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Login | WelcomeThe Acadia Learning project supports and publishes research by high school and middle school students. Students work directly with research scientists engaged in work at Acadia National Park and its surrounding ecosystem. The student research grows out of research at Acadia and other park and forest agencies. The work by the students adds to related research at Acadia. The students do their field work in the areas surrounding their own schools. The work is integrated with science and math programs in the schools, and is managed by classroom teachers. For more about this project, click here. The Acadia Learning project is managed by Acadia Partners for Science and Learning and is funded in part by the Maine Department of Education through a Math and Science Partnership grant. News and Announcements
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 Mercury accumulates in fish over time. The amount of mercury depends on many things, including what the fish eat and how much they eat. In this project we explore the variables that determine the mercury content of fish that we catch in local lakes and ponds.
Forests and watersheds are affected by acid rain, salt and other chemical inputs. Snow is an important source of these inputs, as well as a ground cover that affects wildlife and the forest itself. Different kinds of forests collect snow in different ways. How do factors such as forest type and forest density affect the chemistry, biology, and ecology of the forest? The pond at the Waldo County Tech Center does not contain fish--at least not any that we know of. Could it be stocked with fish? What kind of fish could the pond support? What is living in the pond now? How would the fish change the pond? These are not only good research questions, but also good examples of resource management problems. They form the basis for this student inquiry at Waldo County Tech Center. In this course we focus look at factors that are potentially related to water quality in Nokomis Pond. Because the pond is relatively shallow and therefore likely to undergo temperature change in the event that there are patterns of broader climate change in the region, we pay particular attention to factors potentially associated with water temperature changes. In this course we focus on the ecology, chemistry, biology, and physical characteristics of intertidal areas around Sears Island. We pay particular attention to areas on either side of the causeway connecting the island to the mainland. A follow up on research started in early 2007 by MSSM students looking at a watershed on Schoodic. Results in 2007 were contrary to hypotheses in ways that suggested that other factors should be investigated. In this subsequent study students propose and conduct research that might provide insight into the 2007 results. |
