Outreach
Public Forest Restoration at Cuyahoga Valley National Park
The Blackwood lab and collaborators have interacted with hundreds of volunteers as they come out to spend a Saturday planting trees at Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). We are planting thousands of trees to restore former topsoil and gravel mines and as part of a long-term research project: the Forest Soil and Tree Ecosystem Restoration (FoSTER) project. This project is a close collaboration between Kent State University faculty and students and CVNP staff and volunteers.
Kent State representatives help guide the plantings and explain the science behind ecosystem restoration, tree growth, soil development...and of course our experimental design. Through CVNP, we have hosted many families, clubs, service fraternities/sororities, corporations, girl/boy scout troops, etc.
We have a lot of work left to do to bring the forests back. We are also working with volunteers interested in collecting data (citizen scientists) to monitor all aspects of the ecological response to restoration at these sites - including soils, plants, insects, and nutrient runoff.
Would you like to be involved? Contact us.
Interactions with Sustainability, Art, and Design students
Science and culture informing each other...
Fall 2018: Architecture 46995 Special Topics: Contrived Natures
Spring 2018: ENVS 32091 Environmental Studies and Sustainability
Spring 2017: Architecture / Fashion Design and Merchandising 40050 Fashion Technology: TechStyleLAB – BIODESIGN CHALLENGE
Fall 2015: English 38895 Special Topics: Poetry and Science
