Vital Signs has a successful history of engaging students with their local ecosystems, including a water quality monitoring program in Maine (1999-2006) and a riparian habitat monitoring program in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (2005-2007).
WATER QUALITY MONITORING Prototype Program, 1999-2006
Maine & New Hampshire
In 2001, Palm, Inc. selected GMA as one of nine Palm Research Hubs in the U.S., and provided us with 140 Palm handheld computers for use in schools and science centers throughout the Gulf of Maine watershed.
Six schools in Maine and two science centers in New Hampshire participated in the prototyping and field testing of the first Vital Signs program. Students recorded water quality information across freshwater and coastal systems using their Palm computer (running customized Vital Signs data collection software), a GPS receiver, camera, and pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature probes.
Students uploaded their data to the Vital Signs water quality monitoring database and viewed their data on interactive maps. Visitors to the website can see maps of the participating communities, see where observations were made, and access all the data records.
RIPARIAN HABITAT MONITORING, 2005-2007
Northern Ireland & Republic of Ireland
Riparian Habitat Monitoring is a customized version of the Vital Signs program that is the result of collaboration between GMRI, the Irish Central Border Area Network, the Loughs Agency, educators, and scientists. The program was developed for use by students to monitor water and habitat quality in various river watersheds, including the Foyle, Blackwater, Carlingford and Melvin river watersheds on both sides of the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Students use handheld computers (running customized Vital Signs data collection software) and a suite of field tools to understand local aquatic habitats. Tools include a GPS receiver, camera, and pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature probes. Students also record river characteristics, streamside data, weather observations, and anecdotal notes.
The data are uploaded to the program database and mapping interface. Here students see their data in context and compare it with that of other schools within their watershed and with other watersheds.
