Scott Olson - Tonasket School District

How to integrate environmental education with photography and technology

Scott Olson, a 12-year teacher in the Tonasket School District in Tonasket, Wash., developed a photo point monitoring project for his high school students after being inspired by a wildlife manager from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Photo point monitoring is a tool used to quickly and effectively document changes in vegetation, soil and other landscape features by periodically photographing the landscape. The wildlife manager, who regularly visited Olson’s classroom, came upon historic photographs of local landscapes and suggested Olson use the photographs to conduct photo point monitoring.

Olson ran with it and soon had his students engaged in an exciting learning experience that allowed them to incorporate numerous subject areas and learn in an outdoor setting.

After conducting preliminary research on the historic photographs – such as determining the approximate locations the photographs were taken – and receiving training on photo point monitoring, the students traveled to the locations of the photographs. Using the photographs and surveying tools, the students located the exact points where the photographer was standing when the photographs were taken.

They used digital cameras to capture the same landscapes as those in the historic photographs. The features in the photographs included mountains, valleys and fields. As another component of the project, students used a handheld GPS device to mark the photograph locations, making it easier to locate the points for future monitoring.

The students uploaded the photographs and used imaging software to create overlays of the current and historic photographs. This allowed for precise comparisons of the landscape. Students also used Google Earth to examine the landscape in its larger context. With this information, students researched possible explanations for any changes they observed between the photographs, as well as possible conservation and restoration opportunities.

In addition to gaining exposure to photography, software programs and technical equipment, Olson also liked that the project gave students marketable skills. He held them to the same work quality level as professionals, using industry standards and expecting the students to take pictures that would stand up in a court of law, which is required for photographs obtained from photo point monitoring.

For teachers interested in using this project in their classroom, Olson recommends local museums, historical societies and universities as places to access historic footage. Olson also recommends using the Forest Service’s Photo Point Monitoring Handbook, which serves as a standard for photo point monitoring. This handbook outlines field procedures and discusses photo point monitoring concepts and analysis.

Olson also stresses the importance of educational partnerships to move education beyond the four walls of the classroom. In addition to his partnership with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olson also partnered with the Woodland Park Zoo of Seattle, Google Earth and Garmin. These organizations were vital in providing him and his students with the equipment and training they needed to conduct their project.

For his work with photo point monitoring, Olson received the 2009 Educator of the Year Award from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Olson now teaches fourth grade and has carried over components of the project to his fourth graders. He is developing a Web site, http://sites.google.com/site/sinlahekinheadquarters/home, that will follow their work.