What is LETS?-or-
One School’s Experiment in Citizen Science
LETS stands for Local Environmental Transect Survey
Local -- takes place locally
Environmental -- examines an environmental gradient
Transect -- records species along a line
Survey -- generates maps
LETS is a Climate Change Study
The Rhone GlacierRhone Glacier in 1870 Rhone Glacier recently
LETS Examines Climate Change
Through the Lens of Forest Ecology
Top of RiondazLeysin American
Biomes Exist Close Together
RIFP Site 1600m
LAS
Beau Reveil Forest
Valley Floor 450m
LETS Required Planning and Organization
Tasks had to be outlined and assigned
Plant guides had to be created to reflect local forest.
Sites had to be identified and marked. Protocols had to be developed
Developed Protocols for Study
Many materials were custom made.
LETS Benefits From Student Training and
Curriculum Integration
LETS Day Involves the Whole School
(to date > 400 students and > 30 teachers have participated)
LETS Results in Authentic Science!
This graph shows how as elevation increases, so does the number of coniferous trees, while the opposite is
true for deciduous trees.
The three most common species were Norway Spruce, European Beech, and Silver Fir.
Many different species of tree were observed, but some were far more common than others.
Over 600 trees spanning a change in altitude of more than 1200 metres were mapped and measured.
LETS Data is Presented
The Data is Entered, Analyzed, and Visualized
First ECSA Conference 2016 LAS Student Work is Featured!
Students Reflect on LETS
“Climate change is a big issue and Leysin, being a town on top of a mountain, can be very affected by it. Recording the data can help us know, for example, that if there are not many trees we have to place some protection for avalanches. I liked talking to the college students because that gave me knowledge of why climate change is a real issue that affects all of us directly. It was harder than I imagined. It was far away, cold, and I fell a couple of times because the mountain was very steep. Overall it was a great experience and I enjoyed it.”
- Ana Lucia Moreno Portoni (RIFP)
What’s next for LETS
What is iNaturalist?
iNaturalist Observations
iNaturalist Observations
iNaturalist Observations
iNaturalist Observations