for composting. Newspapers Used for composting and mulching. Logs Used for pollinator habitats. Freely availably from many tree companies. Reclaimed lumber (non treated) Used for raised beds, biochar, and small building projects. Billboard tarps Used for rainwater catchment, roofing, and shade cloths. Freely available from billboard companies. Part of the process of building a land lab is developing relationships with local businesses, neighbors, restaurants, and community members to begin upcycling these wastes into the materials and systems needed within a land lab. Many people have a desire to help students who are working hard on a meaningful community project. Much of the materials listed above can be had for little to no cost as relationships are formed.