THE SOMBRERO MARSH PROGRAM: A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP FOSTERING STUDENT RESEARCH

Research institute partnerships can contribute to the design of rigorous data gathering programs for primary and secondary science students that can be used for monitoring purposes. The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) has been collaborating with a school district, a local government agency, and a non-profit organization to develop an innovative field-based curriculum for the Sombrero Marsh Environmental Education Center. The goal of this unique partnership is to provide exemplary science education for K-16 students and to promote environmental stewardship of the Sombrero Marsh, a rare saline wetland ecosystem recently restored by the city of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP). An important component of the Sombrero Marsh Project is to use students as scientists to develop a database that will be utilized by OSMP to monitor the restoration of the marsh ecosystem. For example, 4th grade students accompany scientists to measure groundwater level and water temperature. Each school group enters the data into a District- and OSMP-wide database developed by undergraduates of CU’s Department of Computer Science, and a graphic depiction of annual groundwater level and temperature is generated as part of the monitoring program. These data, which are validated by CIRES or OSMP scientists, will provide vital information to OSMP, as groundwater discharge is the main source of water to the wetland, and it is imperative to determine the influence of the marsh restoration work on groundwater hydrology. The Marsh Program curriculum is currently being developed, and future plans include the expansion of the curriculum to the first grade and middle and high school levels. Future activities include the monitoring of water chemistry, transects of upland and wetland plants, and waterfowl. The data will be fed into the database for use by OSMP, and the quality of the data will be validated by collaborating CU faculty. High school students, with particular emphasis on under-represented student populations, will be recruited to work with CU scientists on research projects driven by student interest. Programs, such as the Sombrero Marsh Education Program, can serve as a model for similar science education partnerships that aim to promote student-based research.