“No Student Left Inside” During Earth Science Week

TALLAHASSEE – This week is Earth Science Week and in keeping tune with this year’s theme, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has ensured no student is “left inside” by immersing Columbia County children in science and nature with a LIFE (Learning in Florida’s Environment) lesson. DEP’s Ichetucknee Springs State Park hosted approximately 165 students from Fort White High School over the past two days for a LIFE field lab centered on the carbon-oxygen cycle, studying how trees “breathe” in carbon dioxide and “breathe” out oxygen.

“The LIFE program’s mission coincides with Earth Science Week in that they both aim to engage students in outdoor activity that promotes mental and physical well-being while also strengthening environmental stewardship,” said DEP’s LIFE Director Greg Ira. “This lab not only addresses the importance of environmental protection, but provides students with hands-on, outdoor learning experiences that stimulate learning as well as personal development.”

During the LIFE field experience, students were split into two groups and asked to examine a log, analyze their observations and collect interesting items found in the logs, like insects and fungus, to observe under a microscope. After completing the field lab, the students were able to indentify different decomposing tree habitats, identify how the activities of organisms affect soil formation and understand how the process of decomposition helps create rich soil.

This year’s national theme for Earth Science Week is: No Child Left Inside! A nonprofit organization representing more than 120,000 earth scientists, the American Geological Institute established Earth Science Week in 1998 to promote understanding of the earth sciences. Last year, the Earth Science Week celebration included participants in all 50 states and more than four countries. For information on Earth Science Week and associated activities visit www.earthsciweek.org.

Since 2004, the LIFE Program has brought more than 4,000 future scientists and stewards outdoors and into Florida’s award winning state parks by participating in the program. The LIFE initiative seeks to establish a series of field-based, environmental-science education programs around the state. Each of the nine existing programs is a partnership between DEP and a local school district. The goal of each LIFE program is increased student achievement and teacher professional development in science, with the content and delivery varying from site to site. For more information on the LIFE program, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/ed/.

The first two-time Gold Medal winner honoring the nation’s best state park service, Florida’s state park system is one of the largest in the country with 161 parks spanning nearly 700,000 acres and 100 miles of sandy white beach. From swimming and diving in Florida’s rivers and springs to birding and fishing or hiking and riding on natural scenic trails, Florida’s state parks offer year-around outdoor activities for all ages. Battle re-enactments and Native American festivals celebrate Florida’s unique history, while art shows, museums and lighthouses offer a window into Florida’s cultural heritage. Florida’s state parks are also home to the 2008 Best Beach in the nation, Caladesi Island State Park, located off the coast of Southwest Florida in Pinellas County. For a list of the activities and events offered in Florida’s state parks, visit www.FloridaStateParks.org.